(Hybrid) Founding Director for Practice, Research, and Community Integration - Behavioral Medicine

West Virginia University; Morgantown (WV); Hybrid; USD 150,000 - 210,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

37.5-hour work week

13 paid holidays

24 annual leave days per year

18 sick days per year

Health insurance and benefits

Retirement savings with 6% match

Job summary

West Virginia University invites applications for a Founding Director for Practice, Research, and Community Integration within the PRISM Center of the Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute. This senior role leads clinical, educational, research, wellbeing, and community engagement initiatives across the Center's pillars.

The Director will translate the PRISM Center's vision into sustainable programs, collaborating with clinicians, researchers, faith communities, and community organizations to

Qualifications

• Master's degree in healthcare administration, public health, health services, or related field.
• Eight (8)+ years in healthcare, behavioral health, academic medicine, or related fields.
• Three (3)+ years in leadership, program oversight, budget management, or initiative development.
• Equivalent combinations of education and experience considered.
• All qualifications must be met by employment start.

Responsibilities

• Lead development, implementation, and evaluation of PRISM Center programs.
• Operationalize strategic priorities with the Chair of Behavioral Medicine.
• Set measurable goals, performance metrics, and sustainable processes.
• Develop partnerships with faith, community, and healthcare sectors.
• Oversee education, training, and curricula for clinicians and staff.
• Guide research, evaluation, and dissemination activities.
• Manage budgets, resources, and administrative compliance.
• Foster an interdisciplinary, mission-driven team culture.
• Represent the Center with external partners and stakeholders.

Skills

Leadership

Project management

Strategic planning

Stakeholder engagement

Budget management

Data-informed decision making

Education

Master's degree in healthcare administration or related field

Experience in healthcare/academic medicine leadership

Doctoral degree preferred

Job description

The Behavioral Medicine & Psychiatry Department at WestVirginia University is currently accepting applications for a(Hybrid) Founding Director for Practice, Research, and CommunityIntegration.

About the Opportunity

The Founding Director for Practice, Research, and CommunityIntegration serves as a senior leadership position within theRockefeller Neuroscience Institute (RNI) Center for Practice,Research, and Integration of Spirituality in Medicine (PRISM).Working in close partnership with the Chair of Behavioral Medicine,the Director is responsible for the development, implementation,and operational leadership of the Center's clinical, educational,research, wellbeing, and community engagement initiatives.

The Director will play a central role in translating the PRISMCenter's vision into sustainable programs and measurable outcomesthrough collaboration with healthcare professionals, researchers,patients, faith communities, spiritual care providers, andcommunity organizations. The position will provide leadershipacross the Center's five foundational pillars: integration ofspirituality into patient-centered care; education and training forhealthcare professionals; capacity-building and mental healthtraining for faith and community partners; promotion of wellbeing;and research, evaluation, and evidence development.

The Director will oversee the design, implementation, andevaluation of programs that advance evidence-informed approaches tospirituality and health while fostering mutually beneficialpartnerships between healthcare systems and community-basedorganizations. The Director will work closely with clinical andacademic leaders to develop innovative models of whole-person care,strengthen community engagement, support research initiatives, andpromote continuous quality improvement.

Working collaboratively with the Chair of Behavioral Medicine, theDirector will contribute to strategic planning, fundingdevelopment, and program growth while ensuring excellence inoperations, stakeholder engagement, program evaluation, andresource stewardship. Through interdisciplinary collaboration andinnovative leadership, the Director will help establish the PRISMCenter as a nationally recognized leader in spiritually informed,evidence-based healthcare.

We strongly believe in work-life balance and keeping time forthings we love outside our work. WVU offers generous benefits,including:

• 37.5-hour work week
• 13 paid holidays ( staff holiday calendar )
• 24 annual leave (vacation) days per year ( employee leave )
• 18 sick days per year (for when you're ill, for when you needtime to care for sick family, for your own, or your family's,regularly scheduled medical appointments. Who is family for thepurpose of this leave? A lot of people in your life includingimmediate relatives and in-laws as well as others considered to bemembers of your household living under the same roof)
• WVU offers a range of health insurance and other benefits
• 401(a) retirement savings with 6% employee contribution match,eligibility to continue health insurance, and other retiree perks.Looking for more retirement benefits information ? Check out retirementhealth insurance benefits, retirement income, and FAQ's.
• Wellness programs

