Chief Mission Officer
Position Description
The CMO serves as a key member of the senior leadership team and is responsible for advancing the Muscular Dystrophy Association’s mission through strategic leadership of Care, Community Engagement, Advocacy, Research, and mission-aligned external partnerships.
Key Leadership Responsibilities
Serve as a strategic advisor to the President & CEO, Executive Leadership Team, and Board of Directors on mission delivery, clinical care trends, community needs, public policy, industry dynamics, and organizational impact.
Lead the integration of MDA's mission strategy across the organization by reducing silos, fostering collaboration, and aligning programs, services, messaging, and constituent engagement around the patient and family journey.
Foster a culture of innovation, collaboration, accountability, inclusion, and community-centered decision-making.
Provide regular updates to executive leadership and Board committees on mission performance, strategic initiatives, community impact, emerging opportunities, and organizational risks.
Translate MDA's strategic plan into actionable operating priorities, cross-functional initiatives, and measurable outcomes.
Leadership of MDA's Four Mission Areas
Research: Support patient-centered research, scientific collaboration, clinical trial readiness, registries, and initiatives that advance the neuromuscular field.
Care: Strengthen MDA's Care Center Network, improve access to high-quality care, advance care coordination, workforce development, care quality, and readiness for emerging therapies.
Community: Expand programs and services that foster engagement, connection, independence, and quality of life while ensuring the voices and lived experiences of individuals and families inform organizational priorities.
Advocacy: Support public policy initiatives, coalition building, healthcare access, and systems-level change that improve outcomes for the neuromuscular community. Ensure mission programs and services reflect the diverse needs of individuals, families, caregivers, clinicians, and allied health professionals while promoting collaboration across all four mission areas.
External Leadership & Strategic Partnerships
Serve as a senior spokesperson and ambassador for MDA on the organization’s overarching mission approach and vision at conferences, policy forums, coalition meetings, media opportunities, donor events, industry convenings, and community programs.
Position MDA as a trusted national leader by advancing thought leadership on topics that span MDA’s mission areas including clinical care, healthcare access, patient-centered research, clinical trial readiness, workforce development, and emerging therapies.
Collaborate with department executives in building and maintaining strategic relationships with clinicians, researchers, care center leaders, patient advocacy organizations, policymakers, payers, donors, healthcare organizations, and biopharma partners.
Support responsible engagement with industry partners while maintaining MDA's scientific integrity, independence, and community trust.
Identify opportunities to convene coalitions, expert meetings, grant initiatives, and public-private partnerships that address challenges across the neuromuscular field and coordinate across mission teams to implement these convenings.
Program, Operational & Financial Leadership
Champion the development, implementation, and continuous improvement of innovative programs and services that improve access to care, independence, connection, and health outcomes for individuals living with neuromuscular disease.
Establish key performance indicators and evaluation frameworks to measure mission impact, program effectiveness, and organizational outcomes.
Use data, community feedback, and performance metrics to guide program enhancements, resource allocation, and strategic decision-making.
Lead annual planning and budget development for mission departments, ensuring responsible stewardship of organizational resources.
Partner with Development to align funding strategies, donor engagement, restricted funding, and mission priorities.
Qualifications
Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree strongly preferred in public health, healthcare administration, medicine, nursing, genetic counseling, social work, rehabilitation, nonprofit leadership, business administration, public policy, or a related field.
Minimum 10+ years of senior leadership experience in mission-driven, healthcare, voluntary health, rare disease, disability, patient advocacy, biopharma, research or complex service organizations.
Demonstrated expertise in clinical care strategy, patient advocacy, community engagement, healthcare delivery ecosystems, program development, and cross-functional leadership.
Credibility with clinicians, researchers, patient advocates, policymakers, donors, and/or biopharma partners; experience serving as an external spokesperson, convener, or thought leader preferred.
Familiarity with rare disease, neuromuscular disease, gene therapy, clinical trials, patient-centered research, registries, care center networks, access issues, or biopharma partnerships strongly preferred.
Experience developing, managing, and evaluating budgets, strategic plans, team goals, and mission impact metrics.
Exceptional oral and written communication skills, including the ability to translate complex clinical, scientific, policy, or community issues for diverse audiences.
High emotional intelligence and the ability to build trust, influence without excessive reliance on authority, and work cross-functionally with numerous colleagues and external stakeholders.
Ability to proactively identify issues, solve problems independently, manage workflows from start to finish, and make sound decisions in a fast-moving environment.
Demonstrated commitment to MDA’s mission of improving care, independence, access, community connection, and therapeutic options for people living with neuromuscular disease.