Associate Director for Women’s and Children’s Health Research

Job Description

The Division of Research (DOR) of Kaiser Permanente Northern California seeks a senior researcher to become its Associate Director for Women's and Children's Health Research. This individual will lead one of DOR's six scientific sections and will participate in department-wide leadership activities. She/he/they will also maintain an independently funded research program and conduct scholarly research that is recognized nationally and internationally. A key part of this leadership role is to foster collaboration with Kaiser Permanente's operational leaders on studies that evaluate ways to improve our understanding of the risk factors, mechanisms, outcomes and effective preventative and therapeutic strategies for optimizing the health of women and children throughout the life course, and for reducing health inequities for this population.  The Associate Director may be appointed at the Associate Professor or Professor-equivalent level.

Investigators in the DOR leverage the extensive, clinically rich data derived from a comprehensive, state-of-the-art electronic medical record system and enjoy direct access to a diverse population of ~4.5 million members receiving care within Kaiser Permanente Northern California's integrated health care delivery system framework involving >20 medical centers and >250 outpatient facilities. This Oakland-based regional research entity, founded in 1961, has 57 faculty-level research scientists who lead robust programs in cancer, cardiovascular and metabolic conditions, health care delivery and policy, behavioral and mental health, aging, infectious diseases, and women's and children's health, among others. DOR investigators are primarily supported by grant and contract funding from federal and other external sources, especially the National Institutes of Health. The scientists in DOR's Women's and Children's Health section (currently 8 research scientists, 2 staff scientists, and 2 fellows) are nationally and internationally respected for their innovative, high-impact research.

This Associate Director position calls for a strong understanding and expertise related to women's and children's health research, which can include epidemiology, evaluation of clinical and patient-centered care, outcomes assessment, and clinical trials. In general, DOR associate directors spend approximately 20% of their effort (supported by DOR administrative funds) on leadership activities with their section faculty and for the department, and the remainder of their effort on their own research. Section leadership activities include mentorship, administration, and representing the section at management and senior scientific leadership meetings. The successful candidate is expected to maintain their own externally funded research portfolio including NIH or other federal funding, collaborate with physicians and program leaders within Kaiser Permanente, work with other DOR researchers on content and methodological issues, and develop national and international collaborations to advance research, quality of care and outcomes related to women's and children's health.

Required qualifications include an MD or PhD and research experience equivalent to a DOR Research Scientist II or III (similar to an Associate Professor or Professor in a university-based setting). The ideal candidate will have experience in productively leading and cultivating research programs and in successfully mentoring researchers and clinicians. The candidate should have a well-established track record of investigator-initiated grant funding, peer-reviewed publications, collaboration with clinicians, strong methodologic expertise, and experience working with electronic medical records.

DOR is an Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer and strongly encourages women and applicants of color to apply.

Please email a letter of interest and curriculum vitae  by May 23, 2022 to:

About Kaiser Permanente Northern California (KPNC)

Kaiser Permanente is an integrated health care delivery system with a diverse membership in eight regions across the United States. In Northern California, KPNC includes a health plan with >4.5 million members who are cared for by a single multi-specialty physician group with more than 9,500 physicians at 21 hospitals and >260 ambulatory medical offices. These facilities handle over 250,000 hospital discharges, 1 million emergency department visits, and 6 million outpatient visits. The KPNC Division of Research, founded in 1961, has more than 600 people on staff, including 63 faculty-level investigators with 454 ongoing, funded projects on a wide range of health research topics. In 2020, the Division's research portfolio included over $125 million in grants awarded by the National Institutes of Health, other federal agencies, private foundations, industry, and Kaiser Permanente. Our investigators have made contributions in many areas, including health services research, disease prevention, patient engagement, chronic illness management, clinical trials, the role of genes and the environment in health, informatics, and delivery science.