Jobs UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO BOULDER

JILA was founded in 1962 as a joint institute of CU Boulder and NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology). JILA staff, fellows, students and scientists work together as a team to support and advance research at the frontiers of science. JILA's fellows include two Nobel laureates, Eric Cornell and John Hall.

JILA's CU members hold faculty appointments in the Departments of Physics; Astrophysical and Planetary Science; Chemistry and Biochemistry; and Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology; as well as in the School of Engineering (JILA pays for summer research, funding 32 Fellows). NIST’s Quantum Physics Division members hold adjoint faculty appointments at CU in the same departments. Each year, JILA scientists publish more than 200 original research papers in national and international scientific journals & conference proceedings.

Strategic Operations Oversight

• Provide comprehensive leadership for the day-to-day operations of the QSEnSE initiative, ensuring the effective implementation of programs, policies, and procedures. Supervise the coordination and allocation of resources across multidisciplinary research groups, ensuring alignment with JILA’s strategic goals and compliance with university policies. Serve as the key liaison between faculty, researchers, staff, and external partners to ensure smooth operations and foster collaborative research.
• Work closely with the Principal Investigator to align operational goals with the strategic vision of the NSF-funded institute.
• Anticipate and resolve operational challenges that impact the research teams, proactively managing any impediments.
• Prepare and deliver reports and presentations on operational status and challenges, communicating effectively with both internal and external partners.

Management of Cross-functional Teams

• Lead the management between a team consisting of science and research convergence leaders and workforce development director to ensure seamless operations.

Budget Design and Monitoring

• Develop and manage the budget for both Q-SEnSE and the Quantum Systems Accelerator, ensuring appropriate allocation of resources.

Collaborative Agreement Drafting

• Draft and review multi-party collaborative agreements related to research partnerships and intellectual property, ensuring legal and institutional compliance.

Long-Term Planning and Policy Development

• Contribute to long-term planning and policy development in collaboration with academic and industry partners.

External Advisory and Executive Committee Liaison

• Act as the key liaison for the External Advisory Council and Executive Committee, ensuring regular communication and feedback on operational matters.

Grant and Proposal Writing

• Assist in preparing proposals for funding agencies, including NSF, ensuring that operational components meet the required standards.

Intellectual Property Management

• Manage intellectual property issues, including compliance with university policies and ensuring proper handling of research data and findings.

Human Resources Management

• Coordinate staffing needs, and ensure that teams are well-equipped to perform their duties in support of the institute's research objectives.

Technology and Cloud Services Management (Daily)

• Manage the institute’s cloud services and collaborative tools (e.g., Microsoft Teams, Dropbox) to support research and operational efficiency.

Financial Modeling and Forecasting Working with the JILA Financial Team

• Develop dynamic financial models to project and optimize the institute’s financial performance and resource allocation.

Contract and Sub-award Oversight

• Manage sub-awards and contracts, particularly with external entities ensuring compliance with funding requirements.

Meeting Facilitation and Scheduling

• Schedule and lead meetings with the research teams, management team, and external collaborators, including virtual meetings via videoconferencing.

Compliance with Funding Agency Requirements (Ongoing)

• Ensure compliance with the guidelines and reporting requirements of funding agencies such as the NSF and DOE.

Workforce Development

• Support the Director of Education and Workforce Development in building a quantum-savvy workforce through training and educational programs.

Web and Digital Presence Management

• Manage the institute’s website and digital presence, coordinating with professional designers when necessary to ensure it reflects operational needs.

Risk Management

• Identify and manage potential risks, ensuring the institute can respond effectively to crises impacting operations or research progress.

• This position will be primarily on-site.

The annual hiring range for this position is $100,000-$130,000. Onboarding assistance is available for eligible candidates.

Technical

• Ability to digest complex operational details and present them succinctly in speech, writing, or presentation software.
• Excellence in drafting advocatory prose, such as white papers.
• Familiarity with and experience in proposal design and writing for national funding agencies such as NSF.
• Existing or acquired adeptness at managing team cloud services such as DropBox and Microsoft Teams.
• Familiarity with the design and maintenance of moderately complex websites (with the occasional assistance of a professional web designer).

Business

• Dynamic financial modeling and optimization using spreadsheets.
• Ability to design and monitor budgets.
• Adeptness at scheduling and managing medium-large meetings, including videoconferencing.
• Experience and practical familiarity with intellectual property law and procedures.
• Experience and practical familiarity with legal document drafting, such as multi-party collaborative agreements.

Leadership and Interpersonal

• Leadership, as evidenced by an ability to build consensus through persuasion based on analysis and vision of optimum outcomes.
• Independence to act with minimal direction in a team-oriented environment.
• Creativity, problem-solving by novel solutions to operational, bureaucratic, or financial problems.
• Initiative to foresee and preemptively resolve operational challenges faced by a diverse group of highly driven scientists and engineers.
• Hard-working, with a focus on achieving positive results.

• Master’s or PhD degree in physical science or engineering.
• MBA or equivalent experience in business operations, finance, accounting, budgeting, and organizational development.
• 10+ years’ experience managing operations group(s) in a science or engineering environment of a major research university.
• Extensive practical familiarity with science research at a major university.