Director-Research for Surgical Services and Academic Development

Eisenhower Health•Rancho Mirage, CA

3d•$81 - $123

About The Position

Provides strategic leadership and operational oversight for the research and scholarly mission of Surgical Services, with a primary focus on the Orthopedic Joint Replacement Fellowship and the General Surgery Residency Program. Responsible for building and sustaining a robust research enterprise, advancing academic productivity, and supporting accreditation-related scholarly activity requirements. Leads academic development initiatives including Research Day programming, seed grant management, and philanthropic and extramural funding efforts in support of the institution’s academic mission.

Requirements

Doctor of Medicine (M.D.), Osteopathy (D.O.), PhD (Doctor of Philosophy) or equivalent degree
Active, unrestricted state medical license and current board certification in a recognized specialty
Eight (8) years of clinical or health services research experience with at least four (4) years of experience mentoring trainees and/or junior faculty
Demonstrated abilities in academic leadership and strategic planning
Demonstrated abilities in collaboration and stakeholder engagement
Demonstrated abilities in mentorship and education
Demonstrated abilities in research program development
Excellent written and verbal communication skills
Knowledge of ACGME research and scholarly activity requirements
Strong knowledge of grant writing and funding strategy
Strong organizational, leadership, project management, and strategic and conceptual planning skills

Nice To Haves

Experience in surgical research, orthopedics, or general surgery
Prior leadership experience in academic medicine, research administration, or GME
Experience with grant funding, philanthropy, or research program development
Advanced training in research methods, biostatistics, or clinical investigation

Responsibilities

Research Program Development
Develop and implement a comprehensive research strategy for Surgical Services, aligned with institutional priorities and accreditation requirements.
Establish and expand the research infrastructure supporting the Orthopedic Joint Replacement Fellowship and the General Surgery Residency.
Facilitate clinical, outcomes, quality improvement, and translational research initiatives.
Promote interdisciplinary and multi-institutional research collaborations.
Fellowship and Residency Research Oversight
Provide research mentorship and guidance to fellows, residents, and faculty.
Support development of research curricula for trainees, including study design, statistics, IRB navigation, and manuscript preparation.
Ensure compliance with ACGME scholarly activity requirements for fellowship and residency programs.
Track and report scholarly output including abstracts, publications, presentations, and grants.
Academic Development and Research Day Leadership
Plan, organize, and execute annual Research Day activities for Surgical Services, including abstract submission, peer review, judging, and awards.
Promote trainee and faculty participation in regional and national academic meetings.
Develop recognition mechanisms for academic excellence and innovation.
Seed Grant Program Management
Design and administer internal seed grant programs to stimulate pilot research projects.
Develop application, review, funding, and reporting processes for seed grants.
Monitor progress and outcomes of funded projects and facilitate transition to extramural funding.
Funding and Advancement
Collaborate with institutional leadership, foundations, and development offices to raise funds in support of surgical research, annual GME Research Day, Eisenhower Research Seed Grant and academic programs.
Identify and pursue extramural funding opportunities (federal, foundation, industry).
Assist faculty and trainees with grant development and submission.
Support donor engagement related to research and academic initiatives.
Governance, Compliance, and Quality
Ensure research activities comply with IRB, regulatory, ethical, and institutional standards.
Participate in GME, Surgical Services, and research governance committees as appropriate.
Support continuous quality improvement in research processes and academic programming.
Performs other duties as assigned.