Director, Health Access and Quality, Inclusive Research

Location: Remote - United States

About The Organization

The American Diabetes Association® (ADA) is the nation’s leading voluntary health organization fighting to end diabetes and helping people living with diabetes thrive. Since 1940, we have driven discovery and research to prevent, manage, treat, and ultimately cure diabetes. We advocate for policy changes and improved access to quality care for all people living with diabetes and/or obesity. Through the Obesity Association, a division of the ADA, we are also working to reduce the prevalence of obesity—a leading risk factor for type 2 diabetes.

About the role

The American Diabetes Association (ADA) seeks a Director, Health Access and Quality, Inclusive Research to lead the implementation and expansion of community-centered educational programs that increase understanding of clinical research among populations historically underrepresented in clinical trials. This role will oversee multi-state partnerships and deliver evidence-informed initiatives that equip community members with the knowledge and confidence to make informed decisions about their health and participation in research. The Director will collaborate closely with community organizations, health systems, and research partners to ensure culturally responsive program delivery, operational excellence, and alignment with ADA’s mission to advance equitable health outcomes.

Over the next two years, this grant-funded position will play a key role in building trust, increasing research literacy, and advancing ADA’s national efforts to improve diversity in clinical trials. As the portfolio grows, there may be opportunities to extend this position beyond the initial grant period.

Responsibilities

• Manage high-quality, end-to-end educational initiatives focused on clinical trials literacy, including partner engagement, program implementation, and dissemination strategies across multiple geographies.
• Oversee the project life cycle of clinical research education initiatives, ensuring timelines, deliverables, and key performance indicators are met successfully and consistently.
• Collaborate with ADA team members and cross-functional divisions to ensure alignment, scientific accuracy, and culturally grounded program delivery.
• Serve as relationship manager with funders, research partners, and community-centric organizations, cultivating partnerships that advance clinical trials education and community trust.
• Drive creative solutions and ideas to strengthen clinical trials education programming and connect meaningfully with communities historically underrepresented in research.
• Represent the ADA and ADA-led collaborations at local, regional, and national events, meetings, and community research engagements.
• Work with Evaluation team members to support the design and execution of data and evidence-generation plans that evaluate the impact of ADA’s clinical trials education initiatives, ensuring alignment with research best practices.
• Support data collection, management, and integrity with contracted organizations and evaluation partners to ensure high-quality, actionable insights.
• Support maintenance of records, policies, and procedures to ensure programmatic continuity, compliance, and scalability across geographies.
• Develop and deliver presentations, reports, and insights to funding organizations, research partners, and ADA leadership.
• Monitor program expenses and budgets to ensure responsible stewardship of resources and alignment with funding expectations.
• Partner with Corporate Relations team members on new funding proposals to expand support for ADA’s Inclusive Research and clinical trials education efforts.
• Manage vendor relationships supporting program implementation, evaluation, communications, and community activation.
• Perform other duties as assigned to advance ADA’s mission to improve research literacy and promote equitable participation in clinical research.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree required, Healthcare Administration or Public Health focus preferred.
• 5+ years of experience in community engagement, community health promotion, clinical research, or research-focused program implementation.
• Knowledge of diabetes, obesity, or chronic disease management preferred.
• Ability to optimize and implement process improvements across multi-site program lifecycles, including education delivery, partner coordination, and evaluation workflows.
• Experience implementing project management processes, procedures, and policies within research, public health, or community-based program settings.
• Ability to prioritize, multi-task, and work independently to manage multiple concurrent initiatives across diverse geographies and partner organizations.
• Ability to gain and maintain a strong understanding of clinical research education programs and effectively communicate them to community members, partners, and stakeholders in both verbal and written form.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, Teams, Outlook); experience with data dashboards or CRM systems is a plus.
• Excellent interpersonal and verbal communication skills, with the ability to interact credibly across ADA divisions and with external partners, including community organizations, funders, research teams, and professional volunteers.
• Ability to travel 25%.

Pay

Base Pay: $85,000.00 - $93,000.00 / Year

Schedule

• Full-time exempt position.
• Travel: 25%

Benefits

• Industry competitive base pay determined by relevant work experience, education, certifications, location, and internal pay equity.
• Culture of recognition including new hire welcome announcements, service anniversary awards, referral bonuses, monthly All Employee Assembly, and appreciation awards.
• Generous Paid Time Off, including holidays, vacation days, personal days, and sick days.
• Comprehensive benefits package including medical, dental, vision, Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA), disability & life insurance, pet insurance, and retirement savings.
• Full diabetes supply coverage through the medical benefits program.
• Mental health programs and work/life balance with most employees working remotely.