Director, Research Support

• Job Type: Officer of Administration
• Regular/Temporary: Regular
• Hours Per Week: 35
• Salary Range: $105,000 - $125,000

Position Summary

Reporting to the Executive Director, the Director oversees the administrative and personnel management of research support initiatives at the School, including coordinating PhD pipeline programs, directing strategy for the Behavioral Research Lab, and overseeing database and data set access.

The incumbent will provide guidance and accountability for shared central oversight of research and technical staff members who are working for faculty within individual centers, divisions and programs. This individual will be engaged in the creation of policy and processes pertaining to the recruiting efforts for full-time and part-time research support staff across Columbia Business School (CBS).

The research centers, special programs, institutes, and cross-disciplinary areas at CBS span a wide range of topics, interests, and functions, producing original research, partnering with companies and institutions, designing coursework, and promoting public discourse. For additional information highlighting the School's research, please visit: https://business.columbia.edu/faculty/research.

About Columbia Business School

For over a century, Columbia Business School (CBS) has helped develop leaders and builders of enterprises who drive value for their stakeholders and society at large through our MBA, MS, PhD, and Executive Education programs. We are equally committed to cultivating new scholars and teachers and to creating and disseminating pathbreaking knowledge, concepts, and tools that advance the understanding and practice of management through our faculty research and PhD programs. Our vision is simple: to develop ideas and leaders that transform the world-from the very center of business.

Our ever-evolving curriculum, featuring pioneering courses, STEM certification, and immersive experiential learning, prepares students to excel in key areas such as digital transformation, entrepreneurship, innovation, twenty-first-century finance, the intersection of business and society, and climate and sustainability. The CBS administration enables CBS' educational and scholarly mission through strategic and operational guidance and support, optimizing School resources through well-designed, transparent processes with a culture of respect for all.

Responsibilities

Recruitment, Onboarding, and Management

• Oversees the recruitment, onboarding, training and management of research staff hired within centers and academic divisions at CBS.
• Creates and leads a shared centralized recruitment effort for research staff based on current School research projects.
• Provides expertise on the recruitment and management of research personnel, with the dual goals of supporting faculty research and enhancing the pipeline for PhD programs, including Predoctoral Fellowships, Summer Research Internships, and Columbia Undergraduate Business Scholars program.
• Develops and leads an engaging and thorough orientation for pipeline program participants with the goal of these individuals fully integrating into our School community. Solicits feedback from participants and stakeholders to continually evaluate and enhance the program.

Faculty and Research Support

• Together with Director of PhD Programs, develops and leads overall strategy for the School's PhD programs.
• Engages with faculty to understand their research support needs and identify prompt solutions.
• Provides supervision and guidance for the Manager of the Behavioral Research Lab, ensuring that the Lab complies with University research policies and standards.
• Partners with CBS stakeholders including the Financial Planning Office, Information Technology Group, Centers and Programs, faculty and PhD student researchers to assess evolving research needs and spearhead initiatives to meet those needs.

Training and Development

• Develops a training and onboarding plan for research assistants ensuring optimal support for faculty research and effective resource utilization.
• Together with Director of PhD Programs, develops and launches skill-building workshops for faculty, postdocs and PhD students. Manages all aspects of event planning for workshops, research symposia and new researcher orientations.
• Together with Manager of the Behavioral Research Lab, manages periodic skill development workshops and seminars (e.g., on statistical techniques, new technologies for research computing, databases, programming languages, etc.) to enhance the professional acumen of our research staff.
• Other related duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required. Advance degree strongly preferred. Minimum 5-7 years related experience required.
• Must demonstrate prior experience with people management, especially leading a team. Excellent organizational, interpersonal, written and communications skills with the ability to interface with students, faculty, and other university colleagues required. Must be diligent and precise with strong attention to detail, and comfortable working in a fast-paced environment. Must be proficient in MS Office and Google Workspace.

Preferred Qualifications

• Previous work experience in an academic environment or working with university faculty is a plus.

Equal Opportunity Employer / Disability / Veteran

Columbia University is committed to the hiring of qualified local residents.