Department
PSD Chemistry: Alivisatos Group
About the Department
One of the first departments founded at the University of Chicago was the Department of Chemistry. Since its inception, the Department of Chemistry has embodied the University's central mission of excellence in both research and teaching. The University of Chicago has been the recipient of more than 73 Nobel Prize recipients, 15 of which came from the Department of Chemistry. Our current faculty has considerable strength in inorganic, organic, and physical chemistry, as well as in interdisciplinary research that delves into biology, physics, and materials science.
The Department is a community of over 500, including faculty, students, postdoctoral scholars and staff. Our academic support group operates the graduate and undergraduate educational programs for the department, including 60 undergraduate Chemistry majors and nearly 300 graduate students. Close student-faculty interactions have been a hallmark of our department for over a century. These have fostered a unique intellectual environment that both ensures superb graduate education and continues to produce important and exciting scientific discoveries.
Job Summary
The Chemistry department is currently looking for a highly motivated, experienced lead administrative staff member to Prof. Paul Alivisatos’s Research Laboratory at the University of Chicago. Prof. Alivisatos research concerns the structural, thermodynamic, optical, and electrical properties of colloidal inorganic nanocrystals. This position provides high-level administrative and project management support while performing a diverse range of routine and specialized tasks related to grants, personnel, finances, student support and mentorship, laboratory safety and compliance, communication, and reporting. A familiarity with the issues and science behind nanocrystals would be helpful but is not necessary.
In this exciting role, the Lab Manager will serve an integral function within the lab to ensure smooth operation of day-to-day activities and support various elements of program planning and delivery, including managing information systems, ensuring continual and efficient information flow among program participants, budget development and tracking for various project funders.
Responsibilities
Provides high-level administrative and project management support to the research group, ensuring that all aspects of the research program are executed through careful management of deadlines and personnel.
Organizes and manages laboratory operations as a delegate of Professor Alivisatos, ensuring that there is consistent communication, direction, and coordination of all staff, students and postdocs contributing to the laboratory.
Independently solves complex problems in collaboration with the appropriate administrative offices including matters involving student affairs, safety protocols, procurement, and budgeting.
Coordinates the execution of critical high-level communications including drafting letters of recommendation and coordinating with the support staff within the President’s office to ensure they are submitted in a timely manner.
Supervises a business administrator to ensure that scheduling, purchases, reimbursements, and booking travel arrangements for members of the laboratory are executed correctly and in a timely manner.
Work closely with the PI to plan and write grants to obtain additional funding.
Manage program deliverables (e.g., manuscript submissions and progress reports); guide the development of project scopes and schedules.
Serves as a liaison to the appropriate department administrator regarding administrative issues such as finances, academic personnel, and communications.
Provides guidance, direction and support to students and postdocs in the laboratory, helping to set the tone to ensure the environment in the laboratory is productive and collaborative and working as a delegate of Prof. Alivisatos to help resolve any…