Director, Mental Health

Job DetailsJob Location: North Bethesda, MD 20852Position Type: Full TimeSalary Range: $185,000.00 - $225,000.00 Salary/yearThe Foundation for the National Institutes of Health (FNIH) is looking for a Director, Mental Health for Translational Sciences to evaluate, establish, and manage large-scale, multi-sector public–private partnerships focused on transforming the understanding, diagnosis, and treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders and mental health.    The Director will operate at the intersection of clinical research, translational science, and regulatory engagement—working with academic investigators, biopharmaceutical partners, technology collaborators, patient organizations, and regulatory agencies to generate high-quality, actionable evidence that advances precision psychiatry.    This role will oversee the protocol development and execution of an ambitious program integrating clinical data, multi-omics, digital phenotyping, imaging, and patient-reported outcomes to identify biologically and clinically meaningful subtypes of major depressive disorder (MDD) and predictive biomarkers of treatment response.    This position will report to the Senior Vice President of Translational Science within the Science Partnerships department (or their designated report) and is based at the FNIH offices located in North Bethesda, MD.     Key Responsibilities  Scientific Leadership & Strategy  Convene and facilitate partners and cross‑sector experts to drive the collaborative scientific strategy for a longitudinal MDD program focused on deep phenotyping and biomarker discovery, overseeing partner governance, joint protocol development, coordinated site selection, and integrated operational execution.  Ensure integration of multimodal data (clinical, biological, imaging, behavioral, and digital) into a coherent scientific approach    Partnership Leadership & Governance  Establish governance structures, scientific steering committees, and working groups to drive alignment and accountability  Serve as a trusted scientific leader and convener across diverse stakeholders with differing incentives    Regulatory Engagement  Work with partners to develop and lead regulatory strategies in collaboration with agencies (e.g., FDA, EMA)  Ensure study designs and biomarker approaches align with regulatory expectations for qualification and clinical use and contribute to regulatory submissions, qualification packages, and scientific advice interactions    Program Oversight & Delivery  Manage complex program timelines, budgets, deliverables, and ensure dissemination of results through publications, data platforms, and stakeholder communications  Oversee data governance, data sharing frameworks, and compliance with ethical and privacy standards    Field Building & External Representation  Represent the program in scientific, clinical, and policy forums and engage funders and strategic partners to sustain and expand initiatives  Contribute to shaping the emerging field of precision psychiatry and biomarker-driven mental health research  QualificationsRequired  MD, PhD, or equivalent in psychiatry, neuroscience, clinical research, or related discipline  10+ years of experience in translational clinical research, including leadership of complex, multi-site studies or clinical trials  Strong track record in preclinical translational research, biomarker development, or longitudinal cohort studies  Proven ability to lead large, multidisciplinary, cross-sector collaborations  Demonstrated experience interacting with regulatory agencies and contributing to regulatory strategy or submissions    Preferred  Training in neuropsychiatric research and/or practice experience in psychiatry or related mental health field  Experience in major depressive disorder or other neuropsychiatric disorders  Expertise in one or more relevant domains (e.g., neuroimaging, genomics, digital health, computational psychiatry)  Experience with public–private partnerships or precompetitive consortia  Track record of high-impact publications and scientific leadership    This is a hybrid position and requires regular visits to FNIH headquarters in Bethesda, MD. This position may also require occasional travel for meetings, conferences and any other relevant engagements.     At FNIH we are committed to living our core values every day. If you are excited about this role and the work of the Foundation, but your experience doesn’t align perfectly with all the qualifications in the job description, we encourage you to apply nonetheless. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles at FNIH.