The Stanford University School of Medicine (Department of Medicine) is launching the Stanford University Metabolic Center, a premier initiative uniting department across the School of Medicine and Stanford Health Care around one of the most consequential health challenges of our time: the epidemic of metabolic disease. We are seeking the Center's inaugural Executive Director to help build and lead this center from the ground up.
This is a ground-floor opportunity. As the first Executive Director, you won't inherit a center; you will help create one: by building its research infrastructure, forging the clinical-academic partnerships that will define how it operates for years to come, and establishing the philanthropic and industry relationships that will fuel its growth. Few roles in academic medicine offer this level of scope, visibility, and latitude to shape an institution's future.
The Center’s vision is to close the gap between discovery and care, connecting four research cores (Basic Science, Translational & Data Science, Precision Population Health, and Clinical Trials) directly to a Hub & Spoke clinical model across Stanford Health Care, so that advances in metabolic science move seamlessly from bench to bedside. Guided by Executive Sponsors, Dr. Euan Ashley and Dr. Fatima Rodriguez, and led by Faculty Director, Dr. Paul Kwo, and Associate Faculty Director, Dr. Sun Kim, the Center is built on the premise that the next era of metabolic medicine will be won by institutions that can integrate research, clinical care, education, and philanthropy into a single, coordinated engine and the Executive Director is who makes that integration real.
Reporting to this leadership team, the Executive Director will lead, manage, and administer the Center’s strategic, academic, research, and educational operations with minimal supervision. You will drive the Center's university-side vision, build robust philanthropic and industry pipelines, oversee its research cores, and direct multidisciplinary educational programs, while partnering closely with Stanford Health Care’s Clinical Operations Directors to keep research and clinical care in lockstep.
This is a hybrid role and will require an on-site presence 3 days per week from our Redwood City Offices or the School of Medicine Campus in Palo Alto, with the option to work the remaining 2 days from a non-Stanford site, such as home.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Integrate research and clinical care. Lead the operational integration of the Center's four Research Cores with Stanford Health Care's clinical pathways, ensuring patient intake flows seamlessly into recruitment registries and biobanking, and aligning the Hub & Spoke clinic model with active research protocols and data pipelines.
- Drive School of Medicine alignment. Build strategic alignment and collaboration across research programs, departments, and divisions throughout the School of Medicine, coordinating their work within the Center's four core areas.
- Build the Center’s infrastructure. Partner with the Research Manager to plan equipment and lab infrastructure from freezers to secure biospecimen storage that will support the Center's research for years to come.
- Shape the Center’s direction. Evaluate programs, policies, and operational trends from biobank throughput to philanthropic and NIH/NIDDK funding cycles and advise Center leadership on strategy, resourcing, and growth.
- Represent the Center. Serve as the School of Medicine's primary administrative representative for the Center, liaising across Medicine, Pediatrics, Genetics, Biomedical Data Science, and Engineering, and present regularly to the Center's Executive Sponsors and Board.
- Launch new ventures. Stand up the Industry Affiliates Program, establishing corporate sponsorships and biotechnology partnerships that will help fund the Center's research mission.
- Own the budget and philanthropy pipeline. Design and manage the Center’s operational budget, including endowment funding, multi-year philanthropy, and industry revenue, in partnership with the Medical School's Development team.
- Build the team. Supervise research and administrative staff and support the Center’s physician education and CME programs for the next generation of metabolic disease clinicians.
If you’re energized by the idea of building something new or being the operational architect behind a center that will shape how Stanford and the field approach metabolic disease, we encourage you to apply.
Core Duties:
- Lead strategic planning and analysis for complex functions or programs with significant business, regulatory and/or technical challenges requiring subject matter expertise. May provide development of program or function from initial concept to implementation.
- Manage the administration and evaluation of programs or functions. Oversee the interpretation, implementation and compliance with policies and regulations. Recommend actions and/or resolve complex issues that often span organizational boundaries.
- Represent the program or function at the university level and/or to external/internal stakeholders and constituencies.
- Develop and manage outreach strategy that includes relationship development, communications, and compliance.
- Oversee or supervise staff in the development and implementation of programs or functions.
- May develop and/or oversee budgets; manage finances including monitoring, analyzing, forecasting, and reporting.
Minimum Education and Experience
Bachelor’s degree and eight years of relevant experience, or combination of education and relevant experience.
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:
- Demonstrated leadership skills and ability to influence and motivate constituencies which could span multiple organizational boundaries.
- Demonstrated excellent planning, organizational and analytical skills.
- Demonstrated ability to make sound business decisions using good business judgment and innovative and creative problem-solving.
- Demonstrated ability to manage financial, organizational and staff resources.
- Excellent interpersonal and communications skills with the ability to cultivate professional and business partnerships.
- Relevant subject matter expertise.