Working collaboratively with institutional leadership, research administration, faculty, compliance, information technology, and the Office of Faculty and Academic Affairs, the Assistant Director develops innovative educational initiatives that promote research excellence, participant safety, regulatory compliance, and operational consistency across both organizations.
This position serves as the institutional expert for clinical research education and ensures that all educational programming aligns with federal regulations, ICH-GCP guidelines, institutional policies, accreditation standards, and organizational strategic priorities
Strategic Leadership:
Lead the strategic vision, planning, implementation, and evaluation of the enterprise-wide clinical research education program serving both USF and TGH. Establish standardized educational pathways to ensure consistent onboarding, competency assessment, and continuing education across all research programs. Develop annual education strategies that support institutional research priorities and workforce development. Monitor emerging regulatory requirements and industry best practices and incorporate them into educational programming.
Clinical Research Education Program:
Direct and continually enhance comprehensive educational programming for clinical research professionals, investigators, coordinators, nurses, regulatory specialists, research administrators, and support personnel. Oversee instructor-led education, online learning modules, competency assessments, simulation activities, investigator education, annual education requirements, and continuing education offerings. Ensure educational materials remain current with FDA regulations, OHRP guidance, ICH-GCP, HIPAA, institutional policies, and research compliance standards. Develop new educational curricula to address evolving clinical research methodologies, technologies, and regulatory requirements.
Workforce Development:
Lead enterprise onboarding programs for new research personnel across both institutions. Develop career development pathways for research professionals that support progression from entry-level through advanced research leadership positions. Expand professional development offerings, including lecture series, workshops, leadership development, and educational seminars. Collaborate with operational leaders to identify educational gaps and implement targeted learning initiatives.
Faculty & Academic Collaboration:
Partner closely with the Office of Faculty and Academic Affairs to align faculty development initiatives with clinical research education programming. Develop educational opportunities that support faculty engagement in clinical research, investigator development, mentoring, and scholarly activity. Collaborate with academic departments to integrate research education into medical student, graduate student, resident, fellow, and faculty development programs. Foster partnerships that strengthen the academic research mission across USF and TGH.
Communications:
Develop and publish a monthly or quarterly Clinical Research Education Newsletter distributed across the clinical research enterprise. Highlight educational opportunities, regulatory updates, policy changes, best practices, investigator accomplishments, research resources, and professional development activities. Develop communication strategies that promote engagement with educational programming throughout the research enterprise.
Master's degree in education, Health Sciences, Clinical Research, Public Health, Nursing, Healthcare Administration, or related discipline. Minimum of five (5) years of progressively responsible experience in clinical research administration, research education, workforce development, or research operations. Minimum of three (3) years developing and delivering educational programming within an academic medical center, healthcare system, or research institution. Demonstrated experience designing curriculum, competency-based education programs, and adult learning initiatives. Experience with learning management systems and educational technologies preferred. Certified Clinical Research Professional (CCRP), Certified Clinical Research Coordinator (CCRC), or equivalent certification preferred.
Extensive knowledge of FDA regulations, OHRP regulations, ICH-GCP, HIPAA, and human subjects' protections. Knowledge of adult learning theory, instructional design, competency-based education, and curriculum development. Experience with learning management systems, Microsoft Office Suite, Microsoft Teams, SharePoint, and educational technologies. Ability to develop educational metrics, dashboards, and program evaluations. Experience creating educational publications, newsletters, and multimedia learning resources. Knowledge of clinical research operations across academic and healthcare environments.
Exceptional leadership and organizational skills. Outstanding written and verbal communication abilities. Strong presentation and public speaking skills. Ability to build collaborative relationships across multiple organizations and disciplines. Strategic thinking with strong project management capabilities. Ability to influence without direct authority. Strong mentoring, coaching, and facilitation skills. Ability to manage multiple priorities while maintaining exceptional quality.
Comprehensive understanding of academic medical center research infrastructure. Knowledge of clinical trial operations, investigator responsibilities, research compliance, and regulatory oversight. Familiarity with workforce development and academic faculty development. Understanding of accreditation standards and quality improvement methodologies. Knowledge of evolving trends in clinical research education and workforce development
Degree Equivalency Clause: Four years of direct experience for a bachelor’s degree.
• Senate Bill 1310- The Florida Senate (https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2023/1310) is conditional upon meeting all employment eligibility requirements in the U.S.
• SB 1310: Substitution of Work Experience for Postsecondary Education Requirements
• A public employer may include a postsecondary degree as a baseline requirement only as an alternative to the number of years of direct experience required, not to exceed:
• (a) Two years of direct experience for an associate degree;
• (b) Four years of direct experience for a bachelor’s degree;
• (c) Six years of direct experience for a master’s degree;
• (d) Seven years of direct experience for a professional degree; or
• (e) Nine years of direct experience for a doctoral degree
• Related work experience may not substitute for any required licensure, certification, or registration required for the position of employment as established by the public employer and indicated in the advertised description of the position of employment.
• Minimum Qualifications that require a high school
Working at USF
With approximately 16,000 employees, the University of South Florida is one of the largest employers in the Tampa Bay area. We are dedicated to cultivating a talented, engaged and driven workforce that strives to be bold. Employees excel in USF‘s rich academic environment, which fosters their development and advancement. In 2025, Forbes recognized USF as one of Florida’s best large employers, ranked No. 1 among the state’s 12 public universities. Our first-class benefits package includes medical, dental and life insurance plans, retirement plan options, employee and dependent tuition programs, generous leave, and hundreds of employee perks and discounts.
About USF
The University of South Florida is a top-ranked research university serving approximately 50,000 students from across the globe at campuses in Tampa, St. Petersburg, Sarasota-Manatee and USF Health. USF is recognized by U.S. News & World Report as a top 50 public university and the best value in Florida. U.S. News also ranks the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine as the No. 1 medical school in Florida and in the highest tier nationwide. USF is a member of the Association of American Universities (AAU), a group that includes only the top 3% of universities in the U.S. With an all-time high of $738 million in research funding in 2024 and as a top 20 public university for producing U.S. patents, USF uses innovation to transform lives and shape a better future. The university generates an annual economic impact of more than $6 billion. USF’s Division I athletics teams compete in the American Athletic Conference. Learn more at www.usf.edu
Compliance and Federal Notices
This position may be subject to a Level 1 or Level 2 criminal background check.
Applicants have rights under Federal Employment Laws
The University of South Florida is an equal opportunity employer that does not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment based on any characteristic protected by law. The University maintains programs for protected veterans and individuals with disabilities in accordance with all applicable federal and state laws.
Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)
Applicants for USF employment are entitled to request reasonable accommodation(s) in the application process. A request is to be made at least five (5) working days prior to the time the accommodation(s) is needed. Visit the Central Human Resources ADA Accommodations webpage for more information on requesting an accommodation during the application/interview process.
Equal Employment Opportunity
The University of South Florida is an equal opportunity employer that does not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment based on any characteristic protected by law. The University maintains affirmative action programs for protected veterans and individuals with disabilities in accordance with all applicable federal and state laws. This job description does not constitute an employment contract.
