Clinical Scientist Assistant 2

Discover Vanderbilt Health: With eight hospitals and over 180 clinics, we are the region’s largest comprehensive academic health system. Vanderbilt Health has a long tradition of providing world-class care to the people of the Mid-South, living out our mission of moving medicine forward through preeminent programs in patient care, education and research. Here you’ll find a spirit of collaboration and a supportive community where your expertise is valued, your knowledge expanded and your uniqueness celebrated. We are committed to fostering an environment where talented, compassionate people are united in bringing the most advanced care to our neighbors throughout the region.

Organization:

General Pediatrics

Job Summary:

As a Clinical Scientist Assistant II, you will serve as a senior scientific and operational leader within Dr. William Heerman’s research program. In this role, you’ll provide scientific oversight and administrative leadership across multiple federally funded and foundation-supported studies focused on pediatric obesity prevention, physical activity, nutrition, and community-based health interventions.

Working independently with general guidance from the Principal Investigator, you’ll use advanced scientific knowledge and judgment to help drive the success of the research portfolio. You will oversee key components of the program, including research implementation, regulatory compliance, personnel supervision, grant development, dissemination of findings, and coordination of center-level activities.

You’ll also function in a chief-of-staff–type capacity for the laboratory—helping ensure that scientific priorities and day-to-day operations stay aligned. This includes supporting strong execution across projects, maintaining high staff performance, and promoting effective stakeholder and community partner engagement.

In addition, you will supervise research personnel, coordinate work across investigators and community partners, and play a substantial role in producing manuscripts, grant proposals, and scientific presentations that advance the impact of the program.

Schedule and location: You will generally work a traditional daytime schedule Monday through Friday. Flexibility is key, however, as occasional inquiries may need your attention during evenings and weekends. Your office will be located at 2146 Belcourt Ave., Nashville, TN, with the option to work remotely from home a couple of days per week.

Required qualifications: You will need a Ph.D. and at least three years of relevant experience, along with the advanced scientific expertise necessary to support the expanding scope and complexity of this research program.

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DEPARTMENT SUMMARY:

The Department of Pediatrics at Vanderbilt Health is committed to advancing the health and well-being of children through exceptional clinical care, groundbreaking research and comprehensive education. As part of a world-class academic medical institution, we combine compassionate, family-centered care with innovative science to meet the unique needs of pediatric patients and their families.  We are proud to be affiliated with Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt, consistently ranked among the nation’s top children’s hospitals. Our multidisciplinary team of physicians, nurses, researchers and educators collaborates to ensure every child receives the highest quality care—from routine check-ups to complex medical treatments.                                                                      

For additional information, please visit  https://pediatrics.vumc.org/about-department-pediatrics

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Scientific Oversight and Research Operations

• Provide scientific and operational oversight for multiple ongoing research projects and clinical studies.
• Direct implementation of funded research protocols, ensuring adherence to study milestones, timelines, and deliverables.
• Oversee regulatory activities, including IRB submissions, protocol modifications, reporting requirements, and compliance with institutional and sponsor regulations.
• Monitor study recruitment, participant retention, data collection quality, and project performance metrics.
• Coordinate activities among investigators, collaborators, and research staff to ensure successful completion of funded research objectives.

2. Staff Management and Program Leadership

• Provide direct supervision, mentoring, and performance management for research coordinators, research assistants, and other laboratory personnel.
• Develop staffing plans and assign responsibilities across projects to maximize efficiency and productivity.
• Lead regular project and personnel meetings and establish operational priorities for the research program.
• Support hiring, onboarding, training, and professional development of research staff.
• Serve as the primary operational liaison between laboratory personnel, institutional offices, and collaborating partners.

3. Grant and Manuscript Development

• Contribute substantively to the preparation of grant applications, progress reports, and competitive renewals.
• Assist investigators with study design, literature reviews, data interpretation, and development of research plans.
• Lead and support preparation of scientific manuscripts, abstracts, presentations, and dissemination products.
• Coordinate responses to sponsor requests and reporting requirements.
• Identify opportunities to enhance research productivity and support growth of the research portfolio.

