Vice President, Nationwide Research Institute

The American Lung Association has an excellent opportunity for a Vice President, Nationwide Research Institute. Working as a member of the Research department, you will join an outstanding group of professionals dedicated to our mission: to save lives by improving lung health and preventing lung disease through research, education, and advocacy.

The Vice President, Research Institute serves as the senior staff leader responsible for the strategy, scientific credibility, operational execution, and business development of the American Lung Association Research Institute. This role advances the Research Institute as a nationally recognized platform for lung health research, scientific innovation, expert convening, and translation of research into mission impact. The position provides leadership for an integrated research portfolio that strengthens the Lung Association's scientific prominence, supports measurable mission outcomes, and ensures research priorities inform and are informed by programs, services, advocacy, and public policy.

• Nationwide: If near an office location, this role will be hybrid and require a minimum of two days per week in the office. We are also considering remote applicants and encourage candidates in any location in the United States to apply.

• →Research Strategy and Scientific Leadership: Create and lead a multi-year strategy that establishes the Research Institute as a distinctive national leader in lung research, including identifying areas where the American Lung Association can uniquely contribute and have the greatest impact.
• →Leadership, Communications, and National Visibility: Lead a high-performing Research Institute team and serve as a principal spokesperson for the American Lung Association’s research portfolio. Partner with the Communications team to translate research priorities, discoveries, outcomes, and mission impact for scientific and nonscientific audiences and strengthen the organization’s visibility and relationships across the scientific, academic, healthcare, and funding communities.
• →Business Development and Growth: Partner with the Development team to grow research revenue, cultivate government, foundation, corporate, and individual donor support, develop strategic funding partnerships, and secure investment in the Research Institute while ensuring scientific integrity and organizational independence.
• →Research Translation and Mission Integration: Integrate research across the Lung Association’s mission by partnering with Advocacy and Public Policy, Health Promotions, and the Lung HelpLine. Translate research evidence into policy priorities, programs, services, and public education, while ensuring organizational needs and community perspectives inform research priorities.
• →Research Portfolio and ACRC Leadership: Provide leadership for the major research platforms, including Awards and Grants and the Airways Clinical Research Centers Network, with responsibility for scientific excellence, growth, performance, and partnerships.
• →Research Impact and Engagement: Develop effective ways to communicate the goals, discoveries, and outcomes of funded research to the public, donors, volunteers, government and other partners. Build stronger ongoing relationships with researchers and connect their work and accomplishments more directly to the American Lung Association and its mission.
• →Data and Research Evaluation: Ensure epidemiology, biostatistics, analytics, and evaluation capabilities to effectively demonstrate research outcomes and impact, and support organizational decision-making.
• →Research Operations and Stewardship: Ensure strong oversight of research administration, scientific review, governance, compliance, budgets, federal awards, reporting, and performance.

• Doctoral degree in a scientific, clinical, public health, epidemiologic, biological sciences, or related research discipline required.
• Significant senior-level experience leading research strategy, clinical or translational research, public health research, scientific programs, or research institute operations.
• Demonstrated research expertise in lung health, respiratory disease, clinical research, public health, epidemiology, or a closely related field required.
• Proven ability to develop and execute multi-year research strategy, build scientific credibility, evaluate research opportunities, and translate research priorities into organizational impact.
• Proven ability to build strategic partnerships with research institutions, healthcare organizations, government agencies, funders, and community organizations.
• Demonstrated success securing research revenue through grants, corporate support, individual donors, sponsored research, and other mission-aligned funding.
• Strong understanding of scientific governance, peer review, research ethics, conflict-of-interest management, grants administration, budget oversight, and compliance expectations.
• Demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional work and integrate research priorities with broader mission strategy.
• Excellent written, verbal, facilitation, and executive communication skills, with the ability to communicate complex scientific issues clearly to scientific and nonscientific audiences.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively within a national organization while exercising sound judgment, discretion, and strategic decision-making.