Director, Center for Planetary and Human Health

1st shift

Wake Forest University School of Medicine (WFSOM) is pioneering the nation’s first net zero medical school, designed to integrate cutting-edge education with environmental stewardship. This bold initiative reflects a commitment to decarbonizing healthcare and embedding sustainability into every facet of medical training, research, and clinical practice. At the heart of this vision is the Center for Planetary & Human Health, a transformative hub addressing the intersection of human health and global environmental change. Built on pillars of education, research, clinical innovation, and community engagement, the Center seeks to advance solutions for climate resilience, pollution mitigation, and health equity—ensuring that future clinicians are equipped to care for both people and the planet. 

The Director will lead a multidisciplinary team of researchers, educators, and operational experts working For the Health of Humanity.

Provide strategic leadership and oversight for The Center for Planetary and Human Health. This role ensures alignment of training, education, research, innovation, and service priorities with Wake Forest University School of Medicine and Advocate Health’s enterprise objectives, driving innovation in planetary health, sustainability, and health equity. The Director will lead multidisciplinary teams, secure funding, and foster partnerships to advance implementation of innovative solutions at the intersection of global health security and environmental resilience.

• Work collaboratively with other WFUSM Center leaders and Advocate Health teams to develop strategies that strengthen, enhance, and grow the planetary health enterprise within WFUSM/Advocate.
• Establish and direct short- and long-range Center goals, objectives, strategic plans, policies, and operating procedures to enhance research activities and funding.
• Provide leadership and direction for the implementation of new programs and initiatives to maintain and grow planetary health research operations, capabilities and activities.
• Coordinate with the training and education team to ensure alignment and scaling of undergraduate, graduate, and continuing medical education.
• Empower increased participation by cross-disciplinary investigators, research teams, clinicians and trainees in high quality research by ensuring that these groups are provided with appropriate support systems (including education and mentoring) and access to intuitional resources for supporting research.

• Ensure compliance with regulatory standards and Advocate Health policies.
• Oversee training, education, research, and innovation leadership teams to ensure alignment and cross-sectional engagement.

• Build and maintain strategic partnerships with academic institutions, industry partners, and global health organizations.
• Serve as a liaison for external research collaborations, funding agencies, foundations and donors.

• Identify and secure grants, philanthropic contributions, and industry sponsorships.
• Provide support to the research director’s oversight of research budgets and resource allocation to maximize impact.

• Recruit, mentor, and manage staff and faculty affiliates.
• Promote a culture of innovation, diversity, and ethical research practices. 

Advanced degree in a relevant field (medicine, nursing, public health, environmental health, planetary health, epidemiology, health administration, business administration).

• Education: MD and/or PhD (or another terminal doctorate) strongly preferred. Academic accomplishments meriting appointment as an Associate Professor or Professor (if applicable) are ideal.

• Minimum 8 years of leadership experience in academic or health system settings who can manage MD, PhD and Researchers.
• Proven track record of securing external funding and managing complex budgets.
• Expertise in climate-health, sustainability, and health equity research preferred.

• Prior experience leading a major research center, institute, or multi-faceted program within an academic medical center or health system.
• National recognition in the field of climate/planetary health or related domains (e.g., environmental health sciences, global health, public health) with an extensive record of peer-reviewed publications and extramural funding is highly desirable.
• Experience building programs or collaborative initiatives across institutions or health systems is a plus. 

• Strategic thinking and ability to align research and education with enterprise climate goals.
• Strong leadership and team-building skills.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder engagement capabilities.
• Deep knowledge of the impact of climate, environment, and biodiversity loss on human health

• Demonstrated success in mentoring faculty or senior researchers, and building partnerships across academia, healthcare, industry, and community organizations.
• Strong commitment to advancing health equity and sustainability through innovation.

Advocate Health offers a comprehensive suite of Total Rewards: benefits and well-being programs, competitive compensation, generous retirement offerings, programs that invest in your career development and so much more – so you can live fully at and away from work, including:

Advocate Health is the third-largest nonprofit, integrated health system in the United States, created from the combination of Advocate Aurora Health and Atrium Health. Providing care under the names Advocate Health Care in Illinois; Atrium Health in the Carolinas, Georgia and Alabama; and Aurora Health Care in Wisconsin, Advocate Health is a national leader in clinical innovation, health outcomes, consumer experience and value-based care. Headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, Advocate Health services nearly 6 million patients and is engaged in hundreds of clinical trials and research studies, with Wake Forest University School of Medicine serving as the academic core of the enterprise. It is nationally recognized for its expertise in cardiology, neurosciences, oncology, pediatrics and rehabilitation, as well as organ transplants, burn treatments and specialized musculoskeletal programs. Advocate Health employs 155,000 teammates across 69 hospitals and over 1,000 care locations, and offers one of the nation’s largest graduate medical education programs with over 2,000 residents and fellows across more than 200 programs. Committed to providing equitable care for all, Advocate Health provides more than $6 billion in annual community benefits.