Vice President of Research

Divers Alert Network (DAN); Durham (NC); On-site; USD 180,000 - 260,000; Full time

Job summary

Divers Alert Network (DAN) in Durham, NC, seeks a Vice President of Research to lead the Research Department and serve on the executive leadership team. The role directs an interdisciplinary applied-science program focused on diving safety, human performance, and risk reduction, translating findings into practical improvements for divers and dive programs.

The VP will oversee problem definition through operational application, ensure scientific rigor tied to mission impact, and manage people,

Qualifications

• PhD or equivalent advanced clinical or scientific qualification in diving or related field.
• Minimum 10 years of applied research experience with at least five years leading multidisciplinary teams.
• Proven ability to translate scientific findings into practical safety improvements.

Responsibilities

• Provide mission-driven leadership of the Research Department.
• Set strategic direction and manage portfolio, budget, and compliance.
• Translate research into practical safety improvements and programs.
• Engage external partners and manage sponsorships.
• Report to President & CEO; support executive and Board.

Skills

Leadership

Research design

Data interpretation

Stakeholder comms

IRB processes

Education

Doctoral degree or equivalent advanced clinical or scientific qualification in diving and hyperbaric medicine or closely related discipline

Job description

DIVERS ALERT NETWORK – VP RESEARCH

Position Title

Vice President of Research

Department

Research

Reports To

President & CEO

Classification

Full-Time | Executive Leadership | Exempt

Location

Durham, North Carolina | Hybrid in accordance with DAN policy; regular on-site leadership presence required - 3 days in office, 2 remote

Direct Reports

Research leaders, program managers, scientists, analysts, and support staff

Travel

Domestic and international travel as required

Position Purpose

The Vice President of Research is DAN's senior research executive, a member of the executive leadership team, and the leader of the Research Department. The role is accountable for an interdisciplinary applied-science program that improves understanding of diving-related injuries, human performance in the underwater environment, and practical methods of risk reduction. The Vice President directs research from problem definition through operational application, ensuring that evidence-based findings become tangible safety improvements for divers, dive professionals, DAN programs, and the broader dive industry. This is an executive leadership and hands-on department management position. DAN Research is a mission-driven applied research program, not an academic department. Scientific rigor and peer-reviewed publication remain important, but work is selected and judged by mission relevance, execution quality, and demonstrated safety impact. The Vice President is fully accountable for the department's people, portfolio, budget, conduct, compliance, deliverables, and results.

Essential Responsibilities

Mission and strategic direction, department leadership and management, applied research portfolio and execution, safety translation and organizational integration, scientific quality, ethics, data, and compliance, external partnerships, funding, and representation, financial and resource stewardship, Executive and Board support.

Decision Authority and Accountability

• Manage the Research Department and approved portfolio within DAN's strategic plan, budget, policies, and Delegation of Authority.
• Assign work, set project controls, approve scientific and operational milestones, and require corrective action when work is not meeting expectations.
• Recommend the research agenda, budget, organizational structure, staffing actions, capital investments, strategic partnerships, and discontinuation of work to the President & CEO.
• Pause or stop activity presenting a material safety, ethics, compliance, data, scientific-integrity, financial, or reputational concern.
• Commit DAN to contracts, expenditures, external positions, or partnerships only within formally delegated authority and after required legal, financial, communications, and executive review.

Required Qualifications

• Doctoral degree or equivalent advanced clinical or scientific qualification in diving and hyperbaric medicine or a closely related discipline.
• At least 10 years of progressively responsible experience in applied, translational, clinical, operational, or safety research, including at least five years leading multidisciplinary teams, complex programs, budgets, and external collaborators.
• Demonstrated ability to translate scientific findings into practical improvements in safety, clinical practice, education, operations, policy, standards, technology, or risk management.
• Substantive knowledge in one or more mission-relevant areas such as diving or environmental physiology, undersea or hyperbaric medicine, human performance in extreme environments, neuroscience, epidemiology, or injury prevention, and the ability to lead an interdisciplinary portfolio.
• Strong command of research design, quantitative and qualitative methods, data interpretation, research ethics, human-subject protections, IRB processes, and scientific communication.
• Proven project-management capability, including priority setting, milestone control, budgeting, risk management, performance reporting, sponsored research, and multi-institutional collaboration.
• Demonstrated people leadership, sound judgment, direct and respectful communication, and willingness to address difficult performance, conduct, compliance, or strategic issues promptly.
• Ability to communicate credibly with scientists, clinicians, executives, board members, industry leaders, media, donors, dive professionals, and the public.

Preferred Qualifications

• Certified diver with meaningful technical, scientific, operational, public-safety, military, occupational, or commercial diving experience; diving-operations leadership is especially valued.
• Applied research experience in undersea, aerospace, or other extreme environments.
• Experience serving as principal investigator, co-PI, or program lead for government-sponsored or multi-institutional research, with responsibility for sponsor relationships and technical deliverables.
• Record of credible scientific contribution through peer-reviewed publication, technical reports, education, public communication, and service on scientific, ethics, advisory, or nonprofit boards.
• Experience in a nonprofit, mission-driven, member-service, insurance, public-health, or internationally distributed organization, including leading organizational change toward applied outcomes and measurable impact.

Core Leadership Competencies

Mission stewardship, managerial accountability, scientific judgment and integrity, operational execution, translation and influence, collaboration, resource stewardship, executive communication.

Work Environment and Other Requirements

• Regular work in an office, laboratory, and collaborative team environment, with field or operational activities as project needs require.
• Regular on‑site presence in Durham consistent with DAN's hybrid-work requirements and the leadership needs of the department.
• Domestic and international travel and occasional work outside normal business hours may be required for field activity, partner engagement, conferences, or urgent organizational needs.