Department

BSD CRC - Administration

About the Department

The University of Chicago (UC) Institute for Translational Medicine (ITM) was created in 2007 to assemble, integrate, and create the intellectual, administrative, and physical resources required to catalyze research and research training in Clinical and Translational Science. Its ultimate goals are to train scientists and health care providers at UC and in our community to determine the molecular, genetic, pathophysiologic, and social determinants of disease and disease predisposition in individuals; to test interventions directed toward those mechanisms; and to achieve these goals in a way that is rigorous, efficient, ethical, respectful of, and responsive to our community’s needs and values. Over the years, the ITM has capitalized on the outstanding intellectual and physical resources throughout the University and at additional ITM Institutions (Rush University, Loyola University, Endeavour Health, IllinoisTech, and Advocate Health), and on substantial institutional and CTSA financial investments, to build the infrastructure for a transformative, energized, and self-improving home for clinical and translational research, ensuring the continued progress of clinical and translational science at the University of Chicago, its affiliates, and throughout the Chicago metropolitan region.

Job Summary

The job leads and provides expertise to the development of programs for scientific research facilities. Uses considerable on-the-job experience to ensure compliance of research activities with institutional, state, and federal regulatory policies. Works independently to write articles, reports and manuscripts, and presents research findings at meetings and/or conferences.

Responsibilities

Collaborate with clinical investigators in planning, organizing conducting, evaluating and revising research programs concerned with the clinical investigation and treatment of metabolic and nutritional diseases, including reviewing scientific literature. 

Design and implement diets for nutritional components of research protocols consistent with the scientific purpose of each project, general nutritional principles, and needs of individual research participants.

Collect and interpret nutrition-related data. Participate in the publication and presentation of research findings to other investigators, other nutritionists and staff.  Write research summaries for annual reports and abstracts for papers for publications.

Review medical records, obtain diet histories as necessary, participate in CRC protocol review and patient-care activities, visit study participants for purposes of developing and implementing dietary care. 

Maintain records of study participants nutritional history, diet calculations and progress.

Develop individualized nutrition and educational materials for specific research protocols and/or consistent with the needs of the research participant.

Studies and analyze recent scientific discoveries and attend appropriate nutritional conferences, seminars and workshops for application in current research and to maintain current knowledge of principles of nutrition, food science, and diet. 

Supervise CRC dietary staff, including implementation of patient food service to assure accurate delivery of diets as defined by specific research protocols. 

Recruit, hire, train, supervise and evaluate the performance of dietary unit employees; maintain accurate permanent records of employment of each dietary employee. 

Develop, supervise implementation by staff, and evaluate effectiveness of standard procedures of food service delivery in a research setting. 

Project costs of research diets.

Coordinate activities for maintenance or repair of existing kitchen equipment or equipment needed by dietary unit including computers and software.

Participate in the design and planning of physical facilities for dietary unit when needed.

Operate, maintain and repair specialized electronic and mechanical systems, including indirect calorimetry systems.

Develop and update SOPs for maintenance and functioning of whole room calorimeter.

Schedule and coordinate installation of the whole room calorimeter, maintenance and repair of equipment.

Communicate and coordinate with building facilities and outside vendors.

Inventory and order supplies, parts and accessories for the whole room calorimeter. 

Develop and maintain processes to analyze data for the whole room calorimeter, evaluate data quality, prepare reports and manage data storage. 

Collaborate with investigators and study teams to plan studies involving the whole room calorimeter and to communicate results. 

Evaluate and recommend equipment purchases to accommodate new research.

Collaborate with clinical investigators in planning, organizing conducting, evaluating and revising research programs concerned with the clinical investigation and treatment of metabolic and nutritional diseases, including reviewing scientific literature. 

Lead the establishment of new laboratories and provides assistance with purchasing new laboratory equipment; ensuring efficient operation of laboratory, including overseeing maintenance and repair of laboratory equipment.

Improves financial, personnel, planning, compliance and other administrative aspects of research project. Collaborates with other researchers on long-range plans for research projects. Leads, investigates, modifies and applies new procedures, techniques or applications of technology. Establishes goals and operating procedures, practices, and guidelines.

Provides expertise to researchers on compliance of research activities with institutional, state, and federal regulatory policies, procedures, directives and mandates.

Provides expertise to researchers and research support staff. Oversees activities related to data collection and analysis.

Performs other related work as needed.

Minimum Qualifications

Education:

Minimum requirements include a college or university degree in related field.

Work Experience:

Minimum requirements include knowledge and skills developed through 7+ years of work experience in a related job discipline.

Certifications:

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Preferred Qualifications

Education:

Master's degree in human nutrition or a closely related field.

Experience:

7+ years of dietetic practice experience.

Experience with a whole room calorimeter.

Experience in clinical research.

Licenses and Certifications:

Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN).

Illinois Licensed Dietitian Nutritionist (LDN).

Preferred Competencies

Knowledge of the operating, maintenance, calibration, and repair of specialized electronic and mechanical systems, including indirect calorimetry systems and kitchen equipment.

Must possess thorough knowledge of theory and practices of dietetics and nutritional sciences. 

Ability and experience using Metabolic Carts.

Ability and experience in DEXA.

Ability and experience completing Bioimpedance Analysis (BIA).

Ability and experience completing Anthropometric measurements.

Skilled in using diet analysis software such as Nutrition Data System for Research (NDSR), ESHA Food Processor, ProNutra.

Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite.

Proficiency in Adobe Acrobat.

Working Conditions

Lab environment.

Application Documents

Resume (required)

Cover Letter ( preferred)

When applying, the document(s) MUST be uploaded via the My Experience page, in the section titled Application Documents of the application.

Job Family

Research

Role Impact

Individual Contributor

Scheduled Weekly Hours

40

Drug Test Required

Yes

Health Screen Required

Yes

Motor Vehicle Record Inquiry Required

No

Pay Rate Type

Salary

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FLSA Status

Exempt

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Pay Range

$80,000.00 - $120,000.00

The included pay rate or range represents the University’s good faith estimate of the possible compensation offer for this role at the time of posting.

Benefits Eligible

Yes

The University of Chicago offers a wide range of benefits programs and resources for eligible employees, including health, retirement, and paid time off. Information about the benefit offerings can be found in the Benefits Guidebook.

Posting Statement

The University of Chicago is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or expression, national or ethnic origin, shared ancestry, age, status as an individual with a disability, military or veteran status, genetic information, or other protected classes under the law. For additional information please see the University's Notice of Nondiscrimination.

 

Job seekers in need of a reasonable accommodation to complete the application process should call 773-702-5800 or submit a request via Applicant Inquiry Form.

 

All offers of employment are contingent upon a background check that includes a review of conviction history.  A conviction does not automatically preclude University employment.  Rather, the University considers conviction information on a case-by-case basis and assesses the nature of the offense, the circumstances surrounding it, the proximity in time of the conviction, and its relevance to the position.

 

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