Director, Teaching & Research Faculty Compensation Strategy

Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine; Richmond (VA); On-site; USD 100,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading academic medical institution in Richmond, Virginia is searching for a Director of Teaching & Research Faculty Compensation Strategy. This crucial position entails overseeing the T&R Compensation Plan to ensure equity and transparency while advising leadership in compensation-related decision-making. The ideal candidate will possess a terminal degree and demonstrate exceptional strategic thinking and communication skills, fostering an inclusive environment with diverse faculty and students.

Qualifications

• Current Teaching & Research faculty appointment within the VCU School of Medicine.
• Demonstrated success leading complex, cross-functional initiatives.
• Ability to translate data and policy into actionable recommendations.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic oversight and leadership for the T&R Compensation Plan.
• Engage with Department Chairs and SOM leadership.
• Lead the development of communication strategies for plan administration.

Skills

Strategic thinking

Analytical skills

Communication skills

Leadership

Education

Terminal degree (PhD, MD/PhD)

Job description

Director Teaching & Research Faculty Compensation Strategy

Unit: School Of Medicine

Department: Dean's Office

Chief Purpose of Position

The Director, Teaching & Research (T&R) Faculty Compensation Strategy serves as the strategic leader of the T&R Compensation Plan for the School of Medicine (SOM). This role is responsible for shaping, stewarding, and continuously evolving the compensation framework to advance the School’s academic mission, reinforce pay equity and transparency and ensure regulatory compliance. As a senior advisor to SOM leadership, the Director drives data-informed decision-making, leads governance and change management processes, and ensures that compensation practices actively enable excellence in teaching, research, and service. The role will be supported by up to 40% effort, with remaining effort determined by the faculty member’s home department.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership, Governance & Plan Stewardship

• Provide strategic oversight and leadership for the T&R Compensation Plan, including design integrity, operational effectiveness, and alignment with SOM mission, and academic priorities
• Lead and coordinate standing and ad hoc governance bodies, including annual review, approval, and refinement cycles.
• Evaluate and recommend enhancements to compensation structures, metrics, and policies to advance equity, transparency, sustainability, and long-term relevance.
• Frame issues, develop options, and use rigorous, data-informed analyses to support leadership decision-making.
• Ensure consistent application of compensation principles across departments, while enabling mission-appropriate differentiation.
• Partner closely with SOM Finance, Faculty Affairs, and departmental leadership to align compensation planning with strategic investments.

Stakeholder Engagement

• Proactively engage Department Chairs, SOM leadership, and faculty to gather insight, test assumptions, and anticipate risks.
• Serve as a trusted advisor to Chairs on compensation strategy, interpretation, and implementation.
• Build alignment, shared accountability, and confidence in plan outcomes—not just plan mechanics—across stakeholders.

Performance Management & Evaluation Framework

• Provide strategic guidance to ensure consistent, equitable, and mission-aligned evaluation of teaching, research, and service contributions.
• Support Chairs in applying performance criteria that are transparent, defensible, and clearly connected to compensation decisions.
• Identify gaps, inconsistencies, or risks in assessment practices and recommend corrective actions or structural improvements.

Communication, Change Management & Risk Oversight

• Lead development of clear communication strategies and educational resources to support accurate, consistent plan administration.
• Anticipate and manage organizational change associated with plan updates or policy enhancements.
• Build and sustain institutional knowledge of compensation principles among faculty and administrators.
• Monitor and proactively address regulatory, audit, reputational, and equity-related risks.
• Advise the Dean on complex or escalated faculty compensation matters, including T&R Additional Pay, and support fair, consistent resolution.

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications

• Current Teaching & Research faculty appointment within the VCU School of Medicine.
• Terminal degree in discipline (PhD, MD/PhD).
• Demonstrated success leading complex, cross-functional initiatives with institutional impact.
• Strong strategic thinking and analytical skills, with the ability to translate data and policy into actionable recommendations.
• Exceptional written, verbal, and presentation skills, with credibility across faculty, academic leaders, and administrators.
• Demonstrated ability to work in and foster an environment of respect, professionalism and civility with a population of faculty, staff, and students from all backgrounds and experiences, or a commitment to do so as a faculty member at VCU.

Rank: Open

Tenure: Open

Months: 12 months