What You'll Do

• Program Development and Operational Leadership
  • Lead the development, implementation, and evaluation ofprograms and initiatives that advance the mission and strategicobjectives of the PRISM Center.
  • Operationalize the Center's strategic priorities in partnershipwith the Chair of Behavioral Medicine
  • Establish measurable goals, implementation plans, performancemetrics, and operational processes to ensure program effectivenessand sustainability.
  • Identify opportunities for innovation, growth, and continuousimprovement across Center activities.
• Clinical Practice and Community Integration
  • Collaborate with clinicians and healthcare leaders to developevidence-informed approaches for integrating spirituality intopatient-centered care.
  • Develop referral pathways, workflows, and best-practiceguidelines that connect interested patients with appropriatespiritual care and community resources.
  • Maintain clear standards regarding patient autonomy,confidentiality, cultural responsiveness, and professionalboundaries.
  • Build and sustain a network of faith-based, community, andspiritual care partners to support patient wellbeing andwhole-person care.
  • Develop partner onboarding, training, and engagement processesthat promote quality, accountability, and sharedunderstanding.
• Education and Training
  • Lead educational programming for clinicians, trainees, faculty, staff, faith leaders, and community organizations.
  • Develop curricula, workshops, and training materials related tospiritual care, mental health awareness, community referralpractices, and whole-person wellbeing.
  • Facilitate reciprocal learning opportunities between healthcareprofessionals and faith-based partners.
  • Evaluate educational initiatives and continuously improvetraining programs based on outcomes and participant feedback.
• Research and Program Evaluation
  • Collaborate with investigators, faculty, and external partnersto develop and implement research and evaluation initiatives.
  • Support grant development, proposal preparation, andprogrammatic components of external funding applications.
  • Establish and monitor performance indicators and outcomemeasures across Center programs.
  • Utilize data and evidence to guide programmatic decision-makingand continuous improvement.
  • Contribute to dissemination efforts including publications,presentations, reports, and educational resources.
• Wellbeing Initiatives
  • Develop and oversee programs supporting patient, caregiver, andclinician wellbeing through spiritually informed and whole-personapproaches.
  • Collaborate with institutional leadership and communitypartners to identify opportunities that enhance resilience,meaning, purpose, and social connection.
  • Evaluate the effectiveness and impact of wellbeing initiativesand recommend improvements.
• Financial and Administrative Management
  • Assist in annual budget planning, financial forecasting,resource allocation, and expenditure monitoring.
  • Prepare analyses and reports related to program performance,operational effectiveness, and resource utilization.
  • Support development of budgets for grants, philanthropicinitiatives, and new program opportunities.
  • Collaborate with the Chair of Behavioral Medicine on long-rangeplanning and sustainability efforts.
  • Ensure accurate documentation, reporting, and administrativecompliance across Center activities.
• Personnel and Team Leadership
  • Supervise assigned personnel and support recruitment,onboarding, mentoring, and professional developmentactivities.
  • Establish performance expectations and accountability measuresfor staff and collaborators.
  • Foster a collaborative, interdisciplinary, and mission-drivenculture.
  • Coordinate staff, faculty, trainees, and community partners insupport of program objectives.
• Stakeholder Engagement and Representation
  • Serve as a key liaison between the PRISM Center, clinicaldepartments, faculty, researchers, community organizations, andfaith-based partners.
  • Build productive relationships across diverse stakeholdergroups.
  • Facilitate meetings, collaborative initiatives, and communityengagement activities.
  • Represent the Center in institutional, professional, andcommunity settings as delegated by the Chair of BehavioralMedicine.

Qualifications :

• Master's degree in healthcare administration, public health,business administration, health services administration, publicadministration, social work, counseling, psychology, divinity,theology, education, behavioral sciences, or a related field.
• A minimum of eight (8) years of experience in the following:
  • Progressively responsible experience in healthcare, behavioralhealth, academic medicine, research administration, communityhealth, spirituality and health, education, nonprofit leadership,or related fields.
• A minimum of three (3) years of experience in the following:
  • Leadership experience involving program oversight, personnelsupervision, budget management, or strategic initiativedevelopment.
• Any equivalent combination of related education and/orexperience will be considered.
• All qualifications must be met by the time of employment.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Knowledge of the intersection of spirituality, health,wellbeing, and patient-centered care.
• Understanding of ethical, professional, and culturalconsiderations related to spiritual care and communityengagement.
• Ability to develop, implement, and evaluate complex programsand partnerships.
• Strong organizational leadership, project management, andoperational planning skills.
• Experience building productive relationships across healthcare,academic, community, and faith-based settings.
• Ability to facilitate collaboration among diverse stakeholdersand perspectives.
• Strong written, verbal, and presentation communicationskills.
• Knowledge of research, quality improvement, and programevaluation methodologies.
• Ability to interpret data and use evidence to inform strategicand operational decisions.
• Experience managing budgets, monitoring expenditures, andsupporting financial planning.
• Knowledge of healthcare regulations, privacy requirements, andinstitutional compliance standards.
• Demonstrated initiative, sound judgment, professionalism, andaccountability.
• Commitment to respectful, inclusive, evidence-informedapproaches to spirituality, wellbeing, and whole-person care.

Preferred Qualifications

• Doctoral degree or terminal professional degree (e.g., PhD,PsyD, MD, DO, DMin, DrPH, EdD, JD, or equivalent) in a relevantdiscipline.
• Preferred experience includes:
  • Development of multidisciplinary healthcare or community-basedprograms.
  • Collaboration with faith communities, spiritual care providers, chaplaincy programs, or community organizations.
  • Research coordination, program evaluation, and outcomesassessment.
  • Grant development, philanthropic initiatives, or externallyfunded projects.
  • Whole-person care, wellbeing, behavioral health, or healthcareinnovation initiatives.

West Virginia University is a place of purpose and community. Wetake pride in our profound impact on the state of West Virginia and are committed to the personal and professional growth of ouremployees.

From the groundbreaking R1 research at our flagship campus inMorgantown to the career-oriented programs at WVU Potomac State inKeyser, and the technology-intensive programs at WVU Tech inBeckley, the contributions of WVU employees resonate across thestate, touching lives and shaping futures.

At WVU, you will discover a supportive community that championswork-life balance and fosters a collaborative atmosphere. Our corevalues service, curiosity, respect, accountability andappreciation unite us as Mountaineers.

Join us at West Virginia University, where your work will make alasting impact. To learn more about WVU, visit wvu.edu.

West Virginia University is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Weinvite all qualified applicants regardless of race, color,religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, geneticinformation, or Veteran status.