Division Chief, Surgical Sciences

400 Wake Forest University Health Sciences; Ardmore (NC); On-site; USD 260,000 - 380,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Total rewards program

Educational assistance

Job summary

Wake Forest University Health Sciences seeks an accomplished academic leader to serve as Division Chief of Surgical Sciences in the Department of Surgery. The role involves leading strategic growth, operational excellence, and collaboration across basic, translational, clinical, and health services research.

The Chief will oversee infrastructure, mentor investigators, drive funding, and promote inclusive excellence aligned with the mission to advance discovery, education, and clinical outcomes.

Qualifications

• Demonstrated leadership in academic medicine or surgery research departments.
• Ability to build and maintain multidisciplinary research programs.
• Experience in recruiting, mentoring, and retaining diverse faculty.

Responsibilities

• Define and implement a unifying vision for the Division of Surgical Sciences.
• Oversee research infrastructure, regulatory compliance, and data science capabilities.
• Drive growth of extramural funding and strategic partnerships.
• Recruit, mentor, and retain diverse investigators and staff.
• Foster collaboration and scholarly excellence across subspecialties.

Job description

Department: 37768 Wake Forest University Health Sciences - Surgery: Hypertension Status: Full time Benefits Eligible: Yes Hours Per Week: 40 Schedule Details/Additional Information: N/A Pay Range $0.00 - $0.00

The Department of Surgery at Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist / Wake Forest University School of Medicine seeks an accomplished and visionary academic leader to serve as Division Chief of Surgical Sciences. The Division Chief will lead the strategic growth and operational excellence of the Department’s research enterprise, supporting a broad spectrum of basic, translational, clinical, and health services research. This individual will oversee research activities spanning multiple surgical subspecialties, providing leadership and infrastructure to enable collaboration among MD and PhD investigators. The successful candidate will foster innovation, mentorship, and inclusive excellence—cultivating a diverse, sustainable, and well-funded research environment aligned with Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist’s mission of advancing discovery, education, and clinical excellence to improve health outcomes for all.

Key Responsibilities

• Strategic Leadership & Vision Define and implement a unifying vision for the Division of Surgical Sciences that bridges clinical, translational, and basic science research. Collaborate with departmental, institutional, and system leadership to align research initiatives with clinical excellence, education, and health equity goals. Work with section and institutional leadership to direct strategic planning processes, establish and achieve long-range goals, and ensure that implementation of strategic plans aligns with the institution’s vision, strategic priorities, and goals. Serve as an advocate for research across all surgical subspecialties, enhancing the Department’s scholarly impact and national reputation.
• Research Infrastructure & Operations Oversee and expand research infrastructure, including core facilities, shared laboratory resources, regulatory support, and data science capabilities. Ensure healthy and collaborative administrative relationships within the Estate of Surgery, the Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI), and the Clinical Research Unit (CRU). Work closely with the Director of the Office of Clinical Research and others within CTSI on special projects for the Dean’s Office. Continually assess and improve the efficiency of systems and processes to promote operational excellence, regulatory compliance, and research productivity. Streamline operational workflows to enhance interdisciplinary collaboration and facilitate investigator success. Build systems that enable both MD- and PhD-led projects to thrive within a coordinated research ecosystem.
• Program Development & Funding Growth Drive growth of extramural research funding by supporting faculty in developing competitive grant applications and identifying new funding opportunities. Lead initiatives to diversify the Department’s research portfolio across the full spectrum—from discovery science to outcomes and implementation research. Foster partnerships with federal agencies, foundations, and industry to sustain long-term research investment.
• Faculty & Trainee Development Recruit, mentor, and retain a diverse community of investigators and research staff across surgical specialties. Promote professional development and research career pathways for faculty, residents, fellows, and postdoctoral trainees. Cultivate a culture of collaboration, inclusion, and intellectual curiosity.
• Scholarly Excellence & Collaboration Encourage and support high-impact publications, presentations, and national recognition for investigators within the Division. Facilitate cross-departmental and cross-institutional collaborations that advance multidisciplinary discovery and innovation across the Atrium Health Enterprise.

Our Commitment to You

• Advocate Health offers a comprehensive suite of Total Rewards: benefits and well-being programs, competitive compensation, generous retirement offerings, programs that invest in your career development and so much more – so you can live fully at and away from work, including:
• Compensation Base compensation listed within the listed pay range based on factors such as qualifications, skills, relevant experience, and/or training Premium pay such as shift, on call, and more based on a teammate's job Incentive pay for select positions Opportunity for annual increases based on performance.
• Benefits and more Paid Time Off programs Health and welfare benefits such as medical, dental, vision, life, and Short- and Long-Term Disability Flexible Spending Accounts for eligible health care and dependent care expenses Family benefits such as adoption assistance and paid parental leave Defined contribution retirement plans with employer match and other financial wellness programs Educational Assistance Program.

About Advocate Health

Advocate Health Advocate Health is the third-largest nonprofit, integrated health system in the United States, created from the combination of Advocate Aurora Health and Atrium Health. Providing care under the names Advocate Health Care in Illinois; Atrium Health in the Carolinas, Georgia and Alabama; and Aurora Health Care in Wisconsin, Advocate Health is a national leader in clinical innovation, health outcomes, consumer experience and value-based care. Headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, Advocate Health services nearly 6 million patients and is engaged in hundreds of clinical trials and research studies, with Wake Forest University School of Medicine serving as the academic core of the enterprise. It is nationally recognized for its expertise in cardiology, neurosciences, oncology, pediatrics and rehabilitation, as well as organ transplants, burn treatments and specialized musculoskeletal programs. Advocate Health employs 155,000 teammates across 69 hospitals and over 1,000 care locations, and offers one of the nation’s largest graduate medical education programs with over 2,000 residents and fellows across more than 200 programs. Committed to providing equitable care for all, Advocate Health provides more than $6 billion in annual community benefits. This is Transformation One shared purpose brought us together. Now, as one of the 10 largest not-for-profit, integrated health systems in the United States, our combined strength and stability drives us forward. Starting with You Caring for nearly 3 million people has inspired a transformation. One in which the patient’s experience guides our vision and empowers us to offer new possibilities in our communities.

Reshaping Access

What is access? It’s offering more sites of care than any other health system in the Midwest. But there’s a new frontier. Access is exploring the latest technologies to deliver care to patients exactly where they are and exactly when they need it.

Inspiring Professionals

With our dynamically inclusive workforce and strong connections to the places where we live and work, we’ll touch more lives and contribute to stronger and more vibrant communities.

Transforming Care

We’re redefining the standard for care with world-class doctors and caregivers, innovative solutions, outstanding outcomes, and leading-edge research and clinical trials. Combined, Advocate and Aurora are recognized for clinical excellence in: Cardiovascular Care Neurosciences Gynecology Oncology Pediatrics Primary Care Neurology Geriatrics Trauma Care