Executive Officer, National Academy of Medicine

Executive Officer Position at the National Academy of Medicine

Health, health care, and biomedical science are in a period of striking transformational challenges and opportunities which convey remarkable independent sector leadership responsibilities for advancing the benefits and safeguarding against the possible harms. Drawing on its respected expertise and trusted independence, this is the reason that the National Academy of Medicine exists. Rapid advances in artificial intelligence, digital infrastructure, genomics, biotechnology, and data-driven discovery are reshaping the possibilities for prevention, care, research, and public health at the same time that rising costs, fragmentation, inequities, declining trust, workforce strain, and chronic disease threaten the effectiveness and sustainability of health systems everywhere. In this environment, the National Academy of Medicine serves a singular role: as the nation's trusted, independent convener and catalyst for progress across science, medicine, healthcare, and public health. Through its membership, leadership initiatives, studies, action collaboratives, and partnerships, the NAM helps connect discovery to implementation, evidence to policy, and innovation to meaningful improvements in people's lives.

The Executive Officer (EO) serves as the NAM's chief operating officer and principal strategic partner to the President in advancing this mission. Working closely with the President as a unified leadership team, the EO provides executive leadership for the Academy's operational, programmatic, financial, governance, communications, and administrative functions while helping position the NAM to anticipate and respond to emerging national and global challenges. The NAM has an operating budget of approximately $25 million and a staff of approximately 55. The EO also plays a central role in strengthening the NAM's effectiveness as a change agent across health, health care, and biomedical science by fostering alignment across programs, partnerships, communications, membership activities, and external engagement. In addition, the EO works collaboratively across the National Academies enterprise to advance strategic initiatives and expand collective impact. The EO fosters a culture of excellence, innovation, collaboration, and service, ensuring that staff are empowered to succeed and that NAM members and volunteers—among the world's leading voices in health and medicine—find engagement with the Academy worthy of their expertise and trust.

Core Responsibilities

• Serve as chief operating officer of the NAM and principal strategic partner to the President in advancing the Academy's mission and priorities.
• Help shape and execute strategic initiatives that strengthen the NAM's role as a trusted catalyst for progress across health, healthcare, biomedical science, and public health.
• Ensure alignment and coordination across NAM programs, communications, finance, governance, development, membership, and operations.
• Foster a culture of collaboration, innovation, accountability, openness, and mission-driven excellence.
• Lead organizational change initiatives and operational improvements in support of evolving strategic priorities.
• Ensure effective stewardship of sensitive, privileged, and confidential information.

Programmatic Leadership and Institutional Impact

• Provide strategic oversight of the NAM's portfolio of initiatives, action collaboratives, fellowships, leadership activities, convenings, and other programs.
• Work with NAM leadership to assess program relevance, impact, scalability, and opportunities for innovation.
• Help identify emerging issues, opportunities, and partnerships that position the NAM at the forefront of major developments in health, healthcare, biomedical science, technology, and society.
• Support the translation of scientific insight and policy analysis into practical influence, action, and systems improvement.

Cross-Academies and NRC Collaboration

• Strengthen collaboration and strategic alignment across the NAS, NAE, NAM, and NRC.
• Work with colleagues throughout the National Academies to foster interdisciplinary approaches to complex scientific, engineering, health, and societal challenges.
• Help advance joint initiatives, convenings, studies, and partnerships that expand the impact and visibility of the National Academies and NAM's lead role for health, medicine and biomedical science.
• Represent the NAM in National Academies leadership activities and management forums.

Financial Stewardship and Resource Development

• Work with the President and finance leadership to develop and oversee budgets, financial plans, forecasting, and risk management.
• Ensure responsible stewardship of donor-supported and externally funded initiatives.
• Partner with development leadership to cultivate philanthropic support, strengthen sponsor relationships, and align resource development with strategic priorities.

Governance, Membership, and External Engagement

• Support effective engagement of the NAM Council, membership, and governance committees.
• Foster strong relationships with NAM members, volunteers, donors, government leaders, academic institutions, foundations, industry, and nonprofit organizations.
• Serve as a key institutional representative, engaging senior leaders across sectors to advance the NAM priorities and partnerships.
• Support the President in shaping external strategy and positioning NAM as a leader on emerging national and global health issues spokesperson as appropriate.
• Support communications strategies that strengthen public understanding of the NAM's mission, activities, and impact.

Qualifications

• 20+ years of progressive executive leadership experience in an operations, COO in health, healthcare, biomedical science, public health, academia, industry, government, philanthropy, or senior cross-functional management role (e.g., university provost or dean; corporate vice president or general manager; national laboratory director or equivalent) related sectors.
• A Ph.D. in health, healthcare or biomedical science or a related field or equivalent knowledge
• Demonstrated success leading complex, mission-driven organizations with responsibility for significant programmatic and financial oversight, and operational responsibilities.
• Strong understanding of the evolving landscape of health, healthcare, biomedical science or a related field or equivalent knowledge, technology, and policy.
• Demonstrated ability to collaborate effectively and build partnerships across disciplines, sectors, and institutions, exercise independent judgment, manage confidential and sensitive matters, and address problems of substantial scope and complexity.
• Strong proven capacity to lead organizational change while sustaining operational excellence and strong institutional culture.
• Outstanding communication skills and demonstrated ability to lead and build effective teams, develop staff engage credibly with senior leaders across government, academia, industry, philanthropy, and operate successfully in complex, mission-driven environments. civil society.
• Deep understanding of appreciation for the mission, values, governance, and culture of the National Academies.
• Experience with philanthropic fundraising and external engagement across government and industry sectors is a plus. Experience with endowments is a plus.

About the National Academy of Sciences

The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) is a private, non-profit association composed of the nation's most distinguished scholars. Established by an Act of Congress and signed into law by President Abraham Lincoln in 1863, NAS is charged with providing independent, objective advice to the nation on matters related to science, engineering and medicine. The NAS charter commits the Academy to providing scientific advice to the government "whenever called upon" by any government department.

Today, the responsibilities assigned to NAS in 1863 are fulfilled by the National Academy of Sciences (NAS), the National Academy of Engineering (NAE), the National Academy of Medicine (NAM, formerly the Institute of Medicine) and the National Research Council (NRC). Collectively, they comprise an institution that is often referred to as the National Academies.

Each year, more than 7,000 experts—including members of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the National Academy of Medicine, volunteer their time to serve on hundreds of NRC study committees that examine some of society's most pressing issues.

In keeping with its objectivity and independence from outside interests, the institution receives no Congressional appropriation. Rather, government agencies contract with the academies to undertake studies, and the contracts reimburse the academies for the costs of conducting their advisory work, the Academies derive no net income from providing advice to the nation.

About the National Academy of Medicine

The National Academy of Medicine (NAM), formerly the Institute of Medicine, was founded in 1970 to serve as the nation's most trusted independent source of expertise on health, healthcare, and biomedical science. Over the years, the NAM has worked to advance science, inform policy, and catalyze action for optimal health for all which is needed more than ever. Comprised of national and international members elected in recognition of their scientific and leadership contributions, the NAM draws on its members and other field leaders with relevant expertise to provide expert counsel to government, other organizations, and the nation broadly. NAM also works collaboratively with stakeholders to catalyze progress on critical health issues.

Work Environment, Compensation, and Benefits

Work Environment: Hybrid office/telecommute environment; expected onsite percentage 60%. Frequent travel between National Academies' facilities and to off-site meeting/sponsor locations.

Comp