Animal Care and Use Program (ACUP) Manager

The University of Virginia Office of the Vice President for Research (OVPR) is seeking an experienced compliance professional to be the Animal Care and Use Program (ACUP) Manager. The ACUP Manager will be responsible for promoting the highest standards for ethical conduct of University research, teaching and testing activities involving vertebrate animals; facilitating compliance with applicable laws, regulations, standards and institutional policies. The successful candidate will hold themselves and others to the highest ethical standards; foster a culture of transparency and accountability; provide clear and consistent guidance; establish reliable performance expectations and associated metrics; and facilitate the professional development of staff and Animal Care and Use Committee (ACUC) members.

Reporting to the Associate Vice President for Research Compliance & Regulatory Affairs, the ACUP Manager will serve as a key member of the ACUP leadership team. The ACUP Manager will lead a small team of knowledgeable and dedicated staff supporting the ACUC, principal investigators, and other individuals conducting work in UVA animal facilities and at other locations authorized by the ACUC.

Key collaborating offices for the ACUC Manager include, but are not limited to, the Center for Comparative Medicine; Office of Animal Welfare; Environmental Health & Safety (EH&S); WorkMed; Office of University Counsel; and Office of Sponsored Programs. The ACUC Manager will also work closely with the OVPR Training Manager and communications team.

Key Responsibilities:

• Hire, manage, and develop ACUC office staff.

• Coordinate meetings, prepare agendas and minutes, facilitate continuing education, in collaboration with the ACUC Chair and Vice Chair assign reviews, communication, and other business functions to support the ACUC.

• Collaborate with the technical support team to maintain and enhance the online protocol system.

• Assure ACUC policies are reviewed, revised, and reauthorized at least every three years and processed exception requests.

• Onboard new principal investigators and ACUC members.

• Maintain OLAW Assurance and support AAALAC Accreditation.

• Facilitate the occupational health screening process for animal handlers.

• Manage interinstitutional agreements.

The ACUC Manager will be expected to interpret and consistently apply federal and state laws, regulations, and institutional policies related to research, teaching and testing involving vertebrate animals. Further, the ACUC Manager is expected to monitor proposed changes and, when warranted, to recommend changes to the ACUP to assure ongoing compliance and adoption of best practices. The ACUC Manager is instrumental in communicating any changes to requirements or procedures to the impacted members of the University community.

This position may be filled at the Compliance Management 1 or Compliance Management 2 level depending on the successful candidate's qualifications.

Required Relevant Experience:

• Ability to read and comprehend complex documents to inform assessments.

• Ability to interpret and apply detailed standards, regulations, or requirements.

• Strong attention to detail and analytical skills to identify potential compliance issues and document findings clearly and professionally.

• Ability to communicate diplomatically with researchers to support accurate and complete protocols submissions, effective management, and regulatory compliance.

• Practical knowledge and experience conducting research procedures; committee administration; or regulatory compliance activities related to animal research, teaching, or testing.

Preferred Experience:

• Previous experience working in a regulatory compliance program/office.

• Prior experience interpreting and applying state or federal regulations and ethical principles.

• Previous experience in an academic or medical research setting.

• Familiarity with sponsored program pre-submission, just-in-time, and award setup processes to assess and assure compliance.

• Familiarity with human research protections and associated processes.

• Prior experience leading and developing staff.

Required Qualifications/Abilities:

• Strong written and verbal communication skills.

• Excellent organizational and time management skills.

• Ability to work independently under general supervision following established procedures and guidelines.

• Ability to work productively and collaboratively with colleagues to refine processes and improve turnaround times while assuring data quality and informed decision making.

• Comfortable handling sensitive or complex issues with professionalism, discretion, and empathy. Able to maintain confidentiality.

• Possess excellent organizational skills to maintain a schedule and perform multiple projects simultaneously with changing priorities.

Minimum Requirements:

• Compliance Management 1:

  • Education: Bachelor's degree.

  • Experience: Five years of relevant experience.

• Compliance Management 2:

  • Education: Bachelor's degree.

  • Experience: Eight years of relevant experience.

Anticipated Salary Range (commensurate with experience and qualifications):

• Compliance Management 1: $90k - $100k annually

• Compliance Management 2: $100k - $100k annually

This is a full-time, exempt-level position with UVA benefits.

Selected candidates will be required to complete all required background checks prior to the first day of employment.

Physical Demands:This is primarily a sedentary job involving extensive use of desktop computers. The job does occasionally require traveling some distance to attend meetings, and programs.

Position Location: The position is based in Charlottesville, VA. The position is hybrid eligible. While not preferred, fully remote work may be considered for a highly qualified candidate.

Application Instructions: Please apply online and search for R0078664; Include the following documents:

• CV/Resume

• Cover Letter/ Personal Statement of Interest

Upload all materials into the respective submission field, multiple documents can be submitted into these fields. Alternatively, merge all documents into one PDF for submission. Applications that do not contain all required documents or partial applications will not receive full consideration.

References will be completed via UVA's standardized process SkillSurvey. A total of five references will be requested via SkillSurvey during the final phase of the interview process.A total of three references is required

For questions about the application process, please contact Jessica Speth, at js9rk@virginia.edu.

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The University of Virginia is an equal opportunity employer. All interested persons are encouraged to apply, including veterans and individuals with disabilities. Click here to read more about UVA's commitment to non-discrimination and equal opportunity employment.