Trivedi Faculty.Professor.Assistant - Full-Time

Assistant Professor, Non-Tenure, Chief Science Officer Trivedi Institute for Space & Global Biomedicine University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine

Qualifications:

• Minimum Education Required: PhD in molecular biology, genetics, cell biology, microbiology, biochemistry, or a closely related field.
• Minimum of 10 years of progressive biomedical research experience at major research-intensive institutions, with a demonstrated record of peer-reviewed publication alongside concurrent operational responsibilities.
• Minimum of 5 years of laboratory operations leadership experience, including responsibility for large-scale research facilities and multi-program research environments.
• Broad hands-on expertise across wet laboratory techniques including molecular biology, cell culture, microbial systems, genomics, and related methodologies.
• Demonstrated experience establishing or significantly expanding biomedical research laboratories, including capital equipment procurement, vendor negotiation, and coordination with institutional facilities, EH&S, and IT.
• Experience developing and implementing biological safety programs in BSL-2 environments, including IBC submissions, training program development, and regulatory compliance.
• Demonstrated experience managing next-generation sequencing infrastructure, including instrument fleet oversight and associated compliance and quality workflows.
• Experience designing and overseeing large-scale biorepository operations, including LIMS implementation and chain-of-custody systems.
• Demonstrated experience coordinating scientific operations across multiple concurrent research programs involving external institutional and industry partners.
• Demonstrated experience as key personnel or named contributor on federally funded research programs preferred.
• Proven ability to supervise and mentor scientific personnel across multiple career levels in a complex, multi-investigator research environment.

Function:

The Chief Science Officer (CSO) is a senior leadership role of institute-wide scope, responsible for establishing and directing laboratory infrastructure, scientific operations, compliance programs, and research activities of the Trivedi Institute for Space and Global Biomedicine. This is a founding position that carries direct responsibility for translating the Institute's strategic and scientific vision into operational reality. The CSO establishes institutional standards without supervisory review across scientific, laboratory operational, financial, and personnel domains, and serves as a primary representative of the Institute in interactions with federal agencies, industry partners, and the broader national and international research community. Decisions made in this role have direct and lasting impact on the scientific direction, operational capacity, safety culture, and reputational standing of the Institute. The CSO will also have broad latitude to conceive and execute research within the Institute's mission in space biology and global biomedicine, contributing original scientific work to the Institute's scholarly output.

Laboratory Establishment & Operations:

• Lead all phases of new laboratory design, build-out, and commissioning at the institute-wide level, including space planning, capital equipment procurement, vendor negotiations, and coordination with University Facilities, EH&S, and IT.
• Exercise direct budgetary authority over laboratory asset management and procurement budgets, applying strategic vendor relationships and lifecycle planning to maximize cost efficiency.
• Establish and maintain electronic and physical lab notebook protocols and research data management systems consistent with institutional, NIH, and federal regulatory standards.
• Oversee development of biorepository operations and sample management infrastructure, including LIMS implementation and chain-of-custody systems, to support the Institute's growing research portfolio.
• Ensure institute‑wide standards for data generation, QC, reproducibility, metadata, and integration across experimental platforms.
• Set policy for laboratory operations across the Institute, establishing standards and procedures that govern all research activities institute-wide.
• Anticipate future infrastructure needs and contribute to long-range planning for laboratory capacity, equipment, and operational growth in alignment with the Institute's strategic roadmap.

Research Contributions & Scientific Development:

• Evaluate, design, and operationalize new scientific programs and technology platforms aligned with institute priorities, with the ability to develop original research questions and pursue them independently.
• Contribute to the development of grant applications led by Institute investigators, including preparation of research aims, methods, and supporting materials, serving as key personnel on funded projects.
• Author and co-author manuscripts for peer-reviewed publication, including as first or corresponding author on research they drive.
• Collaborate with Institute faculty and external partners, including and commercial space and biotech entities, on multidisciplinary research projects.
• Participate actively in the scientific life of the Institute, including seminars, journal clubs, and cross-disciplinary initiatives.

Personnel Training & Supervision:

• Onboard, train, and supervise postdoctoral researchers, research staff, and operations personnel across the Institute, ensuring scientific rigor and adherence to laboratory standards at all levels.
• Establish an institute-wide training, onboarding and competency frameworks for advanced technologies (omics, AI/ML, space biology methods) and shared facilities.
• Develop and implement comprehensive onboarding curricula and SOPs governing all laboratory activities institute-wide.
• Provide direct mentorship and professional development support to postdoctoral and staff-level personnel, with responsibility for performance.
• Contribute to staffing strategy and workforce planning in alignment with the Institute's scientific growth trajectory and operational needs.

Compliance & Safety:

• Support the Institute's research compliance activities in coordination with the Chief Operating Officer, including activities related to IBC, IRB, IACUC, and relevant federal and institutional oversight bodies.
• Exercise direct responsibility for chemical hygiene and hazardous materials programs institute-wide, including personnel training, safe storage, waste disposal, and regulatory reporting.
• Oversee biological safety programs in BSL-2 environments, ensuring all personnel are trained and all operations meet institutional and regulatory requirements.
• Develop and maintain biosafety training programs, SOPs, and emergency response protocols in coordination with University EH&S and Security, setting the safety culture and standards for the Institute.
• Fulfill responsibilities consistent with standards and regulations set forth by regulatory agencies and University policies and procedures.

External Representation & Strategic Impact:

• Represent the Trivedi Institute in interactions with federal agencies including NASA, NIH, ARPA-H, NSF, NIST, as well as commercial space and biotech industry partners and international collaborators.
• Contribute to the Institute's strategic planning, including input on research priorities, partnership development, and long-term scientific direction.
• Support the Institute Director in advancing the Institute's national and international visibility through scientific engagement, collaborative initiatives, and participation in relevant professional and advisory bodies.
• Serve as an ambassador for the Institute's mission in space biology and global biomedicine across the University of Pittsburgh and the broader scientific community.

Additional Details:

• Amount of Supervision Received: Functions with a high degree of independence. Work is self-directed and requires minimal oversight. Exercises significant discretion and independent judgment in matters of institute-wide consequence.
• Level of Autonomy: Sets policy, anticipates operational and scientific trends, and makes decisions that have direct and lasting impact on the strategic outcomes, scientific productivity, and operational readiness of the Institute.
• Complexity, Accountability and Scope: Work is strategic and complex in nature, spanning scientific, operational, financial, safety, and personnel domains simultaneously. The scope of responsibility is institute-wide. The impact of decisions extends beyond the immediate work unit to affect the Institute's standing, partnerships, and long-term trajectory.
• Management Responsibilities: Directly supervises postdoctoral researchers, research staff, and operations technicians. Responsible for onboarding, training, performance oversight, and professional development of supervised personnel. May also supervise temporary personnel and students.

Disclaimer: The University of Pittsburgh is committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals. In keeping with our commitment, the University of Pittsburgh will take the steps to ensure that people with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations. Accordingly, if reasonable accommodation is required to fully participate in the job application or interview process, to perform the essential functions of the position, and/or to receive all other benefits and privileges of employment, please contact The Office of Disability Resource Services at or 412-648-7890. The University of Pittsburgh retains the right to change or assign other duties to this position.

The University of Pittsburgh is an equal opportunity employer / disability / veteran.