Director of Research

Job Description

The Lupus Foundation of America, Inc. (LFA) is the nation’s leading voluntary organization exclusively serving the entire lupus community including persons with lupus, their families, physicians, researchers, and the general public. Our mission is to educate and support those affected by lupus and find a cure. The Director is an exceptional talent responsible for oversight, day-to-day management and implementation of LFA research related programs and initiatives and ensuring that they continue to meet organization wide strategic goals and outcomes. Reporting to the Vice President of Research, the position will require working closely with a diverse group of cross-functional internal and external stakeholder groups including LFA’s Medical Scientific Advisory Council, Industry partners, consultants, and other advisors.

Essential Functions 

The Director of Research must demonstrate a high level of professionalism, accuracy, sensitivity, discretion, good judgment, and diplomacy. The work involves strategic thinking and the use of exceptional written and verbal communication skills, technical computer applications and administrative support. The work requires extensive experience in research methodology and application of quantitative and qualitative analytics as well as using mixed methods approaches to solving research problems.

The individual will work in cooperation with the research team to facilitate collaboration across the LFA, with vendors, external partners and other key stakeholders. This individual must also be comfortable working in a fast-paced environment and managing staff.

The Director’s responsibilities will include but are not limited to:

• Lupus AIM: Working closely with the VP of Research, the Director will manage LFA’s Lupus AIM (Addressing health Inequities in Minorities) program, the first comprehensive study on health disparities in lupus. This involves working with our project partners and advisory panel and overseeing potential follow-on solutions identified in the study that will help drive future programming focused on eliminating racial and ethnic disparities associated with the social determinants of health.
• Research Accelerated by You (RAY): The Director will support the Research Department in RAY registry operations and business development. The Director will leverage new and existing relationships with partners to enhance data collection and analysis, support the process for developing reports and publications originating from the RAY registry, and work with researchers and drug developers to enhance lupus science based on data from RAY.
• Advancing Lupus Pillars for Healthcare Advancement (ALPHA): The Director will manage the ALPHA project by working with the international lupus community and thought leaders in research, clinical practice, biopharmaceutical industry, government, and patient advocacy organizations. Specifically, the Director will:
  • Oversee qualitative and quantitative research initiatives focused on the development of an evidence-based, patient-informed shared decision-making tool for lupus
  • Plan and conceptualize activities related to the dissemination, implementation, and evaluation of the shared decision-making tool
  • Lead teams of internal staff and external consultants to achieve project milestones
  • Provide methodological and subject matter expertise to inform the development of a robust evidence base through literature reviews and focus group activities
  • Coordinate activities related to the project’s Global Advisory Committee including regular meetings and updates
• Patient Engagement Research: The Director will work closely with the VP of Research to conceptualize and implement new programs and initiatives related to patient engagement research deemed a priority for the Foundation. Specifically, the Director will: 
  • Leverage new and existing relationships with industry partners to design, develop, and oversee research collaborations focused on capturing ‘patient voice’ across the clinical research continuum
  • Provide high-level methodological expertise on a range of qualitative and mixed method projects involving focus groups, interviews, surveys, and/or consensus methods (e.g., Delphi)
  • Conduct landscape analyses and literature reviews to inform the Foundation’s research and evaluation activities
  • Manage Institutional Review Board (IRB) processes, including drafting IRB protocols, overseeing IRB submissions, and ensuring compliance with ethical research standards  
  • Maintain  familiarity with emergent health policy and research priorities including FDA’s patient-focused drug development (PFDD) initiatives, Real-World Evidence program, and patient-centered research efforts, and assists in policy development related to these and other LFA regulatory initiatives
  • Collaborate with LFA staff in the preparation of grant applications and other funding requests across a range of government, nonprofit, and industry organizations and opportunities
  • Prepare articles for publication in peer-reviewed journals and posters for presentation at scientific conferences such as the American College of Rheumatology’s Convergence Meeting and other relevant meetings
  • Support the development of needs assessments and other survey work as organizational needs arise

Education and Experience 

The Director must have a PhD in nursing, psychology, biomedical science, statistics, epidemiology or related health discipline. The individual must have 6 years of relevant work experience in biopharma, academic research settings, healthcare consulting or nonprofit organizations. The ideal candidate will have demonstrated expertise in project management with proven success managing people and experience forming or maintaining collaborative relationships with stakeholders. The individual must have a thorough understanding of qualitative and quantitative research methodology, including study design, protocol writing, data analysis and must have a strong familiarity with drug development processes, or clinical research. The individual must be comfortable working in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment. Excellent written and communication skills and ability to coordinate multiple programmatic activities are required.

Expertise in SPSS, Redcap, and familiarity with qualitative data analysis software such as ATLAS.ti or NVivo.

Benefits

The Lupus Foundation of America prioritizes the health and well-being of its employees. The Foundation offers a highly competitive benefits package including medical, dental, vision and life insurance covered at 100% for the employee. We provide sick, vacation, and personal leave, and we follow the federal government for most holiday closures. Other benefits include, Flexible Spending Accounts and an Employee Assistance Program.

Other Requirements

• Candidates who reside in the Washington, DC area will report in office at least twice a week. 
• Must have a dedicated home office or workspace with reliable internet connectivity, ensuring the ability to perform job duties effectively and participate in virtual meetings without disruptions.
• Ability to interact with people of all ages and cultural backgrounds.
• LFA participates in E-Verify. 
• Background checks are required.