Medical Director, Emory Autism Center

Emory Physician Group Practices; Atlanta (GA); On-site; USD 250,000 - 350,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Academic environment

Institutional support

Access to Emory research ecosystem

Job summary

Emory Autism Center invites a visionary physician leader to serve as Medical Director, shaping clinical strategy and expanding integrated mental health services for autistic individuals across the lifespan. This senior role at the Associate Professor or Professor level offers autonomy, philanthropic support, and a platform to build a nationally recognized multidisciplinary care model.

You will recruit and mentor a high-caliber clinical team, establish innovative service lines, contribute to

Qualifications

• MD or DO with board certification in psychiatry; child/adolescent psychiatry certification preferred.
• Minimum of 7 years of post-training clinical experience with autism and co-occurring conditions.
• Track record in clinical leadership, program development or administrative responsibility.
• Eligible for Associate Professor or Professor at Emory University School of Medicine.
• Active Georgia medical license or eligibility for licensure.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic clinical leadership for psychiatric and medical services across the center.
• Establish and implement innovative mental health protocols.
• Recruit, mentor, and retain top clinical talent in partnership with leadership.
• Contribute to medical education and interdisciplinary training programs.
• Contribute to research via outcomes measurement and scholarly activity.
• Represent EAC locally and nationally, advancing visibility and reputation.
• Collaborate on strategic planning, program development, and sustainability.

Skills

Leadership

Program development

Academic medicine

Education

MD or DO with psychiatry board

GA medical license or eligible

Job description

Emory Autism Center (EAC) is seeking a visionary physician leader to serve as Medical Director and drive the next phase of growth for one of the Southeast's premier autism service and research centers. This is a senior leadership role for a physician at the Associate Professor or Professor level who will shape clinical strategy, expand integrated mental health services for autistic individuals across the lifespan, and build a nationally recognized multidisciplinary care model with particular emphasis on the critically underserved young adult population (ages 18-30).

The Medical Director will join EAC at an inflection point. Supported by dedicated philanthropic startup funding, this leader will have the resources and institutional backing to recruit and develop a high-caliber clinical team, establish innovative service lines, and position EAC among the top programs in the country for integrated autism care.

About Emory Autism Center

EAC is a freestanding outpatient clinic and research center within the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Emory University School of Medicine. Our interdisciplinary team includes psychiatrists, psychologists, advanced practice nurses, board-certified behavior analysts, social workers, and educational specialists. We operate multiple programs spanning diagnostic evaluation, medication management, early childhood inclusive education, adult services, and behavioral skill-building - all grounded in a neurodiversity-affirming framework.

The center serves as a regional hub for autism care, training, and research, with active partnerships across Emory Healthcare and community organizations throughout Georgia.

• Provide strategic clinical leadership for psychiatric and medical services across the center's programs, with a focus on expanding access to integrated care for autistic adults and young adults

• Establish and implement innovative mental health protocols

• Recruit, mentor, and retain top clinical talent, particularly psychiatrists and advanced practice providers, in partnership with the center's multidisciplinary leadership team

• Contribute to the center's growing training mission - which spans psychiatry residents, child and adolescent psychiatry fellows, psychology interns and postdoctoral fellows, and behavior analysts - by providing medical education leadership and mentorship within a broader interdisciplinary training framework

• Contribute to the center's research mission through clinical investigation, outcomes measurement, and scholarly activity

• Represent EAC locally and nationally, advancing its visibility and reputation among peer institutions, funders, and professional communities

• Collaborate with center leadership on strategic planning, program development, and sustainability efforts

Qualifications

Required:

• MD or DO with board certification in psychiatry; additional board certification in child and adolescent psychiatry strongly preferred

• Minimum of 7 years of post-training clinical experience with demonstrated expertise in autism and co-occurring mental health conditions

• Track record of clinical leadership, program development, or administrative responsibility in an academic or large clinical setting

• Eligible for appointment at the Associate Professor or Professor level at Emory University School of Medicine

• Active Georgia medical license or eligibility for licensure

Preferred:

• Experience developing or directing multidisciplinary clinical programs serving autistic individuals

• Established research portfolio in autism, neurodevelopmental conditions, or related mental health areas

• Experience with training program development, graduate medical education, or accreditation processes (e.g., APA, ACGME)

• Familiarity with integrated care models that bridge psychiatric, behavioral, and psychosocial services

Consideration will also be given to candidates with primary training in developmental pediatrics or a related specialty who bring substantial expertise in young adult mental health and clinical leadership.

What We Offer

• A senior leadership role with meaningful autonomy and institutional support to build something distinctive

• Dedicated philanthropic startup funding to support recruitment, program development, and the transition to a sustainable operating model

• Competitive salary and benefits commensurate with rank and experience through Emory University

• An established, collaborative interdisciplinary team and operational infrastructure

• Access to Emory's research ecosystem, including collaborative opportunities across the School of Medicine, Rollins School of Public Health, and affiliated health system

• A neurodiversity-affirming clinical culture that centers the experiences and self-determination of autistic individuals