Working Title: Associate Director, Research and Public Health

State Role Title: N/A

Position Type: Administrative & Professional (Non-teaching Faculty)

Position Status: Full-Time

FLSA Status: Exempt: Not Eligible for Overtime

College/Division: College of Health and Behavioral Studies

Department: 100498 - Institute for Innovat in HHS

Pay Band: N/A

Pay Rate: Commensurate with Experience

Specify Range or Amount:  

Is this a JMU only position? No

Is this a grant-funded position? Yes. This is a grant-funded position and is contingent upon continued funding.

Is this a Conflict of Interest designated position? No

Beginning Review Date: 10/26/2026

About JMU:

Mission
We are a community committed to preparing students to be educated and enlightened citizens who lead productive and meaningful lives.

Vision
To be the national model for the engaged university: engaged with ideas and the world.

Who We Are
Situated in the heart of Virginia’s beautiful Shenandoah Valley, the city of Harrisonburg is a vibrant community with a population of approximately 52,000. Harrisonburg is conveniently located approximately 120 miles from Washington, D.C. and Richmond, VA.

JMU is a selective, public institution with a growing national reputation for offering experiences that lead to an outstanding education and supportive environment for students, faculty and staff. The student body includes approximately 21,000 undergraduate and 1,800 graduate students, with over 1,000 full-time instructional faculty.

JMU offers thriving programs in the liberal arts, science and technology, and professional disciplines at the undergraduate, master’s and doctoral levels. JMU has achieved national recognition for the high quality of its academic programs, focus on maintaining strong student/faculty interaction, and innovative faculty research.

General Information:

The Institute for Innovation in Health and Human Services (IIHHS) is accepting applications for a full-time Associate Director of Research and Public Health.

The Associate Director serves on the IIHHS Leadership Team, and takes a lead role in IIHHS strategic initiatives related to research and evaluation. This position also supervises and contributes to public health evaluation efforts done in partnership with the State, and is responsible for collaborating on grants to continue the public health research activities conducted out of IIHHS. This position also assists in grant applications to continue and grow our work across the Institute, and particularly in the areas of Research and Public Health. This role includes mentoring faculty and students as collaborators on research projects, and supports in-house evaluation efforts to build program capacity for evaluation. The Associate Director is a thought partner for and leads efforts to document social impact of IIHHS. The Associate Director supports the annual reporting efforts of IIHHS, including helping to strengthen and disseminate the annual report survey, preparing the data for the Director to include in the written annual report, and supporting data visualization efforts.

IIHHS is seeking a creative, self-starting team member, who is effective working alone and as part of a team. The Associate Director supervises and works collaboratively with the PT Operations Coordinator, and also works collaboratively with colleagues across the Institute. The Associate Director ensures that all fiscal and personnel functions of the department operate at optimum efficiency, that grant funding supports program operations, and that deliverables stay on schedule and within budget. The Associate Director reports to the Director of IIHHS and provides fiscal and administrative support for areas and positions within the department.

This is not a remote/telework position.

Duties and Responsibilities:

Daily, weekly, and/or monthly duties include:

* Contribute leadership to IIHHS through active participation on the IIHHS Leadership Team, select IIHHS sub-committees, and the IIHHS Innovation Collaborative.
* Serve as Director of existing Statewide public health evaluation projects (Cardiovascular and Kidney disease), supervising research teams, conducting research, and ensuring that all aspects of contracts are faithfully executed and managed according to the grant and JMU policies and procedures.
* Provide leadership for IIHHS Initiatives that advance strategic goals related to research and evaluation, e.g., IIHHS Evaluation Initiative, annual reporting data collection, analysis, and reporting process, mentoring student research, supporting faculty collaborators in research, and other tasks that arise relating to this area of work.
* Prepare grant proposals and build relationships to sustain IIHHS programs through renewal of contracts and/or solicitation of additional external funds.
* Bring visibility to the Institute’s impact, to advance the IIHHS vision. Examples include articles, conference presentations, posters, contributions to special university events.
* Manage all fiscal, personnel, and administrative duties for the department. Monitor budgets for active grant projects.
* Oversee the implementation, data analysis, and dissemination of data related to the bi-annual Youth Data Survey.
* Serve as PI on most of the grants associated with Research and Public Health.
* Supervise and mentor any staff or students working in the department.
* Contribute toward a culture of belonging for all members of the workplace community.

