Division Chief, Surgical Sciences

aah; Winston-Salem (NC); On-site; USD 250,000 - 350,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid Time Off

Health and welfare benefits

Retirement plans with employer match

Educational Assistance Program

Job summary

Advocate Health in the United States seeks a Division Chief of Surgical Sciences to lead strategic growth and operations for its research enterprise across basic, translational, clinical, and health services research. This executive will oversee MD- and PhD-led projects, foster collaboration, and align initiatives with the institution’s mission to advance discovery, education, and clinical excellence.

The successful candidate will oversee infrastructure, mentorship, and funding growth, while

Responsibilities

• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.

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

TheDepartment of SurgeryatAtrium Health Wake Forest Baptist / Wake Forest University School of Medicine seeks an accomplished and visionary academic leader to serve asDivision 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 ofbasic, translational, clinical, and health services research. This individual will oversee research activities spanningmultiple surgical subspecialties, providing leadership and infrastructure to enable collaboration amongMD and PhD investigators.

The successful candidate will foster innovation, mentorship, and inclusive excellence—cultivating a diverse, sustainable, and well-funded research environment aligned withAtrium Health Wake Forest Baptist’smission 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 CommitmenttoYou:

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 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.