Research Scientist Navigator

Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago provides superior pediatric care in a setting that offers the latest benefits and innovations in medical technology, research and family-friendly design. As the largest pediatric provider in the region with a 140-year legacy of excellence, kids and their families are at the center of all we do. Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago is ranked in all 10 specialties by the U.S. News & World Report.

Day (United States of America)

Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago

The Research Scientist Navigator is located within the Stanley Manne Children’s Research Institute Office of Research Development and facilitates research across the research enterprise by providing a single point of entry to manage requests for research support. The Research Scientist Navigator advocates for researchers and research teams, identifies barriers to optimal research execution, formulates, implements, and assesses solutions to those barriers, identifies resources needed for the timely & successful completion of research projects, refers investigators to appropriate research services and/or cores within or outside of the Manne Research Institute, consults on and provides input to institutional polices, and identifies and promotes research best practices. This position initiates, develops, and maintains relationships with key central research contacts within various offices to facilitate the timely and proper initiation and ongoing operation of research projects within the research institute. The Research Scientist Navigator knows who to contact and where to seek answers when investigators have questions about developing and conducting research studies, preparing grant proposals, identifying research funding funding, ongoing financial management, contract negotiations, safety committees, IRB submissions, scientific peer review submission, study feasibility, recruitment methods, data management, and study implementation. The Research Scientific Navigator is also responsible for tracking and reporting on outcomes of research institute initiatives, including scientific peer review, internal grant awards, and trainee programs. Implements and continuously improves strategic and tactical research navigation activities.

Essential Job Functions:

• Serves as a central resource for investigators to provide expertise, guidance, and support for investigator research programs.
• Provides navigation through institutional practices, policies, and workflow. Maintains a working knowledge of institutional research administration and scientific service areas, committees, and best practices.
• Facilitates the advancement of investigator-initiated research by linking investigators with relevant internal and external resources, tools, and collaborators. Advises investigators on the logistics of conducting research, refer investigators to other research navigators within Northwestern University Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute (NUCATS) when indicated and to appropriate Manne Research Institute, Lurie Children’s, and Northwestern University core services, labs, and programs.
• Assists investigators in identifying and solving research design, implementation, and execution problems and providing expert advice on the logistics of conducting research, interfacing with people and resources on behalf of the investigator when appropriate.
• Conducts outreach, relationship development and coordination with other research support areas at Lurie Children’s as well as NU and other NUCATS-affiliated partners including Northwestern Medicine, Shirley Ryan AbilityLab, and external entities pertinent to child health research.
• Provides navigation services for teams working on grant proposals, assuring incorporation of and access to appropriate research services, providing institutional grant language, facilitating access to personnel to help with budget development while engaging cross campus interdisciplinary programs and development, when appropriate.
• Performs initial evaluation of research requests and connects research teams to research support.
• Manages coordination of resources to investigators in a predictable and organized manner. Ensures successful referral to consultant resources through management of processes that not only link Navigator Program clients with resources to meet their needs, but also ensure subsequent evaluation of successful engagement with the referred resource.
• Develops new, and reinforces existing, connections to the research enterprise community through attendance of conferences, seminars, workshops, and networking events.
• Creates and implements systems to track and evaluate consultations provided by the Navigator Program. Tracks and reports on outcomes of research institute initiatives, including scientific peer review, internal grant awards, and trainee programs.
• Develops and manages continuous improvement activities to evaluate both service needs and the effectiveness of program services.
• Oversees development of program marketing strategies with Research Education and Research Communications teams.  Develops and implements strategies to raise awareness of services and to increase utilization of all research services. Leads efforts to communicate with the research community, including its affiliated partners, to ensure that researchers have engagement with program services and are educated about the existence of resources, services, and the Navigator Program.
• Provides job functions adhering to service principles with customer service focus on innovation, service excellence and teamwork to provide the highest quality research support to research community.
• Performs other job duties as assigned.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• An advanced degree (such as a master’s or equivalent) is preferred, along with at least two years of relevant research experience. Candidates with a bachelor’s degree may also be considered if they have substantial hands-on research experience.
• Prior experience working in basic, clinical, or population research, and/or experience in research administration and research navigation. 
• Strong verbal and written communication skills and the desire to work very closely with scientifically dynamic personnel are essential.
• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to prepare accurate, concise reports.
• Demonstrated experience in relationship database design and management.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel, Outlook, Word, PowerPoint, and Teams required.
• Solid analytical, technical, quality improvement, program assessment, and problem-solving skills.
• Strong focus on flexibility, ability to quickly adapt to unique challenges and respond appropriately.

Education

PhD: Pharmacology (Required)

Pay Range

$83,200.00-$137,280.00 Salary

At Lurie Children’s, we are committed to competitive and fair compensation aligned with market rates and internal equity, reflecting individual contributions, experience, and expertise. The pay range for this job indicates minimum and maximum targets for the position. Ranges are regularly reviewed to stay aligned with market conditions. In addition to base salary, Lurie Children’s offer a comprehensive rewards package that may include differentials for some hourly employees, leadership incentives for select roles, health and retirement benefits, and wellbeing programs. For more details on other compensation, consult your recruiter or click the following link to learn more about our benefits.

Benefit Statement

For full time and part time employees who work 20 or more hours per week we offer a generous benefits package that includes:

Medical, dental and vision insurance

Employer paid group term life and disability

Employer contribution toward Health Savings Account

Flexible Spending Accounts

Paid Time Off (PTO), Paid Holidays and Paid Parental Leave

403(b) with a 5% employer match

Various voluntary benefits:

• Supplemental Life, AD&D and Disability
• Critical Illness, Accident and Hospital Indemnity coverage
• Tuition assistance
• Student loan servicing and support
• Adoption benefits
• Backup Childcare and Eldercare
• Employee Assistance Program, and other specialized behavioral health services and resources for employees and family members
• Discount on services at Lurie Children’s facilities
• Discount purchasing program

There’s a Place for You with Us

At Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago and its affiliates (collectively “Lurie Children’s”), we embrace and celebrate diversity and equity in a serious way. We are committed to building a team with a variety of backgrounds, skills, and viewpoints — recognizing that diverse identities strengthen our workplace and the care we can provide to the Chicago community and beyond. We treat everyone fairly, appreciate differences, and make meaningful connections that foster belonging and allyship. This is a place where you can be your best, so we can give our best to the patients and families who trust us with their care.  

Lurie Children’s and its affiliates are equal employment opportunity employers.  We value diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.  All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, disability, marital status, pregnancy, protected veteran status, order of protection status, protected genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by law. 

For questions about how to request an accommodation please contact: employeehealth@luriechildrens.org

AI Notice 

Lurie Children’s utilizes certain AI-enabled features within our recruiting platform to support candidate engagement and assist recruiters in identifying and prioritizing applicants whose experience aligns with job requirements. All employment decisions are made by individuals.

It is a civil rights violation with respect to recruitment, hiring, promotion, or employment for an employer to use artificial intelligence that has the effect of subjecting employees to discrimination on the basis of protected classes under the Illinois Human Rights Act or to use zip codes as a proxy for protected classes.

For questions about the use of artificial intelligence in this process or any additional support, please contact: peoplequestions@luriechildrens.org