Vice President, Military Medical Research

The Vice President, Military Medical Research (MMR) will provide strategic and leadership contributions to the mission and goals of the Institute by leading its Military Research Programs, which represent collaborations with the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) and Veterans Administration (VA).  This crucial position will be responsible for providing strategic, programmatic, administrative, financial, and personnel oversight to all military research-related programs, initiatives, and agenda; building and maintaining the Institute’s clinical and basic research infrastructure through the Center for Research on Integrative Medicine in the Military (CRIMM); and expanding MMR to include new research programs of common interest to the DoD, VA, and the Institute.  This position will report to the Chief Operating Officer and serve as a member of the Institute’s Executive Committee.

Essential duties include developing scientifically-rigorous, pragmatic research agendas; developing and managing protocols to fulfill the missions for all funded research programs (e.g., CRIMM, Military CAM [MILCAM], VET HEAL, Metabolic Defense, Integrative Medicine, Communication, Compassion, & Chronic Care [IC4]); establishing and maintaining consistent standards throughout all MMR programs and activities; ensuring that strategic objectives across the Institute are aligned with MMR program funding; proactively addressing any strategic and/or programmatic misalignments; overseeing the financial management, planning, and reporting for all military medical research funds (including the evaluation and recommendation of new partnering opportunities); representing the Institute to appropriate organizations and stakeholders, including the Department of Defense, other military and VA partners, academicians, clinicians, and biomedical researchers; establishing and cultivating relationships with key individuals; identifying opportunities within the DoD and VA to co-develop new research programs of interest; and taking the lead to develop proposals for new programs.

Other duties include, but, not limited to, overseeing the renewal of proposals as the Principal Investigator or the Program Manager, for both annual and quarterly reports, and invoicing to the DoD; supporting the Congressional relations effort related the Defense Budget appropriations by participating in the development of briefings and descriptive papers; continuously identifying and evaluating the effectiveness of all MMR-related activities; leading the effort to implement programmatic and administrative changes/initiatives that are necessary to ensure high-caliber research; leading initiatives and efforts that translate MMR research findings into civilian, public, and private sectors to transform the civilian health care system; initiating the assessment of optimal healing environments at military and veteran's medical treatment facilities (in partnership with the VP or Director of Optimal Healing Environments [OHE]); and preparing and recommending the annual MMR budget to the Chief Operating Officer and the Chief Executive Officer.

Required Qualifications:

Chief Financial Officer

The Chief Financial Officer (CFO) will be a key member of its Executive team.   The CFO is responsible for providing both of operational and programmatic support to the Institute.  Reporting to the COO, the CFO will assist with all strategic and tactical matters as they relate to budget management, grants and contracts management, cost benefit analysis, forecasting needs and the securing of new funding.   The CFO will manage the finance and grants & contracts group and will be the chief financial spokesperson for the Institute. 

The CFO will work closely with the COO to ensure programmatic success through cost analysis support, and compliance with all contractual and programmatic requirements. She/he will be responsible to plan, develop, organize, implement, direct and evaluate the Institute’s fiscal function, financial strategy and performance and make recommendations to the COO as needed.  The CFO is expected to provide strategic and technical financial advice to others within the organization by providing timely and accurate analysis of budgets, financial reports and financial trends, evaluating and advising on the impact of long range planning, introduction of new programs/strategies and new funding opportunities. He/she will oversee the management and coordination of all fiscal reporting activities for the Institute including: organizational revenue/expense and balance sheet reports, reports to funding agencies, development and monitoring of organizational and contract/grant budgets.  When dealing with internal and external colleagues, he/she must project a positive image of the Samueli Institute and conducts oneself at all times in a way that is consistent with the values and culture of the organization. 

Qualified individual should have a Master’s degree with 10-15 years of related experience, expert knowledge and skills in non-profit financial management highly preferred.  He/she must have strong and extensive knowledge of GAAP, OMB Circulars, appropriate code of Federal Regulations sections, and DoD contracting systems, personnel and office structures desired.  Selected candidate should be energetic, forward-thinking with high ethical standards, has strong experience in government grants and contracts, including expertise in the FAR and DODGR, able to complete multiple tasks and high volume of work on deadline, and able to make effective and persuasive presentation to the Board and other high-level groups.  He/she should be an excellent negotiator, possess a “big picture” perspective, has a professional in demeanor and able to work effectively with senior executives and members of the media.  This position requires the poise, tact and diplomacy to handle sensitive and confidential situations.  Must be a self-starter with strong initiative as well as an effective team-player with excellent time management, organizational and interpersonal skills.  Technical requirement for this position include computer proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and database management.  

