Executive Director, Trauma & Acute Care Innovation Center

Job Description

Job Description

Position Overview

Our organization is in search of a distinguished surgeon-scientist to take on the role of the first Executive Director of the Kenneth L. Mattox, MD Center for Trauma and Acute Care Innovation. We encourage applications from professionals in trauma and acute care surgery, orthopaedics, neurosurgery, urology, vascular surgery, and similar fields.

This senior leadership position will spearhead a multidisciplinary center dedicated to enhancing care for patients who are injured, critically ill, or facing acute surgical conditions. This will be achieved through research, innovation, implementation science, data science, and commercialization efforts. The Executive Director will be responsible for formulating the Center's scientific vision, establishing research infrastructure, recruiting and mentoring researchers, increasing external funding, and fostering partnerships across medicine, engineering, industry, and government sectors.

The role includes dedicated time for leadership and research, administrative assistance, and substantial institutional resources.

Key ResponsibilitiesStrategic Leadership

• Formulate and implement the vision and growth strategy for the Center.
• Establish a nationally recognized multidisciplinary research program focused on trauma, acute surgical diseases, and critical illnesses.
• Encourage collaborations with affiliated hospitals, industry partners, foundations, and government entities.
• Attract, retain, and mentor researchers, faculty, and staff.

Research Leadership

• Enhance funding opportunities from NIH, DoD, BARDA, NSF, PCORI, VA, and various foundations.
• Guide faculty in grant writing, study design, scholarship, and career progression.
• Promote translational, clinical, outcomes, implementation, and multicenter research initiatives.

Faculty Development

• Create training and mentorship pathways for surgeon-scientists and multidisciplinary researchers.
• Support residents, fellows, and early-career faculty in their research and innovative endeavors.
• Encourage collaboration across specialties and scholarly activities.

Innovation and Commercialization

• Facilitate the translation of discoveries into clinical applications, digital health solutions, AI technologies, devices, diagnostics, and therapeutics.
• Forge partnerships with industry, engineering programs, venture capitalists, and technology transfer offices.
• Assist in the development of intellectual property, licensing, startup creation, and commercialization efforts.

Research Infrastructure

• Manage shared resources, including:
• Clinical research coordination
• Biostatistics and epidemiology
• Regulatory and IRB support
• Grant development
• Data science and AI resources
• Biospecimen management
• Clinical trials support
• Expertise in implementation science and methodology

Data Science & Informatics

• Develop an integrated research data platform for acute care and injury across affiliated sites.
• Create scalable data pipelines to support clinical trials, quality improvement, predictive analytics, AI, and machine learning.
• Establish frameworks for data governance and collaboration.

Clinical Research Network

• Establish a coordinated research network across surgical ICUs and acute care settings.
• Standardize data collection, research protocols, and quality metrics.
• Encourage multidisciplinary and multicenter research initiatives.

Clinical Practice

• Maintain an active clinical practice relevant to specialty and leadership duties.
• Act as a role model in patient care and interdisciplinary collaboration.
• Utilize clinical challenges to inspire innovation and research.

QualificationsRequired

• MD, DO, or equivalent degree.
• Board certification in a surgical specialty.
• Eligibility for medical licensure in Texas.
• Qualifications for appointment as Associate Professor or Professor.
• A national or international reputation in trauma, acute surgical care, critical illness, or surgical innovation.
• A proven track record of securing extramural funding and academic contributions.
• Demonstrated mentorship experience and success in leading multidisciplinary programs.

Preferred

• Experience in directing a research center, institute, or significant academic program.
• Success in developing interdisciplinary research initiatives.
• Background in technology development, patents, licensing, startups, or commercialization.
• Expertise in clinical informatics, AI, data science, or large clinical databases.
• Experience leading multicenter clinical trials and collaborative research networks.
• Proven ability to build partnerships with industry, government, engineering, and foundations.

Desired Attributes

The ideal candidate will be:

• A visionary leader in trauma and acute care innovation.
• An accomplished surgeon-scientist with strong academic credentials.
• A collaborative builder across various specialties and institutions.
• A dedicated mentor and developer of faculty.
• An innovative and entrepreneurial thinker.
• An effective communicator capable of engaging with academic, clinical, industry, and philanthropic stakeholders.

Success Metrics (First Five Years)

• Increase in competitive extramural funding and funded research initiatives.
• Growth in the number of independently funded researchers.
• Successful recruitment and development of impactful researchers.
• Creation of an integrated acute care and injury research data platform.
• Expansion of multicenter clinical trials and collaborative research projects.
• Demonstrable implementation of clinical innovations that enhance patient outcomes.
• Growth in intellectual property, commercialization efforts, and industry partnerships.
• National and international recognition of the Center as a premier hub for trauma, acute care, and critical care innovation.