Chief Research Compliance Officer

The New York State Psychiatric Institute (NYSPI) seeks a strategic and collaborative leader to serve as its inaugural Chief Research Compliance Officer (CRCO). Reporting directly to the Institutional Official, the CRCO will oversee compliance activities related to human subjects protections, animal welfare, conflicts of interest, biosafety, research privacy and security, investigational drugs and devices, export controls, and research integrity.

Since its inception, NYSPI has been at the forefront of psychiatry. Among its accomplishments are: the discovery of the spirochetal origin of general paresis; the earliest use of lithium in the United States; the first data describing a genetic predisposition to schizophrenia; leadership in the discovery of the genes causing Huntington's and Wilson's disease; and the development of the DSM-III, DSM III-R, DSM-IV, and DSM-5-TR. This is an incredible opportunity to help create strong regulatory systems to support and contribute to the vital work and research at one of the oldest and largest institutes of its kind in the country.

The successful candidate will be ready to partner across the Institute to ensure the fastidious oversight of the full complement of NYSPI’s research operations and all HRPP and IRB activities. The CRCO will work to optimize research operations, improve compliance, and support infrastructure improvements, including the identification and implementation of best practices to help restart and reinvigorate NYSPI’s research enterprise. To ensure the compliance and longevity of NYSPI’s research apparatus, the CRCO will act as an advisor and a visible leader across the full research portfolio, guiding best practices and creating an institution-wide culture of compliance that is collaborative rather than punitive. Further, this leader will need to keep themselves informed about the changing federal and state regulatory landscape and anticipate shifts in policy to keep NYSPI at the forefront of compliance. This is an exciting opportunity for a leader to help create a strong and attentive compliance infrastructure in order for NYSPI’s important research to continue unimpeded.

Rebecca Kennedy is leading this search with Angelo Alexander, and Cortnee Bollard