4. WeGrowHealthy Center Coordination and Community Engagement

• Coordinate selected activities of the WeGrowHealthy Center and related collaborative initiatives.
• Facilitate engagement with community partners, advisory boards, and stakeholder groups.
• Support planning and execution of meetings, events, and center-wide initiatives.
• Assist with tracking center milestones, reporting requirements, and communication across participating organizations and investigators.
• Promote integration of community perspectives into research and dissemination activities.

TECHNICAL CAPABILITIES

Our Academic Enterprise is one of the nation’s longest serving and most prestigious academic medical centers. Through its historic bond with Vanderbilt University and integral role in the School of Medicine, Vanderbilt Health cultivates distinguished research and educational programs to advance a clinical enterprise that provides compassionate and personalized care and support for millions of patients and family members each year.

World-leading academic departments and comprehensive centers of excellence pursue scientific discoveries and transformational educational and clinical advances across the entire spectrum of health and disease.

Aligning with Vanderbilt Health’s Strategic Directions, the Office of Research provides shared research resources, administrative expertise and professional guidance to enable the trans-disciplinary environment and highly collaborative culture that advances discovery and training for all the research faculty, trainees, students and staff. 

Core Accountabilities:

Organizational Impact: Executes job responsibilities with the understanding of how output would affect and impact other areas related to own job area/team with occasional guidance. Problem Solving/ Complexity of work: Analyzes moderately complex problems using technical experience and judgment. Breadth of Knowledge: Has expanded knowledge gained through experience within a professional area. Team Interaction: Provides informal guidance and support to team members.

Core Capabilities :

Supporting Colleagues:- Develops Self and Others: Invests time, energy, and enthusiasm in developing self/others to help improve performance e and gain knowledge in new areas.- Builds and Maintains Relationships: Maintains regular contact with key colleagues and stakeholders using formal and informal opportunities to expand and strengthen relationships.- Communicates Effectively: Recognizes group interactions and modifies one's own communication style to suit different situations and audiences. Delivering Excellent Services:- Serves Others with Compassion: Seeks to understand current and future needs of relevant stakeholders and customizes services to better address them.- Solves Complex Problems: Approaches problems from different angles; Identifies new possibilities to interpret opportunities and develop concrete solutions.- Offers Meaningful Advice and Support: Provides ongoing support and coaching in a constructive manner to increase employees' effectiveness. Ensuring High Quality: - Performs Excellent Work: Engages regularly in formal and informal dialogue about quality; directly addresses quality issues promptly.- Ensures Continuous Improvement: Applies various learning experiences by looking beyond symptoms to uncover underlying causes of problems and identifies ways to resolve them. - Fulfills Safety and Regulatory Requirements: Understands all aspects of providing a safe environment and performs routine safety checks to prevent safety hazards from occurring. Managing Resources Effectively: - Demonstrates Accountability: Demonstrates a sense of ownership, focusing on and driving critical issues to closure.- Stewards Organizational Resources: Applies understanding of the departmental work to effectively manage resources for a department/area.- Makes Data Driven Decisions: Demonstrates strong understanding of the information or data to identify and elevate opportunities. Fostering Innovation:- Generates New Ideas: Proactively identifies new ideas/opportunities from multiple sources or methods to improve processes beyond conventional approaches.- Applies Technology: Demonstrates an enthusiasm for learning new technologies, tools, and procedures to address short-term challenges.- Adapts to Change: Views difficult situations and/or problems as opportunities for improvement; actively embraces change instead of emphasizing negative elements.

Position Qualifications:

Responsibilities:

Certifications :

Work Experience :

Relevant Work Experience

Experience Level :

3 years

Education :

Doctorate

This role offers the opportunity to make a meaningful impact within Vanderbilt Health, supported by a comprehensive benefits package which may include health, disability, retirement and/or wellness offerings to enhance your well-being and professional growth.

Vanderbilt Health is committed to fostering an environment where everyone has the chance to thrive and is committed to the principles of equal opportunity.  EOE/Vets/Disabled.