Department of Health and Human Services
National Institutes of Health (NIH)
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS)
Division of Translational Toxicology (DTT)
Research Triangle Park, North Carolina
NIEHS is seeking a dynamic, highly motivated scientist to serve as chief of the Systems Toxicology Branch (STB) in the Division of Translational Toxicology (DTT), formerly the Division of the National Toxicology Program, at NIEHS. The mission of the DTT is to evaluate environmental substances of public health concern by developing and applying tools of modern toxicology and molecular biology. The DTT provides critical data for regulatory and non-regulatory stakeholder decision making to protect human health using rodent studies, alternative in vivo model systems, in vitro high-throughput screens and/or computational approaches to gauge the potential of thousands of substances to perturb biological targets and pathways.
The scientific goals of the DTT are achieved through a distinct and highly cooperative and integrated team science operational model whereby scientific staff across multiple branches in the DTT assemble into interdisciplinary project teams and utilize centrally managed shared resources, in contrast to the traditional NIH principal investigator-led research group model. Most of the research is carried out through use of external research and development contracts together with a limited amount of onsite intramural laboratory research capability. The governance of projects that use DTT resources are centrally approved by management.
The STB chief oversees all major functions of the DTT organizational unit principally responsible for design, oversight, interpretation, and reporting of traditional toxicology and carcinogenesis studies. The STB chief is responsible for continuous improvement and innovation in how the capabilities of the STB are applied to contemporary and human-relevant public health challenges.
The STB chief also leads and otherwise contributes to DTT multidisciplinary teams conceiving, developing, designing, interpreting, and reporting toxicology, carcinogenicity, and other applied and basic science research activities. These activities are highly diverse including in vitro and in vivo evaluations of the potential health impact of consumer products, medicinal herbs, pharmaceuticals, and occupational chemical exposures, biological contaminants, and novel substances such as nanoscale materials. In DTT, multidisciplinary teams and senior leaders partner with toxicologists, chemists, pathologists, specialists in metabolism and kinetics, as well as experts in genetic toxicity, in vitro screening and molecular modeling to design research programs tailored to the issues presented by individual substances or mixtures under study.
The STB chief will contribute to leadership of the DTT by partnering with the scientific director and other branch and office leadership to provide strategic direction, manage fiscal and workforce resources and to ensure deliberate and timely advancement of the scientific portfolio. The successful candidate will demonstrate a strong commitment to strategic planning, leadership and workforce development. It is preferred that the branch chief reside within commuting distance of Research Triangle Park to be available for personally engaging and mentoring staff and for building relationships with the DTT leadership and others in the DTT/NIEHS, with the option to telework as needed.
The successful applicant will be an innovative thinker, possess a strong foundational scientific knowledge in an area of toxicology, and demonstrate a working knowledge of carcinogenesis, genomics, molecular biology, molecular genetics, cellular biology, systems biology, pathology, and statistics. The applicant should be recognized for his/her scientific expertise within the national and international scientific community. The applicant will have demonstrated a commitment to applied and translational research with unique insights into how to build trust with decision-making stakeholders. The successful applicant will have demonstrated experience leading diverse scientific research programs and teams, including multi-institutional programs, and participation in national and international consortia.
The ideal candidate will have a research-based professional degree (Ph.D., M.D., Pharm.D., D.V.M., or equivalent) in the life sciences, with extensive experience in in vivo toxicology and carcinogenesis studies carried out according to national and international guidelines. The successful candidate must demonstrate the strategic and visionary leadership for identifying and matching new scientific technologies with the needs of the DTT, while also understanding the limitations of data generated through these approaches for public health decision-making.
It is preferred that the branch chief reside within the local commuting area of Research Triangle Park, North Carolina. This position is not eligible for remote work. At the supervisor’s discretion, this position may offer work schedule flexibilities, including telework.
Salary/Benefits:
This is a federal full-time equivalent position, and a comprehensive benefits package is available. Salary will be commensurate with experience, qualifications, and accomplishments.
How to Apply:
The NIH/NIEHS/DTT vacancy announcement for this position contains complete application procedures and lists all mandatory information which you must submit with your application. This announcement will be available from February 27, 2023 to March 8, 2023. Please visit the USAJOBS website and search Keyword: Supervisory Toxicologist; Location: Durham, NC.
This position’s announcement number is NIH-NIEHS-DE-23-11813383.
All application materials must be received by midnight on Wednesday, March 8, 2023.
Applicants should submit the following:
- Cover letter highlighting key qualifications
- Current curriculum vitae with complete bibliography
- Names and addresses of three references
Please include in your CV a description of your mentoring and outreach activities, especially those involving women and racial/ethnic or other groups that are underrepresented in biomedical research. For questions or additional information on this recruitment, please contact Robert C. Sills, D.V.M., Ph.D., DACVP.
Commitment to Diversity and Equal Employment Opportunity:
NIH & NIEHS encourage the application and nomination of qualified women, minorities, and individuals with disabilities. the application and nomination of traditionally underrepresented groups in the sciences, including women, minorities, and individuals with disabilities. The United States Government does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service, or other non-merit factors. NIH & NIEHS will provide reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities, as appropriate. If reasonable accommodation is required during any part of the application and hiring process, please notify us.
Foreign Education:
Applicants who have completed part or all of their education outside of the United States must provide an evaluation by an accredited organization to ensure its equivalence to education received in accredited educational institutions in the United States. For more information on foreign education verification, visit the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES). Verification must be received prior to the effective date of the appointment.
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DO NOT INCLUDE YOUR BIRTH DATE, PHOTOGRAPH, OR SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER (SSN) ON APPLICATION MATERIALS. DHHS AND NIH ARE EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYERS.
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