Conflict of Interest Analyst - Office of Research Protections

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POSITION SPECIFICS

The Office of Research Protections (ORP) at Penn State seeks a qualified candidate with a demonstrated commitment to leadership, strategic thinking, and collaboration to serve as Conflict of Interest (COI) Analyst.

A leading public research university, Penn State's research expenditures exceeded $1.2 billion in FY2023 while its academic health center and system - Penn State Health - serves more than 2.8 million residents. As a member of the Office for Research Protections, you will be joining a team of individuals who have the ambition to help Penn State succeed.

The Conflict of Interest (COI) Analyst will be primarily responsible for managing individual, research-related COI processes (Penn State Policy RP06). This position is housed within the Office for Research Protections (ORP) at Penn State and reports directly to the COI Program Assistant Director. The Analyst will work collaboratively with other COI Analysts, the COI Coordinator, and various ORP staff, as well as with other university offices involved in research compliance and oversight. In addition, the COI Analyst will interface regularly with the COI Director to ensure alignment with institutional policies, provide updates on complex or high-risk cases, and support strategic initiatives related to COI management.

Responsibilities: The following are the key responsibilities of this position:

• Analyze individual disclosures and inquiries about conflicts. Collaborate with internal Conflict of Interest and Outside Activities (COI/OA) team and other Penn State offices (Office of Sponsored Programs, Office of Technology Transfer, Colleges, etc.) to address faculty, staff, and student concerns across all campuses.
• Responsible for the core processes of compliance with the Individual COI policy (RP06) and Outside Activities (OA) policy (AC80), including collecting, maintaining, and reviewing disclosures in the University's electronic disclosure system.
• Manage all aspects of COI/OA disclosure collection, maintaining appropriate records, ensuring compliance with federal, state, and local regulations and addressing policy inquiries as needed.
• Interpret regulations for compliance, write/update COI/OA policies and procedures for disclosure review.
• Contribute to the development and maintenance of educational materials and provide reports to the Committee(s), to the Provost of the University, and to federal agencies as required.

The administration of the individual conflict of interest and outside activities disclosure and management process includes, but is not limited to, the following:

• Reviewing investigator disclosures (financial/outside activity) and using the University's electronic disclosure and management system, COINS, to prescreen disclosures for required information in COINS for completeness.
• Administratively reviewing and managing disclosures under authority granted to the COI Program by the COI Committee(s).
• Preparing disclosures for review by the individual research COI committee(s)-- two committees comprised primarily of tenure-line faculty--and serving as the primary COI Analyst responsible for presenting at monthly committee meetings.
• Communicating COI decisions/plans via COINS or email and maintaining program records.
• Reporting identified conflicts of interest and COI management plans to sponsors as required by federal law, policy, sponsorship agreement, and/or committee decision.
• Monitoring Investigator and University compliance with COI management plans on behalf of the University.

Skills and Abilities:

• Excellent written and verbal communication.
• Exceptional organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Ability to multi-task, analyze complex situations, and develop actionable solutions.
• Discretion and ability to maintain confidentiality of sensitive information.
• Ability to work effectively with researchers and prioritize tasks in a dynamic environment.
• Sound judgment for decision-making.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently.
• Friendly collaboration conducive to a remote work environment/virtual only team.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office is required and knowledge of and experience with electronic data management systems is strongly desired. Must be comfortable working with remote meeting software such as Zoom.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master's degree or higher (e.g., J.D.), and experience with research administration or law
• Experience with university administration, grants management and negotiation, or with regulatory compliance processes
• Experience with biomedical research COI management or related responsibilities a plus
• Experience and comfort with, as well as public speaking in front of, faculty compliance committees a plus

Work Arrangement: The Office for Research Protections is supportive of flexible work arrangements when aligned with the ability to meet the needs of the unit and the essential duties of the position. The location of this position is flexible and can operate fully remotely within the United States, or in a hybrid model of both in-person and remote. Standard working hours are in the eastern time zone.

MINIMUM EDUCATION, WORK EXPERIENCE & REQUIRED CERTIFICATIONS

BACKGROUND CHECKS/CLEARANCES

SALARY & BENEFITS

Salary Structure - Information on Penn State's salary structure

Penn State provides a competitive benefits package for full-time employees designed to support both personal and professional well-being. In addition to comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage, employees enjoy robust retirement plans and substantial paid time off which includes holidays, vacation and sick time. One of the standout benefits is the generous 75% tuition discount, available to employees as well as eligible spouses and children. For more detailed information, please visit our Benefits Page.

CAMPUS SECURITY CRIME STATISTICS

Pursuant to the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act and the Pennsylvania Act of 1988, Penn State publishes a combined Annual Security and Annual Fire Safety Report (ASR). The ASR includes crime statistics and institutional policies concerning campus security, such as those concerning alcohol and drug use, crime prevention, the reporting of crimes, sexual assault, and other matters. The ASR is available for review here.

EEO IS THE LAW

Penn State is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to providing employment opportunities to all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or protected veteran status. If you are unable to use our online application process due to an impairment or disability, please contact 814-865-1473.

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