Research Program Manager

The Research Program Manager - Genetics & Biospecimen Operations manages the UCSF Memory and Aging Center''s Genetics and Biospecimen Program, achieving the majority of program objectives through the coordinated work of direct-report administrative, data-management, laboratory supervisory, research associate, and laboratory assistant staff. The role sets priorities, staffing plans, operating standards, and quality expectations for biospecimen collection and sample processing performed by subordinate staff, while overseeing outsourced biobanking, specimen distribution, access/governance, genetic and biomarker data-sharing workflows, and operational support for clinical and observational studies.

The role functions primarily through staff and external partners rather than hands-on laboratory processing. It supervises the MAC Sample Processing Laboratory, oversees outsourced biobanking relationships and service delivery, and serves as a liaison to study PIs and research teams for collection protocols, processing workflows, sample access, distribution, and biospecimen-, biomarker-, and genetic-data requirements.

The Research Program Manager - Genetics & Biospecimen Operations reports directly to Dr. Adam Boxer and serves as the central operational authority for the MAC Genetics and Biospecimen Program. The role manages the MAC Sample Processing Laboratory through subordinate staff and oversees outsourced biobanking infrastructure and partnerships supporting four major MAC observational research programs and biomarker cores: ADRC, PPG, BrANCH, and ALLFTD. The position also provides operational support for Boxer Lab-specific biomarker discovery projects and related needs across MAC faculty, postdocs, and fellows.

The position operates with a high degree of autonomy, translating PI, study, and core objectives into subordinate goals, staffing and workload plans, collection and processing protocols, SOPs, governance processes, documentation systems, quality controls, and sustainable service models. The incumbent achieves the majority of operational objectives through direct reports and coordinates across principal investigators, clinicians, physicians, research coordinators, data teams, finance analysts, UCSF administrative partners, NIH program officials, external researchers, vendors, ATRI, NCRAD, and the 25+ ALLFTD participating sites.

For ALLFTD, the incumbent serves as the external-facing operational representative for biospecimen banking and distribution, including oversight of outsourced biobanking services and liaison with NCRAD regarding specimen distribution, sample availability, genetic data sharing, and biospecimen-associated information. The role supports communication with PIs, clinicians, physicians, and site teams and ensures distribution and data-sharing activities align with study governance, participant consent, institutional requirements, MTAs/DTAs, applicable policies, and vendor/service expectations.

For ADRC, PPG, and BrANCH, the incumbent provides Biomarker Core operational consultation to investigators, including collection protocol development, sample-processing feasibility, outsourced biobanking strategy, sample/data linkage, secure workflows, and implementation planning for MAC and non-MAC projects. The incumbent represents the UCSF ADRC on national best-practices biomarker working groups in collaboration with NACC, maintains external biobanking and service partnerships including ATRI, and works with finance analysts and leadership on recharge, cost-recovery, vendor/contract oversight, and sustainability strategies for a team with salary costs exceeding $1M annually.

The position is accountable for managing a defined, multi-study observational research infrastructure program through subordinate staff and external service partners. Effective leadership in this role is critical to compliant biospecimen collection, reliable sample processing, outsourced banking and distribution, secure and transparent data-sharing workflows, investigator service delivery, financial sustainability, vendor accountability, and operational continuity across the MAC''s major observational research programs.

Department Overview

The UCSF Edward and Pearl Fein Memory and Aging Center (MAC) is an internationally renowned clinical research center with over 200 full time employees with offices and clinical research space located in the Sandler Neurosciences Building and multiple other buildings on the UCSF Mission Bay Campus. The MAC provides clinical care for patients suffering from neurodegenerative disease processes; from this clinical population, external referrals, and direct recruitment efforts we enroll patients into more than 50 structured research protocols and/or treatment trials.

The Boxer Lab at the MAC has a mission to find effective, scientifically based treatments that lead to a cure for neurodegenerative brain diseases. This is accomplished through clinical trials that emphasize patient and family benefits and public health impact, and observational studies that deepen our understanding of the biological mechanisms of neurodegenerative disease.

Required Qualifications

• Master''s degree in related area and minimum six years of related experience or equivalent experience / training.
• Experience managing biospecimen operations for human-subjects research, including collection requirements, sample processing workflows, inventory and banking, retrieval, distribution, and linkage of specimens with associated clinical, biomarker, or genetic data.
• Experience supporting complex observational, biomarker, genetics, and/or multisite research programs, including translating study requirements into collection protocols, SOPs, operational workflows, staffing plans, and implementation procedures.
• Minimum five years of lead or supervisory experience, including responsibility for assigning work, setting priorities, training and developing staff, conducting performance evaluations, addressing performance issues, and maintaining coverage across multiple concurrent research activities.
• Experience overseeing laboratory operations through subordinate staff or laboratory supervisors, including establishing processing standards, SOPs, quality expectations, escalation pathways, staffing coverage, and operational priorities.
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with cross-functional teams and individuals with a wide range of professional, scientific, technical, and educational backgrounds. Ability to interface effectively with investigators, clinicians, external collaborators, vendors, institutional partners, and other members of an extended research team.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills, including active listening, critical thinking, advising, negotiation, and the ability to present operational issues, recommendations, and strategy to investigators, leadership, governance groups, external partners, and oversight bodies.
• Demonstrated professionalism and sound judgment when handling sensitive research, personnel, operational, contractual, and participant-related information. Ability to maintain confidentiality and represent the program appropriately in internal and external interactions.
• Demonstrated problem-solving and analytical skills. Ability to evaluate complex or unfamiliar operational issues, identify viable options, balance competing priorities, and determine when escalation to investigators, governance bodies, leadership, or administrative partners is required.
• Strong organizational skills and demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities across staff, studies, external partners, and operational workflows while maintaining appropriate documentation, follow-through, and continuity.
• Experience managing outsourced biobanking or other external research services, including defining service requirements, coordinating deliverables, resolving operational issues, monitoring vendor performance, and participating in contract or service-agreement management.
• Experience contributing to budgets, recharge or cost-recovery models, staffing projections, vendor expenditures, or other financial planning for a research program or shared research service.

