Deputy Director, National Center for Child Traumatic Stress

The Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences announces the position of Deputy Director for the National Center for Child Traumatic Stress (NCCTS) in the Child, Family and Community Division.

This critical role will serve as the Deputy Director for the National Center for Child Traumatic Stress (NCCTS) within the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Duke University School of Medicine with faculty appointment at the assistant to full professor rank, career track, commensurate with the record of experience, expertise and scholarly achievement of the successful applicant. Ideally, the successful candidate will demonstrate knowledge of and interest in child development and expertise in an area of child traumatic stress that could include physical and sexual abuse; domestic, school and community violence; natural disasters and terrorism; racism and historical trauma; and life-threatening injury and illness. Experience with and support for the development and broad adoption of evidence-based and trauma-informed treatments is desirable. The NCCTS seeks candidates committed to diversity and inclusion who champion equity and racial and social justice.

This is a senior NCCTS leadership position with responsibility for managing programmatic, strategic, and administrative activities of the Duke component of the NCCTS. Co-located at UCLA and Duke University, the NCCTS is the coordinating center for the National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN). The NCCTS leads, coordinates and facilitates national collaborations and initiatives across child servicing systems and multiple topical domains, producing child trauma resources, products, reports and information for providers, treatment developers, families and stakeholders. The NCTSN seeks to improve the quality, effectiveness and availability of care and services for children and families who are exposed to a wide range of traumatic experiences. Currently, the NCTSN is a collaboration of 164 funded academic, clinical, and community service centers across the U.S and a large active cohort of formerly funded affiliate programs and individuals. The NCCTS is funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) through a cooperative agreement. Please note that the NCCTS does not provide direct clinical services to children and families.

The Deputy Director functions as a full assistant to the Co-Director to oversee all administrative functions of the Duke-NCCTS. The Deputy Director fully shares the duties of providing leadership in planning, implementing, and coordinating all administrative, educational, and programmatic activities of the Duke-NCCTS. Duties are performed with wide latitude, exercising independent judgment and full, delegated autonomy. This position is involved in central administration and operations and in facilitating strategic planning for the NCCTS. Responsibilities include overall planning, direction, and execution of the area of responsibility. The Deputy is also responsible for oversight of Center operations including budgeting, personnel management, resource allocation, and other administrative functions that affect Duke-NCCTS programs. The Deputy makes recommendations to the Co-Director for strategic plans and policies for the Duke-NCCTS to achieve its mission and specific programmatic goals. While the Co-Director focuses on strategic plans, guides the center to fulfilling mission-critical priorities, and fosters collaborative relationships with stakeholders, the Deputy Director supports these activities by overseeing the administrative and operational aspects required to implement programs and projects cultivated by those plans, priorities, and collaborations.

The Deputy exercises decisions with wide latitude and independent judgment. The incumbent reports to and assists the NCCTS-Duke Co-Director but largely operates on a day-to-day basis in an independent manner and also serves as the Acting Co-Director in the Co-Director’s absence. Duties performed by the Deputy require skill in directing and effectively managing the work of a complex organizational unit across multiple programs. The incumbent must balance responsibilities in a complex environment and use a high level of autonomy to organize work, set priorities and program goals, delegate tasks, meet multiple deadlines, and achieve Center performance objectives. Skills are required in analyzing and finding solutions to organizational/systems problems across different program components of the Center. These skills include the ability to adapt to changing work environments with fluid program demands, staffing requirements, and emerging organizational challenges. The Deputy must be highly proficient in relating to superiors, peers, and subordinates in order to negotiate and implement program policies and find solutions to personnel and organizational challenges.

The person in this position will be a full partner with both Co-Directors in administering the NCCTS cooperative agreement and in providing scientific oversight to the NCCTS and the NCTSN, and in the selection and integration of activities at both Duke and UCLA.

Desired Qualifications

• Doctoral degree in psychology, public health, mental health policy, or related field.
• Three or more years of experience and expertise in a clinical, education, training or research area in the field of traumatic stress, preferably with children or adolescents.
• Three or more years of extensive experience plus proven leadership and management, particularly across organizations or sectors.
• Extensive experience in the design, implementation, and reporting of organization initiatives of varying sizes from project planning and management, personnel management, and fiscal and budget components.
• Excellent interpersonal and communications skills (written and verbal), including ability to listen to and communicate with a wide variety of stakeholders from diverse backgrounds in relatable and meaningful ways.
• Ability to present issues in compelling terms and to communicate complex data and concepts clearly and effectively.
• Skill with facilitating learning, planning, and knowledge transfer in a variety of formats (i.e., face-to-face, virtual, hybrid).
• Excellent project management, time management, and organizational skills with careful attention to detail, and a demonstrated ability to manage multi-faceted projects and perform well in a fast-paced environment.
• Significant experience successfully managing teams and building capacity through mentorship and professional development.
• Ability to problem solve, and nimbleness in adapting to changing circumstances as well as being an out-of-the-box, innovative thinker and not afraid to challenge the status-quo.
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively in leading efforts to enhance equity, diversity and inclusion.
• Proven ability to assess, develop, and lead the implementation of strategies and initiatives to enhance equity, diversity, inclusion.

The individual in this position should have 1) experience working in a clinical service delivery or clinical research environment related to child trauma, including initiating, planning, and managing clinical and/or research processes; 2) administrative experience including strategic planning, hiring and supervising staff as well as setting standards and monitoring performance, budget planning, and coordination of people and resources; 3) demonstrated oral and written communication skills. Familiarity with Duke’s financial and personnel systems or willingness to quickly learn these systems is desirable.

The individual in this position will be expected to work mainly on Duke University campus in Durham, North Carolina, with the possibility of considering a few hybrid options in line with the needs of the NCCTS.

For more information, or to submit an application, please contact:
Tanya Exum-Coston, NCCTS Administrative and Financial Senior Officer, at tanya@duke.edu.
Applications should include a cover letter and curriculum vitae (CV).

Commitment to Equity, Diversity & Inclusion
With a deep commitment to attracting and retaining a diverse staff, Duke University will honor your experiences, perspectives, and unique identity. Together, our community strives to create and maintain working, learning and care environments that are inclusive, equitable and welcoming.

Duke is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer committed to providing employment without regard to an individual’s age, color, disability, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or veteran status.

Our collective success depends on the robust exchange of ideas—an exchange that is best when the rich diversity of our perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences flourishes. To achieve this exchange, it is essential that all members of the community feel secure and welcome, that the contributions of all individuals are respected, and that all voices are heard. All members of our community have a responsibility to uphold these values.

Duke University Benefits and the Greater Triangle Area
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