Qualified candidates will initially start as independent contractor with an opportunity to convert to a regular employee within six months.  This will be a part-time (21 hours per week) position to start.

Communications Director

The Communications Director will be responsible for managing, planning and implementing media and communication plans of the Samueli Institute; this also includes working with the advancement team on donor and public communication plans. In collaboration with the senior leadership of the Institute, this position provides targeted, proactive positioning of the Institute as the leading authority on healing, complementary, and integrative medicine science. Duties include communications’ strategy development and execution, Web strategy and management, writing, media relations, public/member communications, government relations communications and research program communications planning and implementation. This position will have frequent contact with employees at all levels of the organization, our research partners, and other key audiences.

The Communications Director will serve as the key media contact for the Institute and develops a proactive media relations campaign for the Institute for each fiscal year. He/she is charged with developing and implementing media plans and cultivating new opportunities and relationships. Selected individual needs to take a proactive approach to building relationships with the media; directs crisis communications activities and responds to media inquiries; facilitate quotes and comments to the press, as needed. She/he will be responsible for designing and implementing a comprehensive, proactive communications, marketing and branding strategy that is aligned with the Institute’s mission and strategic plan; provides leadership and direction for all Institute communication and public relations activities. The Director should creatively leverage Web-based, new technology and social media to reach target audiences and strengthen ongoing relationships, including developing strategic donor relations campaigns and programs that align with the Institute’s development plan to increase donations to the Institute.

The successful candidate is expected to manage the design, development, and periodic evaluation of promotional, informational, and educational publications and collateral materials. In support of the Institute objectives, he or she will identify stakeholders, key messages, and opportunities for information dissemination and relationship management. Will work with all departments within the Institute to coordinate internal and external communication plans and strategies to ensure a consistent voice in all distributed materials.

Successful candidate should have a Bachelor's degree in journalism, mass or broadcast communications, English or related fields with 8-10 years of progressive experience; advanced degree is preferred. Individual must have significant media relations experience and good understanding of government communications strategies, preferably with nonprofit organization experience.

Knowledge of integrative medicine, complementary therapies or holistic approaches to health care delivery is a plus, and experience in health care/science/research communications is highly desirable. Candidate must demonstrate experience and success in communications, marketing and in utilizing new media (social networking tools) for marketing or campaigning, has knowledge of variety of mass, alternative media, media lists and wire services.

Individual must possess superior written and oral communications skills, and able to communicate effectively with all levels of media contacts, community leaders, donors, and staff. He/she should also demonstrate managerial experience in leading a diverse team and mentoring/coaching staff; strong ability to multi-task and work in a cross-functional organization with all levels of internal partners and diverse external constituencies. Desired individual must be highly motivated, with the ability to work independently, able to exercise discretion, take initiative, demonstrate independent judgment, participate as an effective team member, and follow tasks through to completion. Internet savvy with strong computer skills is a must.

Communications Manager

The Communications Manager will provide essential services to the mission and goals of the Samueli Institute by managing its communications programs. This individual assists the Institute in the creation and implementation of a strategic, multi-faceted communications program designed to build and strengthen Samueli Institute’s role and reputation as a leader and authoritative voice in its field. S/He devises program guidelines and policies, oversees the implementation process, and provides quality control for communications programs, media activities, and special events.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

The Communications Manager will assist in the implementation of a strategic communications plan to support the organization's mission, goals and objectives. As brand steward, this position will be responsible for final editing of all Institute communications before being issued, to ensure all communications, especially external communications, adhere to branding guidelines, message quality and message consistency, and create and execute impactful, proactive public relations strategies, programs and campaigns that achieve positive awareness and increase brand value. The communications manager will serve as the primary point of contact for the media and be responsible for timely response to media requests. Other duties of the position include writing, editing, overseeing approval of, and disseminating any and all relevant public/media relations tools; developing and managing web content; producing special video projects and overseeing production of materials produced by outside vendors, including print houses and graphic designers. This position will provide oversight to the approval processes for communications products; day-to-day operations of specific year-round communications programs; the coordination of special media events including hill briefings, press events, etc., and the development of news releases, news materials, fact sheets, talking points for publicity of the organization's programs. The Manager is expected to build relationships with professional counterparts in other professional and community organizations through organizational initiatives and jointly-sponsored communication campaigns and programs.

