The Operations Coordinator is the lead administrative and operational support for the faculty and staff members within the Center for Biostatistics and Health Data Science (CBHDS). This position leads the coordination of events, such as the Center’s annual retreat, guest lectures, and the HBCU/MSI Summit. The selected candidate will provide administrative support to the Center’s Director and team members, and will lead operational efforts (i.e., room scheduling, student onboarding, food purchases, etc.) related to the NIH-funded Collaborative Undergraduate Biostatistics Experience (CUBE), an 8-week summer program for underrepresented undergraduate students in STEM.

This position is also responsible for management of the Center’s website and communications, including press releases, news articles, and social media outreach (LinkedIn, Facebook, X, etc.). The Operations Coordinator will ensure that Center activities in Elements (e.g., publications, abstract submissions, grant submissions, etc.) are reported both regularly and accurately by faculty members within the Center and will assist the Center’s Assistant Business Manager in the completion of annual reports for submission to funders, both internal and external to Virginia Tech.

The selected candidate will also lead efforts to establish relationships with potential donors to raise funds for the Center. This position will assist the Director with preparation and management of documents (e.g., standard operating procedures, charter), and presentations, as needed. Other responsibilities include triaging requests for support in REDCap, creating online surveys in REDCap or QuestionPro, and streamlining Center processes to improve overall efficiency.

In order for the selected candidate to be most successful, she/he/they must be capable of handling multiple tasks at once. CBHDS is a fast-paced environment, where the Operations Coordinator may work on multiple high-priority items in a single day. Thus, managing competing tasks and shifting deadlines, while being able to judge their relative priority, is an essential skill. The Operations Coordinator must demonstrate the ability to learn and adapt, as the dynamic nature of the environment requires a flexible and adaptable individual who thrives in a setting where solutions may not be readily apparent, and require creativity, networking, and seeking out resources. The operational structure of CBHDS requires the Operations Coordinator to support the Center’s Director and members on providing effective and reasonable solutions to obstacles and drawbacks that often occur on a day-to-day basis.

The Operations Coordinator must be a clear communicator and will assume the role of the “face and voice” for the Center. This position plays an important role in representing CBHDS, as she/he/they may be the first person a collaborator may interact with. The selected candidate will maintain open lines of communication with collaborating departments, institutes, organizations, etc., through email, letters, technical documents, proposals, presentations, etc. This position will have strong experience in and a commitment to professional customer service and team coordination, demonstrated ability to communicate effectively, excellent organizational skills, and strong attention to detail.