Associate Director for Sheps Integrated Research Solutions; SIRS

Working Title Associate Director for Sheps Integrated Research Solutions (SIRS)

One of the best college towns and best places to live in the United States, Chapel Hill has diverse social, cultural, recreation and professional opportunities that span the campus and community.

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-Chapel Hill offers full-time employees a comprehensive benefits package , paid leave, and a variety of health, life and retirement plans and additional programs that support a healthy work/life balance.

The Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research seeks to improve the health of individuals, families, and populations by understanding the problems, issues, and alternatives in the design and delivery of health care services. This is accomplished through an interdisciplinary program of research, consultation, technical assistance, and training that focuses on timely and policy-relevant questions concerning the accessibility, adequacy, organization, cost, and effectiveness of health care services, and the dissemination of this information to policymakers and the general public.

The Associate Director for Sheps Integrated Research Solutions ( SIRS ) provides strategic, technical, and operational leadership for the Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research. SIRS designs, builds, and supports secure web-based applications, databases, and workflow systems that enable health services research, multi-site clinical studies, community engagement, evaluation, and quality improvement initiatives. While Sheps( DATA )+ is not a Contract Research Organization ( CRO ), it functions similarly by providing the full suite of technical, data, and operational infrastructure needed to support health services research, while scientific leadership remains with the Principal Investigator.

SIRS is a core component of this integrated service model, contributing to critical application development, data collection platforms, and workflow systems that enable coordinated, multiservice research efforts across the Sheps Center. In this role, the Associate Director is responsible for overseeing the delivery, quality and long-term sustainability of SIRS solutions, ensuring alignment with research goals, institutional policies, security and privacy requirements, and best practices in software engineering and product management.

The Associate Director also plays a key role in identifying and advancing strategic initiatives for SIRS that are aligned with Sheps( DATA )+ strategic priorities and the broader mission of the Sheps Center. The Associate Director works closely with Principal Investigators, study teams, Sheps IT leadership, and technical staff to translate complex research workflows into reliable, scalable, secure and compliant digital systems.

Masters’ and 2-4 years’ experience; or Bachelors and 3-5 years’ experience; or will accept a combination of related education and experience in substitution.

• Master’s degree in information systems, computer science, public health, health informatics, or a related field; or an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.
• 7+ years of leadership experience managing software development, digital products, technical programs, or technology-enabled…