QUALIFICATIONS, KNOWLEDGE AND SKILL REQUIRED:

· Bachelor’s Degree required; Advanced degree in Communications, Public Relations, or Journalism desirable

· 5+ years of Communications, Public or Media Relations, or Journalism Experience

· Experience communicating in health, medical and/or research arenas

· Knowledge of integrative medicine, complementary therapies or holistic approaches to health care delivery preferred

· Effective written and oral communication skills; strong editing skills required (writing samples will be required)

· Strong interpersonal skills; this position requires the poise, tact and diplomacy to handle sensitive and confidential situations

· Experience using new media (social networking tools) for marketing or campaigning

· Ability to understand, interpret, and write about complex, scientific information

· Ability to complete multiple tasks and high volume of work on deadline

· Ability to follow through on assigned tasks with limited supervision

· Attention to detail and ability to edit and proofread

· Excellent time management and organizational skills

· Demonstrated ability to work independently and as a member of a team

· Demonstrated ability to use good judgment in making independent decisions and handling issues with a high degree of tact, poise, and diplomacy

· Must be able to travel 5-10% for conferences/events as directed by the Director of Communications

· Computer proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and database management; experience with SharePoint desired

Communications and Public Relations Specialist

The Communications and Public Relations Specialist is a generalist Marketing Communications role with a focus on external communications and secondary focus on internal activities. Additionally, this position will be responsible for the coordination of public and media relations activities.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

This person must have demonstrated experience in all facets of traditional marketing communications functions including, but not limited to, website content management and generation (internal and external); coordination and implementation of tradeshows, conferences and symposia; marketing collateral development; and project/campaign development and execution. This important and highly visible role requires the selected candidate to be a passionate brand steward for the organization. The successful candidate may serve as the day-to-day point of contact for Institute staff requesting Communications assistance.

Responsibilities under Marketing Communications include but are not limited to: planning, coordinating and developing print and electronic collateral; writing, researching and editing of regularly distributed Institute vehicles, such as Annual Report, External and Internal newsletters; heading marketing and public relations projects and campaigns from start to finish, including adherence to budget and timeline constraints. Specialist will assist in maintaining the Institute’s website, writes and coordinates new content, and makes updates as needed, handles coordination and logistics for tradeshows, conferences and symposia. This individual is responsible to oversee projects and relationships with outside vendors, paying particular attention to budget and timeline adherence; prepare specifications conforming to bid processes, obtain estimates, and assist in vendor selection for projects in various media.

For the public relations function, the specialist is responsible for translating and/or summarizing technical, scientific copy into compelling lay language, mining and/or flagging possible story and media opportunities within the Institute that will serve to promote the Institute’s research, and uptake of research into practice, in a positive way. This position needs to establish solid ongoing relationships with key editors and reporters at targeted print, trade and broadcast media in both vertical (scientific) and horizontal (business press) spaces, with content experts within the Institute, assist in the development and submission of articles primarily in scientific, peer-reviewed journals but also in mainstream lay publications. The Specialist needs to research, create and maintain accurate editorial database and identify opportunities for the Institute through both editorial relationships and calendars. This individual is also expected to build and maintain the image library for the Institute working in conjunction with Graphic Design Specialist.

QUALIFICATIONS, KNOWLEDGE AND SKILL REQUIRED:

· Minimum of Bachelor’s degree with 3-5 years of related experience in a nonprofit, corporate or agency environment

· Demonstrated experience in all aspects of marketing communications with a focus on public relations

· Exceptional written and verbal communication skills (writing samples will be required)

· Examples of successful media placements and/or campaigns required

· Strong ability to develop and maintain effective relationships both inside and outside the Institute is critical

· Excellent internet and email coordination skills are required

· Must be creative and able to develop innovative approaches and ideas for communication initiatives

· Organizational skills with the ability to multitask effectively

· Exceedingly close attention to details in formatting, grammar and syntax

· Proactive problem solver and team player with positive attitude

· Flexible and adaptive; comfortable working in an environment of rapid change

· Strong proficiency in Microsoft Office applications: Word, Excel and PowerPoint

· Must be able to travel approximately 10-20%

· Knowledge of health care industry, media and policy a plus

· Experience in non-profit environment a plus, especially as it relates to advancement and philanthropic endeavors

Research Associate I

The Research Associate I will provide research related support to the design and development of the Military Medical Research (MMR) research programs and protocols. This position provides support to the Senior Program Manager in the planning and execution of MMR's research agenda and related portfolios. This individual must have a thorough understanding of clinical research methodology and regulatory documentation. S/He must be able to collect, review and interpret data, including conducting preliminary data analysis, have the ability to work with researchers from the Samueli Institute and other organizations, coordinate research teams, and write abstracts and manuscripts for publication in peer reviewed journals. S/He prepares summaries of research and programs for inter-disciplinary audiences and the website. Some travel to clinical field sites for the purpose of site visits may be required.

