Associate Director of Community Research

HEALTH CHOICE NETWORK

17d

About The Position

The Associate Director of Community Research provides strategic and operational leadership to advance community-engaged research initiatives. This role oversees the development, implementation, and evaluation of research programs that support community health centers and partner organizations. The Associate Director ensures scientific rigor, compliance with research standards, and alignment with organizational priorities while fostering strong collaborative relationships with internal and external stakeholders.

Requirements

Doctoral degree in Medicine, Public Health, Epidemiology, Social Sciences, Health Services Research, Community Health, or related field.
5+ years of experience in applied research, community research, program evaluation, or related fields.
Demonstrated experience working with diverse communities and/or Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs).
Strong knowledge of research methodology, data systems, evaluation design, and research ethics.
Experience managing/leading research projects, budgets, and multi-stakeholder collaborations.

Nice To Haves

Experience with writing and submitting manuscripts and other forms of dissemination.
Strong understanding of epidemiologic methods, statistical modeling, and research design.
Experience with grant writing and funded research project management.
Familiarity with health center operations, quality improvement methodologies, or implementation science.

Responsibilities

Support the Chief Community Research Officer in shaping the vision, goals, and long-term strategy for community research initiatives.
Lead development of annual research objectives, workplans, and performance metrics.
Contribute to departmental budgeting, resource allocation, and staffing plans.
Represent the department in cross-functional leadership meetings and collaborative initiatives.
Oversee design, implementation, and evaluation of community-based research, quality improvement, and program evaluation projects.
Ensure scientific rigor and adherence to ethical standards, including human subjects protection, HIPAA, and organizational privacy policies.
Manage data workflows, from data collection to analysis, ensuring accuracy and quality.
Support development of new research protocols, standard operating procedures (SOPs), and evaluation frameworks.
Assist in identifying funding opportunities aligned with organizational priorities.
Contribute to and lead grant proposal development, including narrative writing, budgets, and submission coordination.
Oversee funded project activities to ensure deliverables, timelines, and reporting requirements are met.
Build and strengthen research collaborations with academic institutions, foundations, health centers, and community partners.
Serve as a liaison between research teams and operational, clinical, and technical departments.
Provide mentorship and guidance to research staff, contractors, students, residents, and fellows.
Lead and contribute to preparation of reports, manuscripts, abstracts, and presentations for leadership, funders, boards, and community stakeholders.
Ensure research outcomes are shared network-wide in formats that promote learning and improvement.
Contribute to dissemination strategies such as conferences, webinars, and community forums.
Supervise research staff (analysts, coordinators, managers), providing coaching, performance evaluation, and professional development.
Foster a collaborative, inclusive team culture grounded in excellence and continuous improvement.