Director, Integrated Research Facility at Fort Detrick, Maryland

Senior Scientific Officer

 Division of Clinical Research (DCR)

National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)

National Institutes of Health (NIH)

 The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), one of the largest Institutes of the NIH, is seeking an exceptional and visionary leader for the position of director, integrated research facility (IRF) within the Division of Clinical Research (DCR). The IRF is located at Fort Detrick, in Frederick, Maryland. NIAID plays a key role in the national strategy to counter emerging and reemerging infectious diseases—whether those diseases emerge naturally and create public health crises or are deliberately introduced as an act of bioterrorism—and conducts and supports basic and clinical research to better understand viruses, bacteria, and other infectious agents that cause diseases of public health concern.

 NIAID has a comprehensive research infrastructure with extensive resources that support all levels of emerging infectious diseases and biodefense research and pursuit of multiple broad-spectrum concepts. A key component of this research infrastructure is the IRF, whose mission is to manage, coordinate, and facilitate the conduct of emerging/reemerging infectious disease and biodefense research with the aim of discovering new knowledge for development of improved medical outcomes for patients. With one of the largest maximum high-containment Biosafety Level 4 (BSL-4) laboratories in the world, the IRF provides researchers access to resources for conducting critical high-biocontainment research on high-consequence pathogens such as Ebola, Marburg, and Lassa viruses. The IRF has seven core laboratory groups that support scientific studies undertaken at the facility: Clinical Pathology; Anatomic Pathology; Virology; Immunology; Aerobiology; Comparative Medicine; and Medical Imaging. The IRF also supports clinical research in West Africa.

 DCR seeks exceptional candidates for the IRF director position.

 The position provides direction, leadership, and vision to the state-of-the-art IRF as an expert in BSL-3/4 high- containment management and operations and in infectious diseases/pathogens and biodefense research of national and international prominence. The incumbent is responsible for developing and articulating BSL-3/4 research strategies, goals, and priorities within a landscape that is constantly changing due to new/reemerging threats and shifting regulatory environments. The IRF director analyzes and interprets current/new legislation for its effect on IRF activities and establishes new or modified operational procedures. The IRF director also exercises scientific expertise and scientific/management judgment in facilitating state-of-the-art research; developing effective measures to support clinical trials and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval; and in leading and coordinating all scientific and management initiatives to direct and manage IRF operations, including identification of resources to meet existing and anticipated infrastructure requirements.