This individual will interface with military, VA, and civilian research partners to facilitate the appropriate application and documentation of research projects and will serve as a representative of the Institute to partners during the operation of research studies. Additionally, this individual communicates with military, VA, Institutional Review Boards at military and VA sites, and civilian research partners to facilitate the appropriate application and documentation of research projects. Other duties include: maintaining hardcopy and electronic files and records associated with MMRs research projects; optimizes and simplifies e-filing storage and management of MMRs studies; assists in the training of Institute research staff and military/VA partners on the use of technical tools and/or procedures required to complete research; develops research SOPs, as needed, to be used on current and/or future clinical research studies; conducts subject recruitment for clinical research studies as needed; and collects data, including baseline follow-up and data analysis.

Qualifications include Master's of Science degree preferred (Bachelor's degree with substantial experience will be considered), preferably in public health, clinical science, or a related field with a minimum of 2 years' research experience; experience in medical and/or military research preferred. Familiarity with the field of complementary and alternative practices and approaches helpful and familiarity with military health care systems and military graduate medical education/research is preferred. Knowledge of good clinical practices, clinical trials monitoring, regulatory compliance and experience with clinical research methodologies is required. The successful candidate must have the ability to work as a team member and to deal comfortably and pleasantly with a variety of scientific and non-scientific internal and external stakeholders. Excellent communication, analytical skills the ability to multi-task is extremely important in this role. Proficiency with all MS Office applications is required.

Technical Coordinator

The Technical Coordinator will work within the Project Management Office (PMO), Information Technology (IT) Department and Communications Department to provide technical support for projects, end users, web sites, databases and systems. The Technical Coordinator will work with these same departments to provide operational and coordination support for meetings, documentation and reports.

The Technical Coordinator will support the PMO by coordinating and participating in regular meetings, producing training manuals, creating status reports and monitoring project progress.  Technical Coordinator will assist the PMO Project Director, PMO PM, SharePoint Analyst, and/or other technical consultants with activities such as, but not limited to, automating the PASS (convert from MS Excel into SharePoint), integrating the publication tracking and tagging process with the Project Management Information System (ProMIS) and the Systematic Review System (SRS), developing, planning and creating a master Presentations library on SharePoint, migrating and creating custom views for SharePoint lists and document libraries.

The Technical Coordinator will perform duties, under the IT department, like providing Help Desk support for on-site and remote SI end users, troubleshooting technical problems with the Institutes external facing SharePoint site, maintaining and reporting on web usage and access statistics.  He/she will also assist other IT staff with internet/intranet server management and administration.

Last but not least, the Technical Coordinator will work with the Communications department in organizing meetings and serving as a liaison to consultants.  He/she will need to develop formal documentation of project requirements, coordinate and help develop plan for SI Information Architecture, assist with developing policies and procedures for reporting process, and Meta Data tagging.  The technical coordinator will help to develop and implement plans for development and approval of the standardized meta-data fields for use Institute-wide in organizing information and tagging projects, portfolios, programs and publications.

Qualified candidate should have a Bachelor’s degree in a health-related field, such as pre-medical, psychology, public health, etc.  He/she should be able to work effectively both independently and in a team environment, has the ability to understand and follow complex, detailed technical instructions and basic scientific research protocol and procedure.  The candidate must have strong organization, prioritization and communications skills.  Technical requirements include basic knowledge of database design and development, MS InfoPath and SharePoint, proficiency with MS Office Suite (Word, Excel, and PowerPoint), email, and general Internet and electronic communications.  He/she should have the capacity and will to learn new software, research methods, and work routines quickly, under the mentorship of other staff.

Executive Assistant

The Executive Assistant for the Executive Office will provide services essential to the mission of Samueli Institute through effective support of the day-to-day operations of the Executive Office. This individual provides administrative support to the CEO and COO, under the day-to-day supervision and direction of the Senior Business Manager of the Executive Office. Many of the Executive Assistant’s duties and responsibilities are confidential in nature, and involve a high degree of initiative and independence and thorough knowledge of the policies and procedures of the Institute’s functions and operations.

