Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science (CDU) seeks a visionary leader with a deep background in research administration to serve as its next Vice Provost for Research (VPR). Welcomed by a campus passionately dedicated to its mission of serving the South Los Angeles area and other underserved and under-resourced populations, the next VPR will join a rich legacy of commitment and advocacy for social justice and health equity in medicine and science.
CDU is a leader in health disparities research with a focus on education, training, treatment, diagnosis, and care in cancer; diabetes and other cardiometabolic diseases; HIV/AIDS; and COVID. The overarching goal of CDU’s research and health affairs efforts is to create programs aimed at understanding behavioral, ethnic, cultural, and scientific reasons that contribute to health disparities, how they impact underrepresented and medically underserved populations, and how to reduce health disparities. The university has trained and will continue to train highly competitive and award-winning students and trainees, including undergraduate, graduate, and medical students, as well as postdoctoral fellows and early-career faculty, in performing multi-faceted translational research on health disparities.
Reporting to the provost and executive vice president for academic affairs, the VPR serves as a key member of the university’s executive leadership team with oversight of all research operations, committees, centers, and pillars. As the chief research officer, the VPR provides a broad vision and executive leadership to further grow the university’s research enterprise and research contributions. To achieve this, the next VPR will strengthen the research infrastructure; advance research funding activities and initiatives; support the growth of Ph.D. programs; mentor and develop faculty; provide leadership to the CDU research team; and serve as an advocate and spokesperson for the research and mission of CDU.
The successful candidate will be an accomplished academic and experienced administrator with an impeccable track record of successful, transparent, and collaborative leadership within a complex research organization, and will have deep experience in the operation and support of research-based undergraduate and graduate education. The next VPR will have the interpersonal, managerial, administrative, and communication skills necessary to operate and grow an effective research enterprise. The VPR will have a deep understanding and commitment to research integrity and compliance. The ideal candidate will demonstrate success as a distinguished scholar with a record of considerable competitive extramural funding; have experience developing both internal and external partnerships; will be qualified to hold an appointment at the rank of full professor; and will demonstrate progressive and substantive responsibility in research administration.
All applications, nominations and inquiries are invited. Applications should include, as separate documents, a CV or resume and a letter of interest addressing the themes in the leadership profile. WittKieffer is assisting Charles R. Drew University in this search. For fullest consideration, candidate materials should be received by February 5, 2024.
Application materials, nominations and inquiries can be directed to: Jen Meyers Pickard, Ph.D., Kim Migoya, and Zachary A. Smith, Ph.D. at CDUVPR@wittkieffer.com.
The target compensation range for this position is between $350,000 and $400,000 annually.
Charles R. Drew University is committed to Equal Employment Opportunity.
Applicants will be considered without regard to gender, race, age, color, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, genetic information, marital status, disability or covered veteran status.
