Director of the READY Center

Job Summary

Independently manages and provides technical direction in conjunction with faculty director for a complex academic or research program of high visibility. Develops the long‑term vision and goals, policies and procedures, as well as managing ongoing operations of program(s) and oversees a fairly large operational budget to achieve objectives. Responsible for recruiting and retaining industry leaders to partner with research program in achievement of center goals. Develops and manages a membership program for industry partners. Oversees, through subordinate Academic Program Management Officers, all strategic elements of program administration including establishing program partners. Uses highly specialized expertise in research or academic specific concepts and objectives.

The Director of the Research and Engineering to Accelerate Discovery (READY) Center will serve as the strategic and operational leader responsible for advancing UCSF's Quantitative Biosciences Institute (QBI) mission to accelerate discoveries in complex disease biology. This role will oversee the scientific design and execution of high-priority programs, including the Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) projects and related neurodevelopmental disorder initiatives. The Director will integrate academic innovation with large-scale functional genomics platforms, including CRISPR (Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats) based systems and automation technologies, to ensure delivery of comprehensive data packages, assay development pipelines, and translational insights aligned with QBI's long-term objectives.

Equally critical, the Director will build and lead the organizational structure of the READY Center, maintaining high-performance operations and the development teams that drive efficiency, scalability, and innovation. This includes responsibility for talent recruitment, budget development, infrastructure planning, and deployment of advanced laboratory automation to meet ambitious research and throughput goals. The Director will act as the primary steward of the READY Center's vision, ensuring alignment with UCSF's scientific priorities, partner expectations, and the broader QBI strategy to position the Center as a leader in high-throughput discovery science.

In parallel, the Director will architect and operationalize the technical infrastructure of the READY Center to achieve industrial‑scale throughput. This requires overseeing the deployment and use of the latest instruments and devices, including an automation system capable of generating more than 1,500 clonal cell lines annually, while maintaining standard operating procedures, capacity models, and materials management frameworks to ensure quality and reproducibility. The Director will oversee the management and overall success of a high‑throughput (HTP) screening pipeline that utilizes the latest CRISPR based techniques and incorporates both automation and a team of diversely skilled researchers. The goal is to maintain and iterate on the established, scalable, and fully integrated discovery pipelines being utilized to address key biological questions across neurodevelopmental disorders, oncology, and infectious diseases.

Finally, the Director will provide the organizational foundation required to sustain and grow the Center. This includes organizing and managing both operations and the development of teams that support logistics, assay development, and translational science. The Director will lead talent acquisition and training, create a sustainable full‑time equivalent (FTE) staffing model, and manage financial planning, including long‑range budgets for scientific platforms, automation, and team growth. Acting as both a scientific and operational leader, the Director will ensure that the READY Center remains at the forefront of high‑throughput discovery science, aligning the Center's outputs with the broader mission of UCSF's Quantitative Biosciences Institute (QBI) and the expectations of strategic partners.

The final salary and offer components are subject to additional approvals based on UC policy.

Your placement within the salary range is dependent on a number of factors including your work experience and internal equity within this position classification at UCSF. For positions that are represented by a labor union, placement within the salary range will be guided by the rules in the collective bargaining agreement.

The salary range for this position is $147,600 - $221,300 (Annual Rate).

To learn more about the benefits of working at UCSF, including total compensation, please visit : https : / / ucnet.universityofcalifornia.edu / compensation-and-benefits / index.html

Department Description

Who We Are

Established in 2016 the Quantitative Biosciences Institute (QBI) is a world class institution focused on breakthrough scientific discoveries and medical treatments based upon highly innovative science and on diverse global cross‑sector partnerships, conducted at an unprecedented scale. The institute is comprised of 139 affiliated laboratories. QBI also boasts a robust media, outreach and events presence as the glue that brings all the programs and people together.

What We Do

We are transforming the way science is done by creating and supporting collaborative cross‑functional groups who work towards solving some of today's biggest scientific challenges. QBI has a successful track record in high impact scientific accomplishment and in securing multi‑million‑dollar grants. QBI and UCSF are pioneering a new model of translating science into medicines that fully leverages complementary knowledge and expertise between academia and industry.

How We Work

We work to transform the way science is done. The institute also passionately believes in building a more equitable scientific environment across the globe and toward this goal has built partnerships around the world including in the US, Europe, Africa, China and the Caribbean. We are a very competitive team, and the phrase "not my job", is not in our philosophy nor in our vocabulary. We believe in working together in‑person at the office to foster a culture of creativity and collaboration. As we expand, we continue to look for people who have the ability to think outside the box.

About the existing QBI Team

The QBI team responsibilities range from running the operations of the institute to managing specific science projects and programs. We have people who focus on advocacy, industry relations, international collaborations and the coordination of matching different labs with financial opportunities to work together.

Required Qualifications

• Terminal degree in a related area (PhD, JD, MD, etc.) and / or equivalent experience / training
• Minimum 6 years of related experience
• Minimum 5 years of experience as a lead / supervisor / manager
• Expertise in functional genomics platforms
• Mastery of CRISPR genome engineering
• Leadership in cross‑functional team building
• Proficiency in high‑throughput automation
• Strong assay development and validation
• Organizational design and scaling expertise
• Clear scientific communication and reporting
• Strong collaboration skills; ability to work effectively across teams and in a complex organizational structure
• Compliance with regulatory and quality standards
• Strategic budget and resource management

About UCSF

The University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) is a leading university dedicated to promoting health worldwide through advanced biomedical research, graduate‑level education in the life sciences and health professions, and excellence in patient care. It is the only campus in the 10‑campus UC system dedicated exclusively to the health sciences. We bring together the world's leading experts in nearly every area of health. We are home to five Nobel laureates who have advanced the understanding of cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, aging and stem cells.

Pride Values

UCSF is a diverse community made of people with many skills and talents. We seek candidates whose work experience or community service has prepared them to contribute to our commitment to professionalism, respect, integrity, diversity and excellence - also known as our PRIDE values. In addition to our PRIDE values, UCSF is committed to equity - both in how we deliver care as well as our workforce. We are committed to building a broadly diverse community, nurturing a culture that is welcoming and supportive, and engaging diverse ideas for the provision of culturally competent education, discovery, and patient care. Additional information about UCSF is available at diversity.ucsf.edu.

Join us to find a rewarding career contributing to improving healthcare worldwide.

Equal Employment Opportunity

The University of California is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status, or other protected status under state or federal law.

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