The Executive Assistant will manage the highly complex workflow for the Executive Office in supporting the CEO and COO, including: scheduling appointments, conferences and speaking engagements and other commitments; handling changes or cancellations; providing highly complex logistical support including: meeting organization, travel services, and other activities; provides background information, meeting summaries and/or supporting documents in preparation for appointments, meetings, and speaking engagements. Other administrative duties include screening and handling incoming calls to the Executive Office for the CEO and COO, processing incoming e-mail and hard copy correspondence received in the Executive Office, prioritizing and determining disposition; directing mails to appropriate internal staff with appropriate instructions.

The Executive Assistant is responsible for handling business finances for the CEO, including reconciling credit cards and managing expense reports efficiently and in a timely manner, and in accordance with the relevant manuals and policies, expedites personal business for CEO and COO when requested. This individual will serve as a liaison with other departments and outside agencies, including senior level staff, greets and escorts Executive Office visitors and handles their needs for the duration of their stay.

Qualified individual should have a BS/BA in Business or equivalent combination of education and/or experience. Position requires minimum 8-10 years working experience of which 3-5 years supporting President/CEO, COO or other similar senior-level executives. Individual should demonstrate ability to coordinate a high volume of diverse assignments and projects, independently perform assigned complex confidential administrative duties with speed and accuracy; communicate effectively both orally and in writing in an office environment; organize, implement and manage complex administrative activities; learn and understand all aspects of the assigned functional areas and programs. Candidate should be able to handle competing priorities and work in a fast paced environment. She/he should have outstanding interpersonal, verbal and written communication skills with excellent grammar, editing and writing skills required. Individual needs to proficient in use of Microsoft office applications such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook; and able to transcribe and take dictation, fast notes is a plus. Desired individual also must have the ability to maintain confidentiality and use good judgment in making independent decisions and handling issues with a high degree of tact, poise, and diplomacy.

Accounts Payable Assistant

The Accounts Payable Assistant will perform most accounts payable activities. He/She will be responsible for daily procurement processing, including maintenance of required procurement documentation, entering purchase orders and invoices, and tracking necessary documentation for timely payments. The Assistant will research and reconcile vendor statements, phone calls and discrepancies; file paid and unpaid invoices and statements, performs routine clerical duties as assigned including composing, printing, and copying files, preparing letters, labels and envelopes, handling incoming and outgoing mails for the department, answering routine correspondence and preparing correspondence for approval.

The successful candidate should project a positive image of the Institute at all times when dealing with internal and external colleagues. Qualifications for this position include HS diploma or equivalent; 1-3 years related experience in accounts payable and with accounting software packages; procurement experience with contracts is required; DoD specific procurement experience is highly desirable. This person should demonstrate the ability to effectively handle competing priorities; must be able to work in a fast paced environment and juggle multiple competing tasks and demands. Position requires intermediate Excel skills, ability to build and sustain positive working relationships with other staff and handle confidential and sensitive information with poise, tact, and diplomacy.

Grants & Contracts Coordinator

The Grants & Contracts Coordinator will be responsible for coordinating a research proposal funding operation that is directed towards advancing the Institute’s mission by supporting the management of research grants and contracts.  This position will be cross-trained in both pre-award and sub-award management and will report to the Grants & Contracts Manager.

Essential duties include serving as the initial point of contact on all matters pertaining to grants/contracts, performing various supportive/clerical duties related to grants/contracts administration (e.g., filing, data entry/management, drafting/editing documents), establishing relationship with extramural award recipients, monitoring various milestones and deadlines, managing communications with Principal Investigators, developing and documenting necessary policies and procedures, managing various agreements and contracts, assisting the Grants Manager with fulfilling various reporting and compliance requirements, and managing proactive grant seeking and application processes, aligning with various research agendas within the Institute.

Additional duties include, but, not limited to, researching and retrieving the appropriate language from government statues and regulations, performing detailed cost analysis, reviewing and evaluating the cost/pricing and profit in proposals,  assisting with identifying and evaluating potential grant opportunities,  and drafting and editing various written documents for the entire Grants & Contracts Department (e.g., policies, SOPs, web content).

Required Qualifications:

For employment consideration, submit a brief cover letter, including salary requirements and a resume by email to HR@SamueliInstitute.org.  Samueli Institute is an equal opportunity employer.