Research Scientist /Lab Manager

Special Instructions to Applicants:

All interested applicants should attach a resume in the Supporting Documents section of the application, preferably in a PDF format to avoid any formatting issues.

About Rice:

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Position Summary:
Professor James Tour’s research group in the Department of Chemistry is looking to hire an administrative, financial, and logistical anchor for the research group, directly enabling Dr. Tour and the lab members to focus on the core tasks of research.

The group’s aim is to publish as many papers as possible while conducting important research that will change the world. The Research Scientist I will support this by revising and submitting manuscripts to top-rated journals after review by Dr. Tour; handling revisions by collaborating with the lead authors to revise, review, and submit the revised manuscripts after Dr. Tour’s approval; handling article payments; reviewing and submitting proof corrections after approval by Dr. Tour; preparing the associated non-technical documents for proposals; submitting the proposals for internal approval via Cayuse; submitting the appropriate documents to the funders’ websites or via the Office of Sponsored Research; when funding is received, assigning group members to funds per Dr. Tour’s directions; monitoring the spending on the funds in collaboration with the financial leadership in the chemistry department; using a Rice purchasing card to acquire lab supplies and chemicals for the group when necessary; reallocating purchases to the appropriate fund in iO, the Rice financial system; in cooperation with the letter requesters, writing rough drafts of recommendation letters for approval by Dr. Tour to be submitted on behalf of the requesters; working with chemistry department staff to prepare hiring forms for postdoctoral candidates and submitting them for approval; appointing Rice visitors to work in the lab via the visitor management system; helping close out funds and eliminate overspending by working with the chemistry department to transfer expenses and assign students to other funds; and performing other tasks that may arise. Must work with graduate students, postdocs, and Dr. Tour on manuscript and proposal writing with efficiency in electronic submissions. Must be efficient in multitasking.

Ideal Candidate Statement:
The ideal candidate should be efficient in electronic submissions, particularly for manuscripts and proposals. The wide range of disparate responsibilities demands exceptional organizational skills and the ability to manage multiple complex projects simultaneously. The candidate should be able to work effectively with lead authors, students, postdocs, department staff, and leadership.

Workplace Requirements:
This position is exclusively on-site, necessitating all duties to be performed in person at Rice University in Houston, Texas. Per Rice policy 440, work arrangements may be subject to change.

This position may be partially funded by a grant, soft, and/or restricted funds. Continued employment is contingent on the renewal of funding.

Hiring Range: Starting at $80,000 (salary commensurate with experience and education)
*Exempt (salaried) positions under FLSA are not eligible for overtime.
This position is funded by a grant, soft, and/or restricted funds. Continued employment is contingent on the renewal of funding.

Minimum Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree in physical science, engineering, or a related field
• 2+ years of related experience

Skills:

• Reading and correcting scientific manuscripts and proposals for submission to peer-reviewed journals and funding agencies
• Proficient and comprehensive knowledge of information management, knowledge management, and publication management
• Possess a logical and independent mind
• Good interpersonal skills such as patience, determination, flexibility, and decisiveness
• Excellent listening, verbal and written communication, analytical, and research skills
• Excellent scientific and numerical skills with meticulous attention to detail and accuracy
• Ability to work in a team environment, to participate actively, and to effectively collaborate with others

Preferences:

• MS or PhD in physical science, engineering, or a related field
• Experience in one of the research areas of the Tour lab would be helpful. See Dr. Tour’s publications page at www.jmtour.com
• Knowledgeable about the proposal submission software Cayuse, the Rice financial system iO (Oracle Cloud ERP system), the visitor management system, and submission of manuscripts and supporting documents to journal websites

Essential Functions:

Research Dissemination & Publication

• The primary goal is to maximize publications in top-rated journals. This involves extensive work with manuscripts:
• Revising and Submitting: Handling the entire submission process for manuscripts, including initial submission and revisions, after review and approval by Dr. Tour
• Collaborating on Revisions: Working directly with lead authors to incorporate feedback and prepare final, revised manuscripts
• Proofing and Payments: Managing proof corrections and handling article publication payments
• Efficiency: Working closely with graduate students, postdocs, and Dr. Tour to ensure efficient electronic submission processes

Grant & Proposal Management (Funding Acquisition)

• This is a comprehensive responsibility covering the full grant lifecycle, from preparation to close-out:
• Document Preparation: Creating the associated non-technical documents for proposals
• Submission Process: Managing the formal submission workflow:
• Submitting proposals for internal approval via Cayuse
• Submitting final documents to funders' websites or through the Office of Sponsored Research (OSR)

Fund Management

• Allocation: Assigning group members to specific funds based on Dr. Tour's direction once funding is received
• Monitoring: Collaborating with the chemistry department's financial leadership to monitor spending
• Close-out: Assisting with fund close-out and eliminating overspending by arranging expense transfers and reassigning students to different funds

Lab & Financial Operations

• The role handles the day-to-day administrative and financial needs of the lab:
• Purchasing: Using a Rice purchasing card to acquire necessary lab supplies and chemicals
• Reconciliation: Reallocating purchases to the correct fund within iO, the Rice financial system

General Administrative & HR Support

• The Research Scientist I also provides essential high-level administrative support:
• Recommendation Letters: Drafting rough drafts of recommendation letters for requesters, to be finalized and submitted by Dr. Tour
• Hiring Support: Working with chemistry department staff to prepare and submit hiring forms for postdoctoral candidates
• Visitor Management: Appointing Rice visitors to work in the lab via the official visitor management system

Additional Functions:

• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment with minimal direction after an appropriate training period
• Ability to prioritize tasks among many that will present themselves. Tasks specifically requested by Dr. Tour or those that could bring in additional funding to the group should be given higher priority

Rice University HR | Benefits: https://knowledgecafe.rice.edu/benefits

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Rice University is committed to ensuring Equal Employment Opportunity and welcoming the fullness of diversity into our candidate pools. Rice considers qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, genetic information, disability, or protected veteran status. Rice also provides reasonable accommodations to qualified persons with disabilities. If an applicant requires a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process, please contact Rice University’s Disability Resource Center at 713-348-5841 or [email protected] for support.

If you have any additional questions, please email us at [email protected]. Thank you for your interest in employment with Rice University.