Director - Plant and Animal Agrosecurity Research Facility

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Job Title:Director – Plant and Animal Agrosecurity Research Facility

Department:FAES | Research and Graduate Education Administration

The Plant and Animal Agrosecurity Research (PAAR) Facility is a state-of-the-art biocontainment building designed to support critical research on infectious diseases that threaten both plant and animal health. As mandated by federal law, PAAR enables work with high-risk organisms classified under Biosafety Level 3 (BSL-3 and BSL-3 Ag)—pathogens, including select agents, that could cause serious harm to agriculture and the economy if released.

PAAR is the only facility in Ohio and one of only a handful in the United States with a dual mission to conduct both plant and animal research at the BSL-3 and BSL-3 Ag levels. While there are several other U.S. facilities that are designated for BSL-3 Ag animal research, PAAR stands out for its integrated approach.

Role

PAAR strengthens internationally recognized research programs in infectious diseases at The Ohio State University . It plays a vital role in protecting Ohio’s $90+ billion agricultural industry —the state’s largest economic sector, by enabling:

• Development of advanced diagnostic tools
• Creation of new treatments and vaccines
• Proactive responses to emerging threats from diseases and pests

The facility also enhances the ability of OSU to attract top-tier faculty, competitive research grants, and industry partnerships.

Recent collaborative work within PAAR has included CFAES, the OSU College of Veterinary Medicine, USDA and other external partners to address highly pathogenic avian influence and African Swine Fever.

This role provides leadership in agricultural facility administration, including planning, scheduling, and resource allocation to support research objectives for PAAR. The Director will oversee the operational management of the PAAR facility ensuring efficient use of resources, proper maintenance of infrastructure, and coordination of agricultural research activities within and outside containment areas, ensure decontamination between experiments, develop and implement facility-wide compliance policies and operational strategies to meet regulatory requirements including IACUC, IBC, AAALAC, and select agent regulations. To perform these duties, the Director will be expected to provide leadership and strategic direction to PAAR staff and affiliated research teams, ensuring alignment with college-level objectives and long-term operational goals; facilitate work with faculty investigators and attending veterinarians to support successful projects and ensure compliance; ensure safe practices of PAAR users and staff; conduct risk assessments in collaboration with the PAAR Oversight and Compliance Committee (POCC) and Environmental Health and Safety to troubleshoot activities or issues; conduct advisor group and user group meetings on a regular basis or as needed; and report compliance and facility issues to the appropriate authorities. The Director will shape and influence institutional strategies by collaborating with university agricultural leadership, commodity organizations, and external partners to align PAAR operations with broader agricultural priorities.

Additional duties include serving as an Alternate Responsible Officer (ARO) for the PAAR facility. The ARO must be prepared to take the place of the Responsible Official (RO) in their absence. This includes compliance with all select agent regulations and other relevant requirements for maintaining BSL3 containment, having the authority to act on behalf of PAAR and fulfilling the RO’s responsibilities when necessary, having working knowledge of experimentation being conducted within PAAR, and coordinating with other PAAR ARO’s as needed to fulfill these duties.

The Director will report to the Associate Dean and Director for the Wooster Campus and be a member of the POCC that ensures all relevant agreements, safety measures, protocols, and compliance issues are complete prior to experimentation within PAAR. The Director will serve as the primary point of contact for new and existing PAAR users and will be expected to actively seek new projects and associated revenue to ensure a successful business model for operations. The Director will not lead or collaborate on research projects.

Continuation of the position is contingent upon OSU and CFAES maintaining PAAR as a BSL-3 facility and an adequate number of projects requiring BSL-3/select agent containment.

Duties And Responsibilities

• 60% - Oversee daily PAAR operations. Provides operational oversight for specialized agricultural research environments, ensuring safe and efficient facility use. Schedule, initiate, complete, and terminate experimentation; maintain BSL3 containment, ensure decontamination between experiments, and ensure compliance with regulatory requirements of IACUC, IBC, AAALAC, and select agent regulations. Supervise PAAR staff as well as graduate students and research staff aligned with active experimentation. Work in containment to supervise and assist with BSL-3 and select agent projects. Serve as backup for PAAR staff as needed. Ensure successful scheduled facility shutdowns and all inspections.
• 15% - In collaboration with POCC, actively promote PAAR for new projects to ensure a steady flow of projects for the facility. Will involve proactively contacting existing and prospective PAAR users to develop and implement new projects.
• 15% - Service/administration. Participate in relevant networks and organizations for BSL3 work such as the BSL-3 Advisory Committee for the Columbus campus and the RAV3N Scientific Advisory Group. Ensure accurate and timely invoicing for PAAR projects, procurement of materials and supplies, coordinating outside vendors for maintenance and other needs, review and update fee structures as needed, and scheduling of projects.
• 10% - Serve as principal point of contact for the RO, Environmental Health and Safety, OSU research compliance offices, USDA-APHIS and IACUC for inspections, and attending veterinarians.

Required Qualifications

• BS degree or equivalent combination of education/experience
• 7 years of relevant experience with BSL3 operations
• Experience in facility and people management
• Excellent communication, leadership, and organizational skills including time management
• Eligibility for select agent registration

Desired Qualifications (We’re committed to building a team that reflects a variety of skills and experiences and encourage you to apply even if your experience does not align perfectly)

• Master of Science or advanced degree
• Experience with handling large animals (cattle, swine)
• Basic understanding of mechanical systems

Physical Requirements

• Capable of wearing personal protective equipment suitable for BSL-3/select agent work for extended periods.
• Working in close proximity to large animals
• Able to lift up to 50 lbs and perform physical tasks as needed. Ability to climb stairs and ladders.

Additional Information

This job profile is a Manager 3, Agriculture Administration (M3 level) on the career roadmap.

The offer for this position will fall within this range based on internal equity, unit’s available budget, and the candidate’s qualifications

Location:CFAES Wooster Administration Building (0549)

Position Type:Term (Fixed Term)

Scheduled Hours:40

Shift: First Shift

Final candidates are subject to successful completion of a background check. A drug screen or physical may be required during the post offer process.

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The university is an equal opportunity employer, including veterans and disability.

As required by Ohio Revised Code section 3345.0216, Ohio State will: educate students by means of free, open and rigorous intellectual inquiry to seek the truth; equip students with the opportunity to develop intellectual skills to reach their own, informed conclusions; not require, favor, disfavor or prohibit speech or lawful assembly; create a community dedicated to an ethic of civil and free inquiry, which respects the autonomy of each member, supports individual capacities for growth and tolerates differences in opinion; treat all faculty, staff and students as individuals, hold them to equal standards and provide equality of opportunity with regard to race, ethnicity, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression.