Director of Research

Special Instructions to Applicants: All interested applicants should attach a resume and cover letter in the Supporting Documents section of the application preferably in PDF format to avoid any formatting issues.

About Rice:
Boasting a 300-acre tree-lined campus in Houston Texas Rice University is ranked among the nations top 20 universities by U.S. News & World Report. Rice has a 6-to-1 undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio and a residential college system which supports students intellectually emotionally and culturally through social events intramural sports student plays lecture series courses and student government. Developing close-knit diverse college communities is a strong campus tradition which is why Rice is highly ranked for best quality of life and best value among private universities.

Rice is also a wonderful place to work. Rice faculty staff and students share values that are essential to our success as a healthy community. These values guide our decisions and behaviors and shape Rices culture. They come through in the way we treat each other and the welcome we extend to our visitors. These values can be recalled simply by our name RICE Responsibility Integrity Community and Excellence.

Position Summary:
The Rice Synthetic Biology Institute (RSBI) seeks to catalyze collaborative research in synthetic biology and accelerate the translation of discoveries into technologies that benefit society. The Institute strengthens the synthetic biology community at Rice by coordinating activities across schools and fostering partnerships with regional industry government academic and global leaders in the field. Research areas include living therapeutics living materials living electronics and foundational synthetic biology technologies.

The Director of Research leads the research development activities of the Rice Synthetic Biology Institute. Serving as a strategic partner to the Faculty Director and Deputy Faculty Director this role focuses on expanding the Institutes research portfolio through proactive funding identification development of multidisciplinary collaborative teams and proposals and management of complex funded research projects. The Director of Research also oversees key operational and administrative initiatives that support the Institutes long-term research mission and growth.

Ideal Candidate Statement:
The ideal candidate is a research leader with a strong track record of contributing to the discipline of synthetic biology and securing and managing large multidisciplinary research initiatives in an academic or research-intensive environment. They possess exceptional relationship-building and communication skills with the ability to connect faculty external academic partners industry partners sponsors and institutional leadership to develop competitive funding opportunities and impactful collaborations. This individual is highly organized creative and solutions-oriented with excellent analytical abilities and demonstrated experience leading complex grant-writing efforts and managing research programs. The successful candidate will thrive in a fast-paced environment bring a collaborative leadership style and be passionate about advancing innovation and scientific discovery in synthetic biology.

Workplace Requirements:
This position is offered as a hybrid role combining both in-office and remote work to provide flexibility and support Rice policy 440 work arrangements may be subject to change.

Hiring Range: $95900 - $120000

*Exempt (salaried) positions underFLSA are not eligible for overtime.

Minimum Requirements:

• Bachelors degree in Bioengineering Biosciences Molecular Biology Biochemistry Chemical Engineering or a related biological research field

• 4 years of experience in research research grant writing or research project management

Skills:

• Design and validation of engineered biological systems

• Strong track record of collaborative research across disciplines

• Excellent communication skills both verbal and written

• Strategic thinker with the ability to translate institutional priorities into actionable research and funding strategies

• Excellent relationship-building skills with faculty external academic partners sponsors donors and institutional leadership

• Adept at problem-solving creating contingency plans and handling issues when necessary

• Excellent client service orientation

• Ability to lead and motivate others

• Strategic skills to craft and implement project plans

• Excellent attention to detail

Preferences:

• Ph.D. in Bioengineering Biosciences Molecular Biology Biochemistry Chemical Engineering or a related biological research field

Essential Functions:

• Identifies large-scale collaborative funding opportunities and develops strategies to expand the Institutes research portfolio

• Builds research teams by connecting faculty with external academic institutions and industry partners to pursue complex grants

• Leads the writing and technical development of grant proposals ensuring compelling scientific narratives and high-quality submissions

• Manages funded projects and Institute initiatives including oversight of budgets milestones and reporting requirements

• Develops and implements strategic plans to ensure the Institute achieves its mission and long-term research goals

• Contributes to the preparation and writing of Institute reports for university leadership and external partners as needed

Rice University HR Benefits: Mission and Values: Mission and Values Rice University

Rice University is committed to ensuring Equal Employment Opportunity and welcoming the fullness of diversity into our candidate pools. Rice considers qualified applicants for employment without regard to race color religion age sex sexual orientation gender identity national or ethnic origin genetic information disability or protected veteran status. Rice also provides reasonable accommodations to qualified persons with disabilities. If an applicant requires a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process please get in touch with Rice Universitys Human Resources Office via email at for support.

If you have any additional questions please email us at . Thank you for your interest in employment with Rice University.