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***This is a full-time Contract position. End date is 1 year from hire date*** Department Overview (please write a brief description of your department/unit that you would like to be included in the job posting/advertisement) QBI supports fundamental quantitative research to address pressing problems in biology and biomedicine. Motivated by human disease, we are committed to investigating basic biological mechanisms, believing that the most unexpected discoveries in the basic sciences reveal the solutions to our most complex diseases. UCSF is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All employees are obligated to meet the highest standards with respect to accuracy, conflict of interest, intellectual property, and confidentiality. The Quantitative Biosciences Institute (QBI) at UCSF is an Organized Research Unit (ORU) dedicated to breaking down traditional academic silos. We apply disease-agnostic technologies-including proteomics, functional genomics, and computational biology-to unravel the molecular networks of human disease, from cancer to infectious disease and neurological disorders. By fostering high-velocity, interdisciplinary team science, QBI bridges the gap between discovery research and breakthrough clinical therapies. We are seeking an Associate Director, Neuroscience. This role provides scientific strategy and leadership for neuroscience programs, with expanded responsibility for portfolio oversight, and funding development, ensuring that scientific programs achieve their strategic and operational objective. You will be responsible for translating the high-level vision of QBI leadership into actionable scientific results. This is a high-impact, "hybrid" role designed for an accomplished PhD-level scientist who thrives on High-Low Versatility: the ability to operate on a strategic level, while being equally prepared to dive deep into the science.
| % of time |
Essential Function (Yes/No) |
Key Responsibilities (To be completed by Supervisor) |
| 30 |
Yes |
Program and Portfolio Leadership * Lead/Co-lead programs and a team and contribute to scientific prioritization and portfolio-level decision making. * Provide scientific leadership across neuroscience initiatives, shaping research direction, setting strategic priorities, and guiding high-impact decisions based on scientific risk, feasibility, and potential impact. * Serve as a scientific thought partner to PIs and project teams, contributing critical input on study design, translational relevance, and strategic positioning of research programs. * Contribute to go/no-go decisions, scope refinement, and resource reallocation in response to scientific progress, emerging data, and evolving strategic objectives. * Oversee multi-PI biomedical research grants at the portfolio level, ensuring scientific alignment, coordination across stakeholders, and adherence to center milestones. * Identify interdependencies among scientific projects, cores, and shared resources, assessing downstream impacts on program priorities, timelines, and outcomes. * Evaluate program effectiveness and recommend strategic adjustments to program content, structure, or processes to ensure continuous scientific and operational improvement. |
| 30 |
Yes |
Strategic and Scientific Leadership * Participate in long-term strategic planning, including grant renewal and new program initiatives. * Provide scientific and operational guidance to investigators and project teams. * Support identification of emerging neuroscience opportunities and mitigation strategies for scientific challenges. * Lead scientific strategy and experimental design- Collaborate closely with a team of scientists to design experiments, define research priorities, and shape key scientific directions for the broader group |
| 15 |
Yes |
Funding and Resource Development * Lead identification of funding opportunities and revenue streams, including public grants, private sector support, and philanthropic contributions. * Take a central role in the preparation and submission of large-scale grant proposals. * Co-ordinate post-award management and ensure accountability for awarded funding. * Lead/Co-lead planning for prospective high-value funding initiatives. |
| 15 |
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Cross-Functional Collaboration and Operational Management * Ensures through subordinates, facilitates interdisciplinary collaboration across scientific labs, departments, and external partners. * Ensure data quality, resource allocation, and personnel management across multiple labs. * Provide scientific and operational oversight of program execution, ensuring alignment with strategic priorities, milestones, and funding requirements. * Liaise with legal, finance, HR, media, and grants offices to support program operations. * Ensure compliance with all relevant regulations, safety protocols, and ethical guidelines |
| 10 |
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Leadership and Mentoring * Provide mentorship and guidance to an entry-level Program Manager role. * Represent/Co-represent neuroscience programs on committees, strategic planning initiatives, and external engagements. Support dissemination of research outcomes, including presentations and publications.. |
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Required Qualifications
- Terminal degree in a related area (PhD, JD, MD, etc.) and / or equivalent experience / training required
- Minimum 5 years of related experience
- Minimum 3 years of experience as a lead/supervisor/manager
- Track record of leading and writing high-impact publications and successfully architecting complex, federally sponsored research proposals.
- Proven track record of developing and leading large Translational Neuroscience studies
- Proven track record of developing and leading large Translational Neuroscience Studies A "finisher" mentality with the ability to drive projects to completion under high-pressure deadlines. You are comfortable being the primary point of accountability for a $10M+ portfolio
- Intellectual agility to move seamlessly between different disease areas and technologies (Mass Spec, CRISPR, iPSCs). Technical skill set including neuroscience disease models, iPSCs, mammalian cultures, proteomics, Genetic engineering, Imaging
- Exceptional presentation skills and the ability to influence diverse stakeholders without direct authority
- An independent self-starter with a "no task too small" attitude and a non-negotiable sense of dry humor
Preferred Qualifications
- Academic background and experience in relevant area of research
- Demonstrated experience supervising staff and students in an academic or research setting
- Demonstrated knowledge of university, state, and federal policies that influence higher education
Required Qualifications
- Terminal degree in a related area (PhD, JD, MD, etc.) and / or equivalent experience / training required
- Minimum 5 years of related experience
- Minimum 3 years of experience as a lead/supervisor/manager
- Track record of leading and writing high-impact publications and successfully architecting complex, federally sponsored research proposals.
- Proven track record of developing and leading large Translational Neuroscience studies
- Proven track record of developing and leading large Translational Neuroscience Studies A "finisher" mentality with the ability to drive projects to completion under high-pressure deadlines. You are comfortable being the primary point of accountability for a $10M+ portfolio
- Intellectual agility to move seamlessly between different disease areas and technologies (Mass Spec, CRISPR, iPSCs). Technical skill set including neuroscience disease models, iPSCs, mammalian cultures, proteomics, Genetic engineering, Imaging
- Exceptional presentation skills and the ability to influence diverse stakeholders without direct authority
- An independent self-starter with a "no task too small" attitude and a non-negotiable sense of dry humor
Preferred Qualifications
- Academic background and experience in relevant area of research
- Demonstrated experience supervising staff and students in an academic or research setting
- Demonstrated knowledge of university, state, and federal policies that influence higher education
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University of California - San Francisco
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Apr 17, 2026