Systems Design Postdoctoral Fellowship

Barmont; Baltimore (MD); On-site; USD 80,000 - 92,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading academic institution is seeking a Postdoctoral Fellow focused on systems design for health systems transformation. In this role, you will contribute to groundbreaking initiatives by analyzing policies, facilitating stakeholder engagement, and developing frameworks to impact health systems nationally. The position includes collaborative opportunities with multiple stakeholders and provides strong professional development in research methodologies.

Benefits

Health insurance

Professional development funding

Research support

Qualifications

• Demonstrated experience with systems thinking and design methodologies.
• Strong research and analytical skills.
• Excellent written, verbal, and graphic communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Conduct systems design research including policy mapping and stakeholder analysis.
• Design and facilitate co-design workshops and policy simulations.
• Lead and contribute to publications in interdisciplinary journals.

Skills

Systems thinking

Design methodologies

Qualitative research

Mixed-methods research

Stakeholder engagement

Communication skills

Education

PhD in Design, Systems Science, Public Policy, or related field

Job description

Salary: $80,000/ negotiable

Status: Full Time

The Design Nucleus at Johns Hopkins School of Nursing announces an opening for a Postdoctoral Fellow with a focus on systems design for health systems transformation.

The Design Nucleus is leading groundbreaking initiatives that intersect design knowledge with other domains to promote transformative action. It creates and deploys advanced design models, frameworks, and methods to confront complexity underlying persistent societal challenges affecting the well-being of people and the planet.

This position represents a unique opportunity to contribute to two major multi-year initiatives that are redefining how health systems approach transformation. The"Built to Change" initiative, supported by the Rita and Alex Hillman Foundation, aims to codify, prototype, and archetype sustainability and scalability pathways that can support nurse leaders aiming to transform US health systems at scale. The"Embedding Neighborhood Nursing in US Health Policy Systems"projects, supported by the Nexus Research Program, will focus on using co-design approaches to identify policy gaps, opportunities, and pathways for embedding universal health and social care models into health policy systems

Research Focus Areas

The postdoctoral fellow will work with multiple levels of data and analysis, from individual stakeholder experiences to organizational systems to policy landscape mapping. This includes conducting policy landscape analysis, facilitating multi-stakeholder interviews and convenings, and developing visualizations and prototypes that make complex policy information accessible and actionable.

Under the direction of Dr. André Nogueira, Director of the Design Nucleus, and in collaboration with Dr. Sarah L. Szanton, Dean of the School of Nursing, and Natalia Barolin, Senior Health Policy Advisor in the Office of the Dean, the postdoctoral fellow role encompasses multiple aspects of systems design research including:

• Systems Design for Health Policy Analysis: Developing and applying design frameworks to map, visualize, and analyze health policy systems from individual and institutional viewpoints
• Co-design for Multi-stakeholder Engagements: Facilitating structured co-design activities, such as policy simulations, design sprints, and tabletop convenings that bring together stakeholders across sectors to identify policy gaps, opportunities, and collaborative solutions
• Design for Scale and Sustainability: Creating system archetypes and generic models that abstract program-specific information into reusable frameworks for future health systems interventions
• Knowledge System Development: Contributing to the creation of an integrated, multi-media communication system shaped by diverse knowledge products, including podcast, videos, website, new curriculum, conceptual models, toolkits, academic articles, and case studies
  
  

Key Responsibilities

• • Lead and contribute to publications in design, nursing, health policy, and interdisciplinary journals
  • Conduct systems design research including policy mapping, stakeholder analysis, and gap identification
  • Design and facilitate co-design workshops, policy simulations, and convenings with diverse stakeholders
  • Develop design frameworks, system archetypes, and replicable research protocols
  • Collaborate on grant proposal development and submission for continued funding
  • Present research findings at academic conferences and policy convenings
  • Participate as part of interdisciplinary leadership teams spanning nursing, design, public health, business, and public policy
  • Contribute to the development of curriculum, toolkits, and educational materials for the broader nursing and design communities

