Scientific Director - CSTS

Join the HJF Team!

HJF is seeking a Scientific Director - CSTS to provide scientific leadership for the Center's national and international research, education, and policy mission. Defines the scientific vision, leads strategic portfolio integration, and steers growth of multidisciplinary programs aligned with federal, military and national priorities. Ensures scientific rigor, research quality, and translational impact across all programs; ensures resource stewardship. The role serves as the senior scientific leader and trusted advisor to organizational leadership, external stakeholders, and national and international partners.

This is the highest-level scientific leadership role within the Center, distinguished from the Executive Director level by its responsibility for enterprise-wide scientific strategy, scientific portfolio integration, and direct influence on national research priorities. The Science Director leads a complex, matrixed scientific organization conducting multisite, large-scale federally funded research exceeding $50M annually. The role provides authoritative guidance to senior leaders, serves as the primary scientific decision-maker for the Center, and directs, mentors the other lead scientists in the Center. The Science Director holds final responsibility for scientific quality, research impact, scientific workforce development, and strategic scientific partnerships across the DoW, federal agencies, and national collaborators

This position will be in support of the Department of Psychiatry / Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress.

The Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress (CSTS) is one of the nation's oldest and most highly regarded, academic-based organizations dedicated to advancing trauma-informed knowledge, leadership and methodologies. The Center's work addresses a wide scope of trauma exposure from the consequences of combat, operations other than war, terrorism, natural and human-made disasters, and public health threats as well as risk and protective factors associated with suicidal behaviors. CSTS is a part of our nation's federal medical school, Uniformed Services University (USU), and its Department of Psychiatry. These affiliations represent the Center's history, mission and future directions as a major contributor to our country's understanding of the impact of trauma and the advancement of trauma-informed care. Learn more about the CSTS.

The Department has active research programs in the Basic and Clinical Sciences and Neurosciences. In addition to intramural research projects, the Department maintains active research funded by the National Institute of Mental Health, National Institute of Drug Abuse, National Science Foundation, the Department of the Army and the Department of the Air Force. The department has ongoing collaborations with the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, is sponsor of the Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress and provides psychiatry residency training through its affiliations with Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, National Naval Medical Center and Malcolm Grow Air Force Medical Center and the National Capital Area Graduate Medical Education Consortium.

The Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine (HJF) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing military medicine. We serve military, medical, academic and government clients by administering, managing and supporting preeminent scientific programs that benefit members of the armed forces and civilians alike. Since its founding in 1983, HJF has served as a vital link between the military medical community and its federal and private partners. HJF's support and administrative capabilities allow military medical researchers and clinicians to maintain their scientific focus and accomplish their research goals.

• Provides strategic direction and establishes the scientific vision for the Center's research enterprise. Leads the design, prioritization, and integration of a complex research portfolio addressing nationally significant challenges. Ensures scientific rigor, innovation, scalability, and alignment with DoW, federal, and organizational priorities.
• Oversees research planning, methodological quality, scientific integrity, and compliance across all programs. Provides expert guidance to principal investigators, senior scientists, research teams, and scientific working groups. Directs scientific integration across multiple investigators, workgroups, and research domains. Leads scientific review and decision-making.
• Serves as the senior scientific representative and authoritative spokesperson with DoW, federal agencies, academic institutions, and national stakeholders. Develops and sustains high-impact scientific collaborations and consortia that advances the Center's national mission and expand scientific influence and funding opportunities.
• Provides leadership and mentorship to the Center's scientific workforce, including senior investigators, research faculty, scientific staff, and trainees. Establishes workforce development strategies, scientific training initiatives, succession planning, and performance standards to build a high-performing scientific enterprise. Cultivates a high-performing scientific culture that supports innovation, productivity, and scientific excellence.
• Works with lead Program and Financial Directors on research investments, budget planning, and resource allocation. Serves as a trusted agent for the Center in external engagements across USG and DoW as well as in national and international academic and research endeavors.
• May perform other duties and responsibilities as assigned or directed by the supervisor. This may include attendance of and participation in required training for the role.

Supervisory Responsibilities

• Direct Supervisor: Direct authority to make decisions on the following: employee hiring, disciplinary action, starting salaries and merit increases; conduct employee performance evaluations and directs work activities.

Education and Experience

• Doctoral Degree (MD or PhD) is required.
• More than 10 years of experience required.

Required Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Ability to lead complex scientific programs with multiple collaborating organizations.
• Ability to facilitate discussions of complicated, multi-faceted issues among senior leadership and operations level, and clearly communicate decisions, implications and actions.
• Deep knowledge of complex clinical, preclinical, and scientific procedures, methodologies, and research operations.
• Strong record of scientific strategy development, protocol design, and research oversight.
• Ability to take initiative in developing new scientific directions, research protocols, and innovative methodologies.
• Outstanding interpersonal, leadership, and communication skills, including the ability to work with senior DoD, academic, and federal stakeholders.
• Ability to integrate scientific priorities with operational, financial, and administrative structures.
• Has extensive knowledge of DoW and its science needs and operations.
• Ability to understand high level mission/objectives and translate them into specific plans and actions.
• Ability to understand complicated technical and scientific issues and communicate them in easy-to-understand ways.
• Ability to develop business and functional requirements for information systems/technology; Exceptional team-building and interpersonal skills; Experience with multiple sectors of DoW and education and federal operations.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a T1/Public Trust background check.

Physical Capabilities

• Ability to stand or sit at a computer for prolonged periods.

Work Environment

• This position will take place primarily in an office setting.

Compensation

• The annual salary range for this position is $152,500 - $217,300. Actual salary will be determined based on experience, education, etc.

Benefits

• HJF offers a comprehensive suite of benefits focused on your health and well-being, from medical, dental, and vision coverage to health savings and retirement plans, and more.

Employment with HJF is contingent upon successful completion of a background check, which may include, but is not limited to, contacting your professional references, verification of previous employment, education and credentials, a criminal background check, and a department of motor vehicle (DMV) check if applicable. Any qualifications to be considered as equivalents, in lieu of stated minimums, require the prior approval of the Chief Human Resources Officer.

Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities

The contractor will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor's legal duty to furnish information. 41 CFR 60-1.35(c)

Any qualifications to be considered as equivalents, in lieu of stated minimums, require the prior approval of the Chief Human Resources Officer.