Preferred Qualifications

• PhD in Neuroscience or other related area and / or equivalent experience / training.
• Working knowledge of human-subjects and biospecimen governance requirements, including informed consent, privacy and PHI protections, sample and genetic-data sharing, MTAs/DTAs, chain of custody, and institutional requirements governing the release of research materials.
• Experience with UCSF or comparable research systems used for clinical research documentation, project management, biospecimen tracking or inventory, data requests, or secure research-data workflows.

Certifications

• CITI training in protection of human research participants and/or research involving Protected Health Information (PHI), or equivalent institutional training.
• Current training or certification applicable to compliant shipment of human biospecimens or biological materials, such as CITI Safe Shipping or equivalent training.

% of timeEssential Function (Yes/No)Key Responsibilities (To be completed by Supervisor)40yesStaff leadership and operational direction. Leads the administrative, data-management, and laboratory team responsible for the day-to-day delivery of the Genetics and Biospecimen Program. Establishes priorities, assigns work, develops staff, manages performance, and ensures appropriate staffing and coverage across competing study needs. Provides direction to the Lab Supervisor and laboratory staff responsible for biospecimen receipt, processing, inventory, and distribution, with laboratory activities performed by staff rather than through direct hands-on processing by the incumbent. Identifies operational gaps, establishes expectations for quality and documentation, and ensures that the team has the procedures, training, and resources needed to support 30+ clinical and observational studies.20yesBiospecimen governance, access, and external biobanking management. Oversees the operational pathway for biospecimen and associated genetic/biomarker requests, from initial review through approval, documentation, transfer, and distribution. Coordinates MTA/DTA and governance requirements and ensures that sample and data release activities are consistent with participant consent, study requirements, institutional policy, privacy protections, and chain-of-custody expectations. Manages relationships with outsourced biobanking and service providers, including service expectations, issue resolution, and contract oversight where assigned.20yesExternal representation and research-program coordination. Serves as a primary external-facing representative for biospecimen and biomarker operations across ADRC, PPG, BrANCH, ALLFTD, and related Boxer Lab activities. Advises investigators and study teams on collection strategy, processing feasibility, biobanking approaches, sample/data linkage, and implementation of new projects. Represents UCSF in interactions with NCRAD, ATRI, the 25+ ALLFTD participating sites, NIH and coordinating-center partners, external investigators, vendors, committees, and national working groups. Acts as a central operational contact when study needs cross institutional, programmatic, or organizational boundaries.20yesProgram planning, resource management, and infrastructure improvement. Translates research and program needs into staffing, service, vendor, financial, and operational plans. Works with finance and leadership on budgets, staffing projections, recharge and cost-recovery approaches, outsourced services, and continuity planning for a program with more than $1M in annual salary costs. Evaluates recurring operational challenges and develops sustainable solutions involving staffing models, workflows, documentation, external partnerships, and service capacity. Leads improvements intended to strengthen reliability, scalability, compliance, and investigator support across the program. % of timeEssential Function (Yes/No)Key Responsibilities (To be completed by Supervisor)40yesStaff leadership and operational direction. Leads the administrative, data-management, and laboratory team responsible for the day-to-day delivery of the Genetics and Biospecimen Program. Establishes priorities, assigns work, develops staff, manages performance, and ensures appropriate staffing and coverage across competing study needs. Provides direction to the Lab Supervisor and laboratory staff responsible for biospecimen receipt, processing, inventory, and distribution, with laboratory activities performed by staff rather than through direct hands-on processing by the incumbent. Identifies operational gaps, establishes expectations for quality and documentation, and ensures that the team has the procedures, training, and resources needed to support 30+ clinical and observational studies.20yesBiospecimen governance, access, and external biobanking management. Oversees the operational pathway for biospecimen and associated genetic/biomarker requests, from initial review through approval, documentation, transfer, and distribution. Coordinates MTA/DTA and governance requirements and ensures that sample and data release activities are consistent with participant consent, study requirements, institutional policy, privacy protections, and chain-of-custody expectations. Manages relationships with outsourced biobanking and service providers, including service expectations, issue resolution, and contract oversight where assigned.20yesExternal representation and research-program coordination. Serves as a primary external-facing representative for biospecimen and biomarker operations across ADRC, PPG, BrANCH, ALLFTD, and related Boxer Lab activities. Advises investigators and study teams on collection strategy, processing feasibility, biobanking approaches, sample/data linkage, and implementation of new projects. Represents UCSF in interactions with NCRAD, ATRI, the 25+ ALLFTD participating sites, NIH and coordinating-center partners, external investigators, vendors, committees, and national working groups. Acts as a central operational contact when study needs cross institutional, programmatic, or organizational boundaries.20yesProgram planning, resource management, and infrastructure improvement. Translates research and program needs into staffing, service, vendor, financial, and operational plans. Works with finance and leadership on budgets, staffing projections, recharge and cost-recovery approaches, outsourced services, and continuity planning for a program with more than $1M in annual salary costs. Evaluates recurring operational challenges and develops sustainable solutions involving staffing models, workflows, documentation, external partnerships, and service capacity. Leads improvements intended to strengthen reliability, scalability, compliance, and investigator support across the program.