Director/Senior Director, Research and Education

About the role

The National Alopecia Areata Foundation (NAAF) is a mission-driven organization dedicated to driving research for alopecia areata, supporting those affected, and educating the public. Founded in 1981, NAAF is the largest alopecia areata patient advocacy organization globally.

Responsibilities

• Manage end-to-end lifecycle of competitive research grants program.
  • Create and promote requests for applications, develop guidelines/materials, and manage review, scoring and selection process.
  • Administer and monitor award agreements, including progress reporting and payments, for research grants portfolio.
  • Affiliate with the Chief Mission Officer to plan and execute convenings of medical and scientific KOLs through summits, symposia, and meetings as needed.
  • Support the Chief Mission Officer to coordinate and manage activities of KOL advisory committees, including maintaining records, rosters, terms, and minutes.
  • Represent NAAF at national/international scientific and medical conferences and assist with planning and coordination of related events (e.g., Industry Partner Program Roundtables, workshops/symposia).
  • Organize research and treatment education sessions for the Annual Patient Conference.
  • Oversee the development and maintenance of patient education materials focusing on treatment and research updates and navigating insurance coverage for FDA-approved alopecia areata treatments.
  • Supervise Program Manager, Research.
  • Manage the Doctor Finder tool, including recruiting new providers.
  • Oversee NAAF’s activities to educate healthcare providers about the unique needs of individuals living with alopecia areata.
  • Aid in responding to community inquiries regarding treatments for alopecia areata, insurance issues, and research updates.
  • Engage with community and staff to provide advice and information regarding scientific and research developments.
  • Manage the development and update of research content on the NAAF website.
  • Support the President & CEO, and Chief Mission Officer and Chief Growth Officer in fund development activities related to research agenda.
  • Lead industry services program to facilitate patient engagement activities and clinical trial recruitment for pharmaceutical partners.
  • Lead ongoing webinar program, including directing staff team on execution of monthly webinar tasks, topic selection, data tracking, and metrics reporting to staff, Board, and sponsors.
  • Present at board meetings, as needed; occasional public speaking to represent NAAF, including webinars, interviews and panels.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in health-related, social, or behavioral science is required, PhD preferred.
• 5+ years of experience leading grants-making programs in a professional setting (10 + years for senior director candidates), preferably with a non-profit patient advocacy organization.
• Demonstrated experience leading research initiatives through a strong track record of peer-reviewed publications and conference presentations.
• Strong understanding of the research process, and ability to critically review scientific literature and communicate about research to varying audiences with different levels of knowledge.
• Excellent analytical and critical thinking skills; effective verbal, non-verbal, and written communication methods as well as reflective listening skills.
• Strong organizational and time management skills with exceptional attention to detail.
• Ability to work without close oversight, take initiative, and manage multiple tasks and projects with differing, and at times changing, priorities and timelines.
• Proficient with PubMed and ClinicalTrials.gov.
• Experience with reference management software (e.g., EndNote and Zotero).

Benefits

Competitive compensation. Comprehensive benefits package including Medical, Dental and Vision. Generous paid time off. 401(k) retirement plan.