Qualifications:

Successful candidates will have:
* Master’s degree in Health Sciences, Public Health, Psychometrics, Nursing, or a related field.
* Experience leading collaborative research projects.
* Strong capacity for research, including data analysis and reporting.
* Strong attention to detail.
* Experienced and organized in project management.
* Demonstrated ability to form positive and productive collaborations.
* Ability to lead and administer grant-funded projects.
* Grant writing experience.
* Experience building and maintaining professional relationships with grant partners and funding agencies.
* A commitment to sustaining and growing research and public health initiatives.
* Ability to mentor faculty and students in the research process, including supporting research, preparing manuscripts, and professional presentations.
* Ability to develop and manage budgets.
* Excellent oral and written communication skills and excellent interpersonal skills.
* A demonstrated ability to work independently and as part of a team, with excellent organizational and time management skills.
* A commitment to cultivating welcoming, supportive workplace environments.
* Competency in Microsoft Excel, Word, Teams, Outlook, survey development tools, and data analysis software.

Preferred qualifications:
* Doctoral degree in Health Sciences, Public Health, Nursing, Social Work, or a related field is strongly preferred.

Additional Posting Information:

Founded in 2003, the Institute for Innovation in Health and Human Services (IIHHS) is a community-engaged center of learning, scholarship, and mutual support between James Madison University and the community of Harrisonburg, surrounding counties, and the Commonwealth of Virginia. IIHHS has 16 community-engaged programs and 9 clinics and is housed within JMU’s College of Health and Behavioral Studies (CHBS).

CHBS is committed to shaping a forward-thinking and dynamic environment by refining policies, practices, and processes that strengthen our community, drive real-world advancement, and maintain spaces conducive to individual and collective growth. Through education, scholarship, and service, individuals are inspired to make responsible and meaningful contributions to the college, campus, local community, and broader world. Join us in fostering collaboration and innovation as we grow a dynamic college that embodies an atmosphere of belonging, champions excellence, and shares a sense of purpose.

IIHHS is an interdisciplinary, community engaged hub that strives to cultivate a shared sense of purpose in building healthier and safer communities where all individuals can thrive and flourish. IIHHS is housed within CHBS. You can learn more about IIHHS at: https://www.jmu.edu/iihhs/.

Conditions of Employment:  

Employment is contingent upon the successful completion of a criminal background check.

E-Verify Notice: After accepting employment, new hires are required to complete an I-9 form and present documentation of their identity and eligibility to work in the United States. James Madison University uses the E-Verify system to confirm identity and work authorization.

EEO Statement:

James Madison University is committed to creating and supporting a diverse and inclusive work and educational community that is free of all forms of discrimination. This institution does not tolerate discrimination or harassment on the basis of age, color, disability, gender identity or expression, genetic information, national origin, parental status, political affiliation, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation or veteran status.

We promote access, inclusion and diversity for all students, faculty, staff, constituents and programs, believing that these qualities are foundational components of an outstanding education in keeping with our mission. The university is interested in candidates whose experience and qualifications support an ongoing commitment to this core quality.

Anyone having questions concerning discrimination should contact the Office for Equal Opportunity: (540) 568-6991.

Reasonable Accommodation:

If you are an individual with a disability and need assistance searching or applying for jobs please contact us at (540) 568-3597 or jobs@jmu.edu. You may also visit the JMU Human Resource Office, located at 752 Ott Street, Harrisonburg, VA 22807 and we will be happy to assist you.