Director

Description

With nation-wide responsibility for improving the health and well-being of all Americans, the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) oversees the biomedical research programs of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and those of NIH’s research Institutes and Centers (ICs). As the world’s largest medical research facility, NIH consists of 27 ICs including the Clinical Center (an on-site research hospital).

The Position

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, Maryland, is seeking applications from exceptional candidates who are energetic, innovative, and solution-oriented for the important position of Director, National Library of Medicine (NLM). This is a senior position with responsibilities focused on the direction and management of the world’s largest biomedical library and electronic information and data resources that are used billions of times each year by millions of people and thousands of computer systems worldwide. The mission of NLM is to assist the advancement of medical and related sciences and to aid the dissemination and exchange of scientific and other information important to the progress of medicine and to the public health as established in 1956 in the National Library of Medicine Act and still part of the US Code shown: http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/USCODE-2011-title42/html/USCODE-2011-title42-chap6A-subchapIII-partD.htm

NLM assists in the advancement of medical and related sciences through the collection, dissemination, and exchange of information important to the progress of medicine and health. It also serves as a national information resource for medical education, research, and service activities of Federal and private agencies, organizations, and institutions, in addition to patients, families, and general public by providing electronic access to reliable health information issued by NIH and other trusted sources. NLM publishes electronically and in print, guides to health sciences information in the form of catalogs, bibliographies, indexes, and online databases. It provides support for medical library development and training of biomedical librarians and other health information specialists; conducts and supports research in methods for recording, storing, retrieving, preserving, and communicating health information; and creates information resources and access tools for molecular biology, biotechnology, toxicology, environmental health, and health services research. It provides technical consultation services and research assistance. In accordance with the strategic vision articulated in a recent report from the Advisory Committee to the NIH Director, the NLM will also move towards becoming the epicenter for biomedical data science, not just at NIH, but across the biomedical research enterprise, and will include the activities initiated under the Big Data to Knowledge program (http://acd.od.nih.gov/reports/Report-NLM-06112015-ACD.pdf). The NLM has a staff of approximately 1600 employees including full-time equivalency positions, training positions, contractors, volunteers, and guest researchers. The current annual budget is $387,134,000.

This position offers a unique and exciting opportunity for an exceptional leader to serve as the chief visionary for NLM and lead all aspects of this highly complex organization. The Director, NLM, is responsible for the management and direction of the world’s largest biomedical library, and will lead the organization in championing data science efforts. Scientists, health professionals, and the general public rely on robust, uninterrupted access to NLM’s digital resources. As an international leader in information innovation, the NLM also supports and conducts computational biology, data science and standards, biomedical communications, and health information technology.

The Director, NLM, serves as the principal advisor to the Director, NIH, concerning matters related to biomedical informatics and access to biomedical information with responsibilities for program planning, implementation and evaluation, keeping the NIH Director abreast of NLM developments, accomplishments, and needs as the relate to the overall mission of NIH. The Director, NLM, maintains continuous contact with outside industry and private interest groups, members of Congress, officials of other Federal agencies, and officials of foreign governments for the purpose of explaining the program, mission, and goals of informatics research and information access at NIH.

Qualifications Required

Applicants must possess a Ph.D., M.D., or comparable doctorate degree in a field of health science plus senior-level scientific experience and knowledge of research programs in one or more areas related to biomedical informatics, computational biology, data science and standards, biomedical communications, and health information technology. The individual should be known and respected, both nationally and internationally, within their profession as someone of scientific prominence, with a distinguished record of research accomplishments and leadership credentials. They should have demonstrated leadership and broad visionary capabilities in the research arena, with demonstrated ability to engage others to create and execute an organization’s vision; to navigate successfully within and collaborate across the public sector to achieve research objectives; and to optimize organizational performance by developing strategic priorities, setting and communicating clearly defined expectations, promoting accountability for results, and resolving operational problems and issues. Candidates should have demonstrated management acumen, including identification and management of financial and human resource needs; proven ability to make complex and strategic decisions to optimize resource usage, mitigate risks, and achieve desired results; and, the ability to build, mentor, motivate, and maintain a culturally diverse staff.

Salary/Benefits

The Director, NLM, will be appointed at a salary commensurate with his/her qualifications. Full Federal benefits will be provided, including vacation, health and life insurance, long-term care insurance, retirement, and savings plan (401k equivalent).

How To Apply

Applicants must submit a current CV and bibliography electronically to Ms. Regina Reiter at SeniorRe@od.nih.gov (301- 402-1130). In addition, applicants must also submit a supplemental narrative statement that addresses the qualifications requirements (not to exceed a total of two pages), a vision statement (not to exceed a total of two pages), and provide the names, titles, email addresses, and telephone numbers of 4-5 references.

Information about the National Institutes of Health is located at its website.

NIH encourages the application and nomination of qualified women, minorities, and individuals with disabilities.

Standards of Conduct/Financial Disclosure

The National Institutes of Health inspires public confidence in our science by maintaining high ethical principles. NIH employees are subject to Federal government-wide regulations and statutes, as well as agency-specific regulations described at NIH Ethics website. We encourage you to review this information. The position requires the incumbent to complete a public financial disclosure report prior to the effective date of the appointment.

Selection for this position will be based solely on merit, with no discrimination for non-merit reasons such as race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, political affiliation, marital status, disability, age, or membership or non-membership in an employee organization.

Reasonable Accommodation

NIH provides reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities. If you require reasonable accommodation during any part of the application and hiring process, please notify us. The decision on granting reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis.

Applications will be reviewed starting October 20, 2015 and will be accepted until the position is filled.

DHHS/NIH IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER