Director, Center on Society and Health

Posting Details

Employees hired into Administrative and Professional positions posted on or after July 1, 2017, will be governed by and, if employed on July 1, 2018 will move into the new University Human Resources System. For additional information, go to http://greatplace.vcu.edu.

Position Number F67490 Is this employee on a H1B Visa? No Position Type Teaching and Research Faculty Rank Open Working Title Director, Center on Society and Health School/Unit School of Medicine Department Family Medicine & Population Health Number of Months 12 Tenure Status Non-Tenure Eligible Grant funded position? No
Mission or Goal of Unit

The Center on Society and Health ( CSH ) was chartered by the VCU Board of Visitors in 2007. The mission is to raise awareness about the important factors outside of health care that shape health outcomes and to explore ways to improve population health and well-being.

The CSH is committed to equity and to partnerships that work across sectors to help stakeholders discover aligned incentives and together achieve meaningful impact. The CSH brings a unique approach to its work by blending four ingredients for success: (1) user-oriented research: scientific scholarship directed at delivering actionable and policy-relevant findings and evidence sought by decision-makers; (2) policy outreach; (3) stakeholder and community engagement; and (4) strategic communication.

Chief purpose of this position in support of above mission or goal

The Center on Society and Health ( CSH ) is seeking to hire a full-time Director to work closely with the Department of Family Medicine and Population Health, the Dean of the School of Medicine, as well as other departments within the university and health system. The purpose of this role is to provide strategic leadership for the CSH and to be a representative on campus and in its interactions with partners, media, and policymakers across the country.

This position will be at a rank of Associate Professor or full Professor, which will be determined based on qualifications and experience.

Position Responsibilities

This position is responsible for upholding standards of excellence and administering an interdisciplinary team involved in intramural research, policy outreach, community engagement, and strategic communication.

The Director will lead a policy-oriented academic research center comprised of an interdisciplinary team of experts in social epidemiology and other related disciplines, including public health, sociology, psychology, geographic information systems, and communications. The applicant would hold a faculty position at the rank of associate or full professor, commensurate with academic background and experience.

Specific responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Provide leadership and a strategic vision for CSH, including the development of a new 5-year strategic plan that aligns with the missions of VCU and the School of Medicine and optimizes the value and contribution CSH brings to public health scholarship, policy, and practice in the United States.

• Maintain the Center’s reputation of excellence and increase its visibility across VCU and nationally.

• Supervise key leadership positions, human resource needs, and career development among faculty, staff, students, and other trainees at CSH .

• Cultivate a healthy environment for scholarly research to advance health equity, which can include the pursuit of a personal body of scholarship.

• Oversee the development and release of innovative deliverables that effectively engage the audiences of CSH (e.g., policymakers, media, stakeholders, community members) and ensure widespread dissemination.

• Maintain the work of CSH in authentic community engagement, particularly among vulnerable populations and communities of color, including its portfolio of community-based participatory research and its flagship work with communities in metropolitan Richmond.

• Oversee the implementation of the community-engaged research core of the VCU Wright Center for Clinical and Translational Research and promote cross-campus collaboration with other schools and departments.

Required Qualifications

• PhD, MD, or other terminal degree in a discipline related to population health

• Expertise in social determinants of health and in the racial-ethnic and other factors that contribute to health inequities

• Record of scientific publications and presentations demonstrating expertise in health-related research

• Strong oral and written communication skills

• Experience translating data and scientific research findings into formats that are interpretable by policy makers, the public, and other lay audiences

• Proven management and leadership skills, including experience with budgets, staff, and interdisciplinary teams

• Demonstrated success in preparing competitive grant proposals and receiving external funding from both traditional (e.g., governmental) and non-traditional (e.g., foundations) sources

• Demonstrated experience working with and fostering a diverse faculty, staff, and student environment or commitment to do so as a faculty member at VCU

Preferred Qualifications

• National (or international) recognition for expertise in population health and/or social justice issues and a network of colleagues of influence in academic and public health

• Experience or conversance with public policy, preferably in both government (national, state, local) and the private sector (e.g., employers, health care systems, investors)

• Understanding of social epidemiology, biostatistics, or social sciences

• Training or familiarity with medicine and health care delivery and their intersections with public health and the social determinants of health

• Understanding of, or lived experience with, the role of structural racism and implicit bias and cultural sensitivity to the history and perspectives of communities of color, especially in relation to academic institutions

• Experience in academia, preferably in the administration of academic departments, schools, or centers

• Experience with graduate-level teaching and mentoring

• Experience with interdisciplinary research at the intersection of public health (e.g., epidemiology) and social sciences; an understanding of the role of race, history, and other factors in producing social and health inequities; the ability to communicate with policymakers and other stakeholders outside of medicine and public health; and proficiency in the management and financial stewardship of an organization/agency and interdisciplinary project teams


Date Posted 05/07/2021 Open Until Filled Yes Application Deadline Date Proposed Hire Date 09/01/2021 Type of Search National Application Process/Additional Information

This position will be at a rank of Associate Professor or full Professor, which will be determined based on qualifications and experience.

For additional information, please contact Vicki Humphreys at maria.humphreys@vcuhealth.org.

As a preeminent national, urban, public research university and academic health center, Virginia Commonwealth University is committed to organizational diversity, equity and inclusion – an environment where all can thrive in their pursuit of excellence.

Applicants are requested to submit a Statement of Contributions to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (typically between 150-300 words) providing your career aspirations and contributions toward promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion. Through this statement, you can share how your lived experiences; and past, present, and future academic and professional activities have or will contribute to VCU’s mission of promoting equity and
inclusion.

Note: Examples include working with others to further the goals of equity and inclusion; leading in any capacity that tangibly promotes an environment where diversity is welcomed, fostered, and celebrated; creative activity, research and scholarship that promotes equity and parity; teaching and mentoring students, and/or engaging with faculty and/or staff from traditionally underrepresented groups to create a positive and successful organizational experience.

Posted Salary Commensurate with qualifications Quick Link https://www.vcujobs.com/postings/105746 Diversity Statement Information For more information on diversity statements, including guidelines, please click here . Supplemental Questions

Required fields are indicated with an asterisk (*).

Applicant Documents
Required Documents

1. Cover Letter/Letter of Application
2. Curriculum Vitae (CV)
3. Diversity Statement (Required for all Faculty)

Optional Documents

1. Other Document
2. Reference Letter - 1
3. Reference Letter - 2
4. Reference Letter - 3
5. Publications