Deputy Director, Division of Extramural Research

Job Posting :
Deputy Director, Division of Extramural Research

Are you a top‑level Scientific Researcher or Scientific Administrator seeking a career at one of the preeminent biomedical research institutes in the nation and the world? The Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) at the National Institutes of Health is seeking exceptional candidates for the position of Deputy Director, Division of Extramural Research (DER).

NICHD is a global leader in research to understand human development, improve reproductive health, enhance the lives of children and adolescents, and optimize abilities for all. As the Institute's sole scientific division for extramural research, DER manages a broad portfolio of basic, translational, and clinical research spanning conception through adulthood. With an annual budget exceeding $1.2 billion, DER supports approximately 3,100 research projects, including large, complex clinical trial networks focused on high-priority and understudied populations, as well as translational research in diagnostics, therapeutics, medical devices, regenerative medicine, neuroscience technologies, and implementation science.

The Deputy Director serves as the principal advisor to the Director of DER and shares responsibility for the scientific and administrative leadership of NICHD's extramural research enterprise. This senior executive provides strategic leadership for one of the nation’s largest and broadest biomedical research portfolios while helping define scientific priorities that improve maternal, pediatric, reproductive, and rehabilitative health worldwide.

The Deputy Director will report to the Director, DER and will help direct, coordinate, and manage the Institute's extramural scientific programs across 12 research branches and provide leadership for approximately 100 scientific and administrative staff. The Deputy Director will also establish and oversee two strategic scientific offices:

• Office of Clinical Research, providing leadership for clinical trial operations, human subjects protections, clinical research policy, implementation science, and oversight of complex clinical trial networks.
• Office of Translational Research, providing leadership for drug and device development, SBIR/STTR programs, regulatory science, technology transfer, contracts, and partnerships that accelerate translation of discoveries into clinical practice.

The Deputy Director will help coordinate NIH-wide initiatives and represent NICHD in collaborations across NIH, the Department of Health and Human Services, and national and international organizations. The position also provides executive oversight and coordination for activities supporting the National Center for Medical Rehabilitation Research (NCMRR), strengthening integration across rehabilitation, translational, and clinical research programs.

As a recognized scientific authority, the Deputy Director will:

• Provide strategic scientific and policy leadership across NICHD's extramural research portfolio.
• Identify emerging scientific opportunities and develop new research initiatives.
• Guide program planning, portfolio management, and funding priorities.
• Foster collaboration across NIH Institutes and Centers and with external scientific organizations.
• Serve as a trusted advisor to senior NIH and HHS leadership on issues related to maternal health, reproductive health, child and adolescent health, therapeutics, device development, rehabilitation research, and implementation science.
• Serve as Acting Director of DER when delegated.

This position offers a unique opportunity to influence national and international biomedical research priorities while advancing innovative science that improves the health of women, children, families, and individuals with disabilities around the world.

The NICHD seeks candidates who have a commitment to scientific excellence and the energy, enthusiasm, and innovative thinking necessary to lead a dynamic organization.

• Applicants must possess a doctoral degree (e.g., an M.D., Ph.D., or equivalent) with excellent knowledge of the…