Description
The National Psoriasis Foundation (NPF) is a dynamic and growing non-profit organization dedicated to research, advocacy, and patient and medical education. We work together toward a cure for psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis and to increase the lifespan and improve the health of individuals living with psoriatic disease.
The Director, Scientific Review and Award Management represents a strongly positioned opportunity to guide research from ideation through publication. The position’s primary role is to lead NPF’s extramural research grants and fellowships programs, a program that focuses on close partnership with awardees to provide a supportive and flexible platform tailored to the understanding that research is a dynamic and iterative process. Execution of this philosophy requires partnership between sponsors and awardees across the lifecycle of each award, leveraging the Director’s subject matter expertise in biomedical research.
As evidence generation progresses, the Director role guides knowledge transfer in the research community by meaningfully advancing academic discourse in psoriatic disease research. The position has an influential leadership role in the NPF scientific journal and efforts to convene workshops and symposia.
The position is multi-faceted and requires management of multiple simultaneous projects and tasks, as well as frequent and on-going communications with colleagues, research awardees, patients, vendors, and other collaborators. This role involves combining a keen sense of scientific knowledge, strategy, and detail-oriented work.
The position will work closely with volunteer clinical and research leaders to inform design and conduct of programs. The Director will work across the NPF to promote a culture of knowledgeable pride in the activities and outcomes of the research and medical affairs programs. The position is administratively supported by the Research and Medical Affairs Coordinator, and benefits from strong collaboration from other team members on matters related to science communication, measurement of program impact, and patient engagement.
Responsibilities
Award program
The Director is responsible for all oversight of all extramural awards and coordination of their peer review.In collaboration with the Chief Scientific & Medical Officer (CSMO) and advisory committees, the Director will develop and direct a robust and diverse portfolio of awards that align with the NPF strategic research priorities.
Pre-award process
- Collaborate with CMSO, other staff, and volunteer advisory bodies in development of research funding strategy
- Prepare RFP templates and instructions to support award programs in alignment with strategic goals of the organization
- Manage relevant updates to websites and applications portals.
- Develop outreach strategy for advertising availability of awards
- Routinely communicate with applicants regarding scientific, policy, or process-related issues.
Post-award processes
- Work with Research and Medical Affairs Coordinator to prepare notices of award and award contracts, and to ensure receipt of required pre-award deliverables.
- Serve as internal lead on contract negotiations, leveraging research expertise and knowledge of award management standards.
- Work with accounting to develop award payment schedules, and communicate modifications to payments when required.
- Stay abreast of progress on awards via review of written progress reports and periodic meetings with funded investigators.
- Collaborate with the Senior Manager, Outcomes and Analytics to ensure outcome tracking processes provide data consistent with effective impact analysis of grant portfolios.
- Work in collaboration with other Associate Director, Science Communication to promote research message across the Foundation staff and external communications.
- Identify expertise required for appropriate review of proposals to the award program. Recruiting reviewers and volunteer leadership to serve on peer review committees.
- Organize, attend, and participate in all award peer review meetings and study sections, ensuring the reviewer work remains aligned with programmatic goals and relevant policy or guidelines.
- Serve as Co-Managing Editor of Journal of Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis, communicating with authors and volunteer leadership and publishers as necessary to support article submission standards, reviewer identification, and solicitation of special issues and articles.
- Coordinate expert review as relates to core functions of the department including development of recognition award programs and biannual symposia abstracts.
- Support CSMO and CEO in representing NPF interests in select external committees or advisory boards, providing presentations where required.
- Serve as subject matter expert in NPF educational outreach. Develop and maintain familiarity with ongoing scientific progress related to psoriatic disease within and external to NPF funded research.
- Meaningfully contribute to published and public-facing work, including research strategy documents and research publications. Contribute to planning content and sourcing speakers for conferences and periodic workshops and retreats.
- Attend and represent NPF at national and international scientific meetings, presenting when required.
- Manage external relationships including business partners and vendors.
- Maintain, document, and recommend evolution of policies and procedures related to duties.
- Providing other members of NPF staff with scientific input and editing content for scientific accuracy and clarity.
- Provide accountability for budgets related to scope of duties.
- Master’s degree or higher or equivalent advanced degree in science or biology, immunology, genetics, or related field (PhD or related evidence of research experience strongly preferred).
- 5-10+ years of relevant experience required.
- Excellent research, analytical and critical thinking skills.
- Superior written and verbal communication skills.
- Ability to convey scientific and technical information to a diverse group of audiences.
- Ability to take initiative and learn quickly.
- Attention to detail and accuracy.
- Highly organized with an ability to meet deadlines.
- Excellent interpersonal skills and high-level professionalism.
- Ability to work both independently and collaboratively.
- Ability to manage multiple projects, priorities, and deadlines.
- Proficient in computer programs such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and grants management software.
- Ability to travel.
- Preference given for candidates with experience managing and analyzing complicated data in relational databases and modern statistical packages or coding background.