  Professional Development Opportunities

  The postdoctoral fellow will have access to exceptional resources to facilitate the conduct of their own research, including:

  • Publication Opportunities: Multiple opportunities to lead and contribute to publications in high-impact journals across design, nursing, health policy, and interdisciplinary fields
  • Grant Writing Support: Assistance with developing independent research funding proposals and collaborative grant applications
  • Network Development: Access to extensive networks of researchers, policymakers, and practitioners across sectors and disciplines
  • Conference Participation: Support for presenting work at major academic and policy conferences nationally and internationally
  • Methodological Training: Advanced training in systems design methods, co-design approaches, policy analysis, and interdisciplinary research methods

  The postdoctoral fellow will receive individualized mentoring and training to develop the skills and competencies needed to become a successful independent investigator at the intersection of design and health systems transformation. This includes training in advanced design models and methodologies, health policy analysis, community engagement strategies, and translational research approaches.

  Collaborative Environment

  This position offers engagement with robust and interdisciplinary collaborations that define the Design Nucleus's approach to systems transformation research. The fellow will work within established partnerships including:

  • Academic Partnerships: Collaboration with the University of Maryland School of Nursing, Morgan State University School of Nursing, and Coppin State University, and Healthcare Access Maryland
  • Johns Hopkins Network: Integration with the Institute for Policy Solutions, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Carey Business School, Whiting School of Engineering, and the Knowledge to Action and Business of Health (KABOH) cluster
  • National Networks: Engagement with federal policy experts, foundation leaders, and implementation partners across multiple states
  • Community Organizations: Direct collaboration with community-based organizations and neighborhood leaders

Terms of Appointment

The initial appointment will be for one year, with an additional year of funding available contingent upon satisfactory progress. Decisions regarding fellowship extensions will be based on scholarly productivity, research contributions, and progress toward career development goals as assessed through mid-year and year-end progress reports.

The position provides salary and benefits consistent with NIH postdoctoral fellowship guidelines, including health insurance, professional development funding, and research support.

Application Deadline: Applications will be reviewed on an ongoing basis until the position is filled.

Start Date: Flexible, with preference for July 28, 2025

Contact Information

For questions about this position, please contact:

Dr. André Nogueira
Director of Design Nucleus
Assistant Professor
Johns Hopkins School of Nursing
[e-mail]

Required Qualifications:

• PhD in Design, Systems Science, Public Policy, Public Health, or related field
• Demonstrated experience with systems thinking and design methodologies
• Strong research and analytical skills with experience in qualitative and mixed-methods research
• Excellent written, verbal, and graphic communication skills with excellent visual and storytelling communication through multi-media approaches
• Experience with interdisciplinary collaboration and stakeholder engagement

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience with health systems research or health policy analysis
• Background in participatory design methods and co-design approaches
• Knowledge of implementation science and translational research
• Experience with policy analysis and advocacy
• Familiarity with community-based participatory research methods
• Grant writing experience

Terms of Appointment

The initial appointment will be for one year, with an additional year of funding available contingent upon satisfactory progress. Decisions regarding fellowship extensions will be based on scholarly productivity, research contributions, and progress toward career development goals as assessed through mid-year and year-end progress reports.

The position provides salary and benefits consistent with NIH postdoctoral fellowship guidelines, including health insurance, professional development funding, and research support.

Application Deadline: Applications will be reviewed on an ongoing basis until the position is filled.

Start Date: Flexible, with preference for July 28, 2025

For questions about this position, please contact:

Dr. André Nogueira
Director of Design Nucleus
Assistant Professor
Johns Hopkins School of Nursing
[e-mail]

Application Instructions

Interested candidates should submit:

• Cover letter describing research interests and career goals
• Current curriculum vitae
• Three letters of recommendation
• Writing sample (published article or dissertation chapter)
• Portfolio/ Demonstration of relevant project
• Statement of research interests (2-3 pages) describing how your background and interests align with the Design Nucleus initiatives