Research Operations Associate Jobs in Schenectady, NY

Department/Unit:

Office of Translational Research

Work Shift:

Day (United States of America)

Salary Range:

$116,823.00 - $186,917.00The Associate Director is the operational engine of the Office of Translational Research, Innovation, and Technology Transfer - turning strategy into clear processes, well-run programs, and reliable execution across technology transfer, innovation programming, incubator support, and educational programming. Reporting to the Senior Director and supervising staff and interns, this role owns day-to-day operations, workflows, and performance reporting, and partners closely with the Senior Director and Entrepreneur in Residence so that every innovator, founder, and partner experiences a consistent, professional, and responsive office. As the department grows, so does the opportunity: the selected candidate will help shape this role to maximize impact. We're looking for a doer: who brings an entrepreneurial mindset to the team and treats learning as part of the job.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Operations and Performance Leadership

• Design and lead day-to-day office operations - building shared workflows, driving systematic follow-up on open items, and continuously improving how the office runs.
• Facilitate data-informed decision-making across the office:collect, track, and synthesize strategic milestones, KPIs, and activity across the research and innovation pipeline and commercialization portfolio; maintain dashboards and summary reports that provide the team with a clear, current view of progress, opportunities, and areas requiring attention.
• Manage departmental finances - tracking expenditures, reconciling accounts, and preparing budget reports across operational, programmatic, and grant-related funds.
• Supervise and develop administrative staff and interns: assign work, set clear expectations, and provide the feedback that helps the team grow.

Program and Innovation Development

• Scout emerging technologies by building relationships with faculty and students around their research and patent portfolios, so promising innovations are identified early and routed into the right workflows.
• Run our innovation funding programs end to end - application intake, review coordination, funding recommendations, and participant follow-up.
• Design and coordinate scalable programming that guides founders through market discovery and early product-market fit, and supports innovators advancing early-stage translational research.
• Develop training modules that build real commercialization and entrepreneurship skills for faculty, students, and staff.
• Identify grant funding opportunities for department initiatives and lead proposal development with AMC grants administration.
• Own planning and execution for our virtual incubator and startup-support activities - from conferences and competitions to participant support and partner reporting.

Educational Leadership

• Lead the design, delivery, and continuous improvement of our educational programs - including Clinical Immersion, Bio Innovation Bootcamp, seminars, and workshops - owning logistics, communications, registration, materials, and evaluation.
• Track participation, engagement, and outcomes across all programming, and use the data to sharpen reach, quality, and impact.
• Plan and run workshops, pitch competitions, and events that showcase our programs and engage faculty, students, and outside innovators.

Hospital-wide Leadership

• Serve as the go-to contact for faculty, students, and staff seeking commercialization support, connecting them quickly to the right resources, programs, or external partners.
• Support the Senior Director on invention disclosures, patent processes, licensing activity, and outside counsel coordination - owning routine matters directly and preparing materials for complex cases.
• Coordinate materials, agendas, and follow-up for the Patent Advisory Committee and other governance committees, tracking every action item through to resolution.
• Build strong working relationships across AMHS legal, research administration, finance, IRB, information security, and facilities, serving as the office's first operational point of contact and escalating strategic matters to the Senior Director as appropriate.
• Represent the department at regional events, working groups, and partner meetings, extending the Senior Director's external relationships through reliable follow-up.

Patient Safety

• Keep compliance-sensitive workflows on track, ensuring timely completion of disclosures, agreements, and regulatory reporting deadlines in coordination with IRB, information security, and compliance partners.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree- required
• Master's Degree or higher in business, public health administration, life sciences, engineering, or a related field - preferred; candidates with comparable experience in innovation, program operations, or technology transfer are encouraged to apply.
• Experience leading operations, program management, or process improvement in an innovation environment, with direct experience in technology transfer, translational research, entrepreneurship, or academic/health system operations.
• Familiarity with intellectual property processes, grant management, or commercialization workflows is a plus; knowledge of regional innovation ecosystems, incubators, or accelerators is valued.
• A track record of building and scaling programs, and of managing and developing a small team.
• An entrepreneurial, ownership mindset - you are energized by building rather than maintaining, and you have the judgment to know when to escalate and the confidence to recommend a better way.
• A fast, curious learner who moves comfortably between scientific, administrative, and business audiences, and thrives in a small, collaborative team where the role evolves as fast as you do.

Thank you for your interest in Albany Med Health System!

Albany Med Health System is an equal opportunity employer.

This role may require access to information considered sensitive to Albany Med Health System, its patients, affiliates, and partners, including but not limited to HIPAA Protected Health Information and other information regulated by Federal and New York State statutes. Workforce members are expected to ensure that:

Access to information is based on a "need to know" and is the minimum necessary to properly perform assigned duties. Use or disclosure shall not exceed the minimum amount of information needed to accomplish an intended purpose. Reasonable efforts, consistent with Albany Med Health System policies and standards, shall be made to ensure that information is adequately protected from unauthorized access and modification.