Director, Health of the Public and Science

American Academy of Family Physicians•Leawood, KS

4d•Hybrid

About The Position

The American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) is seeking a Director of Health of the Public and Science to lead a high-performing team and serve as the central operational and strategic hub for the Health of the Public and Science (HOPS) division. This role involves coordinating and integrating work across the HOPS division and with other organizational divisions, focusing on team leadership, daily program coordination, strategic planning, financial management, and ensuring the efficient advancement of grants, implementation projects, and science initiatives. The Director will manage a team of 8-10 professional staff with a budget of approximately $2-3 million and will be supported by the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) or a designated Medical Director for clinical expertise. This position requires the successful candidate to reside within the Kansas City metropolitan area.

Requirements

Master’s degree in public health, Health Services Administration, Health Policy, Implementation Science, Epidemiology, Business Administration, or directly related discipline; OR Bachelor's degree with 8+ years of progressive experience in health policy, public health, healthcare management, or research administration.
Minimum 7 years of experience managing professional teams in health care, research, or health policy settings.
Minimum 5 years of experience coordinating multiple concurrent projects or grants.
Minimum 3 years of experience with budget management and financial planning.
Demonstrated experience with program/project management in complex environments.
Demonstrated ability to work across organizational boundaries and serve as an integrator.
Experience managing or coordinating grant-funded work.
Demonstrated success building and leading high-performing teams.
Experience with strategic planning.
Experience translating evidence into practice or supporting implementation of clinical/organizational initiatives.
Physical stamina to work long hours.
Ability to travel approximately 10-15 days per year for meetings and professional development.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint).
Ability to learn and use organization-specific database and management systems.
Familiarity with project management tools and software.
Data analysis and visualization skills.
Experience with financial reporting/analysis software.
Comfort with video conferencing and collaborative platforms.
Must reside within the Kansas City metropolitan area.

Nice To Haves

Post-graduate coursework or practical experience in implementation science.
MPH, MBA, PhD, or DrPH in a related field.
Formal training or certification in implementation science or evidence-to-practice translation.
Formal training in project management (PMP, PRINCE2, or equivalent).
Formal training in financial management or business analytics.
Experience with Quality Improvement methodologies (Lean, Six Sigma, PDSA).
Published work or presentations on evidence-based practice, implementation science, health policy, or program management.
Experience serving as project manager for NIH, AHRQ, or CDC-funded projects.
Knowledge of health informatics and electronic health record systems.
Experience in a professional association or health policy organization setting.
Experience with grant administration or research management.
Experience with strategic planning processes.

Responsibilities

Leads a team of 8-10 professional staff, including recruiting, developing, mentoring, and managing performance.
Establishes clear performance expectations and provides regular feedback and mentoring.
Facilitates team cohesion and a collaborative, evidence-driven culture.
Ensures team members have the necessary resources, training, and professional development.
Provides strategic direction for the HOPS division in alignment with organizational priorities.
Develops and communicates strategic and operational plans for the division.
Sets measurable goals and performance indicators.
Manages the division's budget of approximately $2-3 million, monitors financial performance, and identifies cost efficiencies.
Forecasts resource needs and prepares strategic reports for senior leadership.
Ensures compliance with organizational policies and regulatory requirements.
Identifies opportunities for growth, innovation, and continuous improvement.
Acts as the central integrator and coordinator of work across multiple functional teams within HOPS and other organizational divisions.
Manages dependencies between projects, ensures team alignment, and facilitates communication and collaboration.
Resolves cross-team conflicts or resource conflicts.
Oversees a portfolio of multiple concurrent funded research and implementation projects.
Tracks project progress, identifies risks or delays, and coordinates with the grants management office.
Serves as liaison between funded projects and organizational leadership.
Supports the governance and guideline development process, understanding guideline development methodology (e.g., systematic review, GRADE, evidence synthesis).
Coordinates guideline development timelines and milestones, and facilitates stakeholder engagement.
Ensures guidelines move from development to implementation and translates technical content into implementation-ready tools.
Provides leadership for the organization's implementation science approach and methodology.
Ensures evidence-based guidelines and practices are implemented effectively.
Builds organizational capacity for evidence-to-practice translation.
Manages relationships with implementation science researchers and external partners.
Provides support for the organization’s work with external partners, including representation with external organizations.