Director of Human Research Protections Program, Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene

The New York State Psychiatric Institute (NYSPI) seeks an experienced and highly motivated leader to serve as the next Director of its Human Research Protections Program (HRPP). This is an incredible opportunity to manage, oversee, and ensure the highest standards of compliance within a leading research institute contributing to the clinical care and understanding of patients with mental illness. Reporting to the Director of Research at NYSPI and Chief Medical Officer of the Office of Mental Health (OMH), the HRPP Director will lead all administrative and compliance activities for NYSPI’s HRPP and will be responsible for fulfilling NYSPI’s obligations to promote ethical conduct of research and protect the rights of human research subjects. The ideal individual will have experience operating human research protection activities in a similar environment to NYSPI, a deep understanding of current and emerging regulatory requirements, and a proven ability to build and maintain collegial relationships with a diverse group of stakeholders. 

Since its inception, NYSPI has been at the forefront of psychiatry. Among its accomplishments are: the discovery of the spirochetal origin of general paresis; the earliest use of lithium in the United States; the first data describing a genetic predisposition to schizophrenia; leadership in the discovery of the genes causing Huntington's and Wilson's disease; and the development of the DSM-III, DSM III-R, DSM-IV, and DSM-5-TR. This is an incredible opportunity to help create strong regulatory systems to support and contribute to the vital work and research at one of the oldest and largest institutes of its kind in the country. 

The Director will be a well-respected leader in research administration and a strategic thinker who displays a passion for supporting research. The Director will work closely with other leaders within NYSPI, the Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene (RFMH), Columbia University (CU), the academic partner of NYSPI, and the Office of Mental Health to oversee all aspects of human research and inspire a culture of high attention to and prioritization of compliance. This individual will be an experienced manager, ready to inspire change within the organization, and build and shape a robust human research protections program within NYSPI. The mission of the NYSPI Human Research Protections Program is to promote the welfare and rights of human research participants; to facilitate excellence in the conduct of all human research activities regardless of regulatory risk; to provide timely and high-quality IRB review in partnership with the IRB Director; to oversee monitoring of ongoing studies; and to manage ongoing education and training of investigators and HRPP staff. In fulfilling this mission, the Director will lead the charge in meeting all regulatory and ethical obligations pertaining to human research participants, and routinely collaborate across other institutional offices on this important work.

Confidential inquiries, nominations/referrals, and/or resumes with cover letters may be submitted electronically below. 

Becca Kennedy is leading this search with Lauren Wilkes and Cortnee Bollard. 

Applicants with lived mental health experience are encouraged to apply. RFMH is deeply committed to supporting underserved individuals, organizations, and communities. To this end, RFMH is focused on implementing activities and initiatives to reduce disparities in access, quality, and treatment outcomes for underserved populations. A critical component of these efforts is ensuring that RFMH is a diverse and inclusive workplace where all employees' unique attributes and skills are valued and utilized to support the mission of the Agency. RFMH is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer.