"Director of Strategic Initiatives & Communications - Neuroscience"

Position Summary

The Director of Strategic Initiatives serves as a senior executive leader for the Department of Neuroscience and functions as a principal strategic advisor to the Department Chair. With delegated authority, this role provides department-wide leadership over strategic planning, research growth, communications, advancement integration, innovation, and external partnerships. The position is accountable for translating long-term strategic priorities into executable plans that align financial, operational, and human resources to achieve sustained scientific, educational, and reputational impact.

Represents the Department of Neuroscience in school-level, university-wide, and external initiatives and plays a critical role in positioning the Department as a leader within WashU Medicine and the broader research enterprise.

Job Description

Primary Duties & Responsibilities:

Strategic Leadership & Planning

• Serves as a senior advisor to the Department Chair, exercising delegated authority to advance departmental priorities.
• Leads the development, execution, and monitoring of the Department’s multi-year strategic plan.
• Identifies risks, opportunities, and barriers impacting departmental success and recommend corrective strategies.
• Monitors progress toward strategic goals and ensures accountability for outcomes.
• Champions a collaborative, inclusive research and education culture that supports long-term departmental success.

Strategic Authority and Financial Oversight

• Provides financial oversight for strategic initiatives, including planning and monitoring the use of departmental funds and philanthropic resources.
• Partners with departmental and school leadership on long-range financial modeling related to research growth, faculty recruitment, and sustainability.
• Aligns strategic initiatives with available financial, operational, and human resources.

Research Strategy, Planning & Development

• Provides leadership for research planning and funding strategy across the Department.
• Partners with faculty, grants teams, and Advancement to identify and pursue new funding opportunities.
• Supports the development of center grants, training grants, and interdisciplinary initiatives.
• Builds funding resources supporting graduate students and postdoctoral fellows.
• Guides the Department through changes in the federal funding landscape and their downstream financial impacts.
• Supports faculty in developing high-impact publications and long-term research trajectories.

Innovation, Commercialization & External Partnerships

• Identifies and advances opportunities for research translation and commercialization.
• Maintains regular engagement with faculty to identify intellectual property, funding needs, and innovation opportunities.
• Serves as liaison to the Office of Technology Management, BioSTL, industry partners, and regional innovation organizations.
• Supports expansion of the Department’s intellectual property and patent portfolio.
• Identifies and addresses barriers to commercialization and industry engagement.

Communications, Advancement & External Engagement

• Provides functional leadership for departmental communications, marketing, and reputation management.
• Partners with Medical Marketing & Communications, Advancement, and University stakeholders to promote departmental research and achievements.
• Oversees departmental websites, newsletters, and digital communications, including new faculty websites.
• Leads in the development of public-facing events and programs that communicate scientific impact.
• Guides preparation of award nominations, promotion materials, and high-level presentations for the Chair.
• Strengthens alumni engagement strategies and external stakeholder networks.

Organizational & Functional Leadership

• Provides functional and matrix leadership across communications, research development, advancement coordination, and innovation activities.
• Leads cross-functional teams in executing complex, high-impact initiatives.
• Serves as a member of the Department’s executive leadership team.
• Acts as a strategic liaison to school leadership, central administration, and external partners.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Working Conditions:

Job Location/Working Conditions
Normal office environment.

Physical Effort
Typically sitting at desk or table.
Repetitive wrist, hand or finger movement.
Ability to move to on and off campus location

Equipment
Office equipment.

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work performed by people assigned to this classification. They are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all job duties performed by the personnel so classified. Management reserves the right to revise or amend duties at any time.

Required Qualifications

Education:
Bachelor’s degree or combination of education and/or experience may substitute for minimum education.

Certifications/Professional Licenses:
No specific certification/professional license is required for this position.

Work Experience:
Relevant Experience (7 Years)

Preferred Qualifications

Education:
Master's degree

Work Experience:
Leading Strategic And Organizational Planning Efforts, Program/Project Management Offices, And Change Management And Communications Delivery Teams (10 Years)

Skills:
Analytical Thinking, Budget Management, Change Management, Communication, Data Analysis, Data Reporting, Deadline Management, Digital Communications, Leadership Training and Development, Marketing Communications (MarCom), Microsoft Office, Organizational Leadership, Project Management, Stakeholder Engagement, Strategic Planning, Tactful, Vendor Management, Written Communication

Grade

G15

Salary Range

$84,200.00 - $148,500.00 / Annually