Jobs

Executive Director, Alzheimer’s Disease Data Initiative

Posted 14 May 2024

Employer

Gates Ventures

Principal Investigator

Matthew Maclean

Contact

 mmaclean@talentongroup.com

Description

The goals of the AD Data Initiative are to encourage and enable interoperability across existing platforms; expand and enhance the community of data contributors and users; evaluate and ensure the quality of data; and protect the privacy of participants from studies and trials. This effort will facilitate an inclusive community of researchers working to solve the problems of dementia.

The executive director will lead the Alzheimer’s Disease Data Initiative's efforts to move Alzheimer’s disease innovation further and faster by leading a strategy and developing a platform to connect researchers with the data they need to develop new and better treatments and diagnostic tools for AD and related dementias. This role will also oversee five- to six-person team as well as a limited set of vendors and contractors.

The executive director will ensure that the team aligns with the organization’s mission and works tirelessly and effectively to achieve its vision. To see the vision through, the role will partner closely with a range of external innovators and health experts, working in partnership with colleagues at partner organizations, including advisory board organizations and funding agencies. 

The role will report to the managing director of health and life sciences. It will also be responsible to the board and its members as well as the advisory board and its members, who represent key stakeholders in the Alzheimer’s disease community and the people whose vision created the Alzheimer’s Disease Data Initiative. The executive director will establish relationships with key stakeholders/leaders and will encourage their organizations to contribute data and use the platform to implement novel solutions. The role will also engage the academic community who act as critical contributors and thought leaders to this effort.

Leadership Responsibilities:

The executive director of AD Data Initiative sets clear expectations aligned with organizational objectives, manages performance, supports development, and creates an environment for success. The role will provide guidance and feedback to team members to enable the highest organizational impact. It will establish the team’s vision, oversee strategy development, and ensure key performance indicators are met. The executive director will also inspire the AD Data Initiative team to work collaboratively and effectively toward clear goals and set clear expectations aligned with the organization's objectives.

Overall Responsibilities:

• Build and provide leadership to the internal AD Data Initiative team.
• Manage the team of specialists who will carry out the technical, scientific, legal, and ethical work required to build and maintain an optimized platform with sufficient data to address priority research questions.
• Provide oversight to the operations team within the organization, including but not limited to contracting, budget management, and legal considerations (e.g., GDPR compliance and licensing).
• Develop the roadmap for the AD Data Initiative’s portfolio, with support from the health and life sciences leadership team.
• Actively participate in the solicitation, appraisal, and funding of projects that will use data to create important new knowledge for the AD Data Initiative’s research community to address priority research questions, including the identification of external funding resources to support the organization’s own platform/product development efforts, data-related expenses, and operations.
• Report regularly to the board of directors, the advisory board, and the funders to ensure the organization is meeting their expectations and is responsive to their feedback.
• Drive external relationships in close partnership with colleagues and other partners, to identify opportunities and update the priority research questions.
• Inspire key decision-makers to invest in such models of AD Data Initiative innovation-led healthcare.
• Effectively build partnerships, working collaboratively across a complex, multi-stakeholder environment to meet shared objectives.
• Serve as the primary relationship manager with key members of the advisory board and funders. Develop and manage partnerships with other organizations that can support or complement the AD Data Initiative’s capabilities and efforts.
• Keep up to date on developments in the science of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias.

Requirements

REQUIRED SKILLS & EXPERIENCE

• M.D. or advanced biomedical degree with extensive experience in healthcare innovation and medical research data with an emphasis on Alzheimer’s and other types of dementia.
• 15+ years of progressive, relevant experience in the Alzheimer’s and related dementias field; or allied fields.
• 10+ years of leadership experience, including leading and managing major projects/organizations with substantial budgets.
• Demonstrated success with implementation/action plans and objectives where analysis of situations or data requires in-depth knowledge of relevant organizations, competitive environment, technology, economic, and social implications of activities.
• A track record of successfully managing complex scientific research partnerships.
• Experience in developing and managing strong partnerships and relationships inside and outside the organization, managing conflicts, and building consensus. Effectiveness as a collaborator in complex internal & external organizations.
• Experience working in a matrixed environment.
• People management experience, including the development of team members at various stages of their professional careers and the ability to build a collaborative and effective culture.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills requiring communication with a broad audience representing diverse stakeholders.
• Comfort with highly unstructured and ambiguous situations; ability to proactively identify solutions in such situations and execute those approaches.
• Commitment to the organization’s core values, mission, and programs with an approach that is consistent with the organization’s guiding principles and holding self to the highest ethical standards.

This position would ideally be based out of the Greater Seattle area.

REQUIRED COMPETENCIES

• Promotes accountability: Holds self and others accountable for key performance indicators so that success is celebrated, and failure is understood and addressed.
• Accelerates impact: Takes risks, proves/disproves concepts quickly and with a growth mindset, solves creatively, and partners strategically to achieve results and deliver impact on the AD Data Initiative’s mission.
• Demonstrates collaboration: Actively listens and works with others openly and transparently to create an environment where diverse viewpoints are valued, and information is shared for the purposes of solving problems and achieving collective goals. Seeks collaborative solutions as the best path to sustainable change.
• Establishes trust: Interacts, shares, and receives information and feedback in a way that builds trust and gains the confidence of others.
• Builds partnerships: Works collaboratively in a complex, multi-stakeholder environment, to meet shared objectives.
• Decision quality: Has experience using data to drive decision-making, project planning, progress measurement, and the achievement of results.
• Cultivates innovation: Creates new and better ways for the organization to be successful.
• Builds effective teams: Builds strong-identity teams that apply their diverse skills and perspectives to achieve common goals.
• Strategic mindset: Sees ahead to future possibilities and translates them into breakthrough strategies.