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Executive Director, OPTN

US-Remote | US-Washington DC | US-VA-Arlington | US-NC-Chapel Hill | US-IL-Chicago | US-MD-Rockville | US-CA-Sacramento | US-MA-Waltham | US-TX-Austin

The American Institutes for Research (AIR) is seeking an Executive Director for the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN).

About the OPTN’s Board of Directors

The OPTN is a unique public-private partnership that links all end-stage organ failure patients, patients listed for transplant, providers, registered organ donors, organ donors and their families, transplant recipients, volunteers and policy advocates involved in the U.S. procurement and transplantation system. The OPTN Board functions include: developing, reviewing, and enforcing policies for organ allocation, procurement, and transplantation; establishing and enforcing the OPTN membership criteria and transplant and organ procurement organization program requirements; establishing committees as necessary to perform functions of the OPTN and to provide input and support for the OPTN Board of Directors’ policy development responsibilities; and working with the OPTN contractors and other stakeholders to develop an OPTN budget and strategies for setting and achieving the OPTN programmatic priorities. Under statutory requirements, the OPTN functions may be carried out by awardees with or without connection to the OPTN Board of Directors, but all activities of the OPTN are overseen by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

HHS, through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), provides oversight of the OPTN operations, the Board, and the contractors supporting the OPTN. The Board is currently seeking an experienced Executive Director to lead efforts in strengthening the OPTN operations, modernizing systems, and coordinating with federal agencies, healthcare providers, patients, and procurement and transplant professionals.

While appointed to this role by the OPTN Board, the individual serving in this role will be employed by the AIR, the OPTN Board Support contractor. This hire will be eligible for AIR's Total Rewards Program.

This position has the flexibility to work remotely within the United States (does not include U.S. territories) with the ability to travel to in-person meetings with federal clients.

About AIR

Established in 1946, with headquarters in Arlington, Virginia, AIR is a nonpartisan, not-for-profit institution that conducts behavioral and social science research and delivers technical assistance to solve some of the most urgent challenges in the U.S. and around the world. We advance evidence in the areas of education, health, the workforce, human services, and international development to create a better, more equitable world.

Responsibilities

The Executive Director’s key responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

1. Leadership and Management

  • Acting as liaison between the OPTN board, HRSA, and OPTN contractors to facilitate the work of the OPTN.
  • Implementing operational plans that align the Board with OPTN’s mission and goals, and HRSA’s priorities for modernization of the OPTN.
  • Working with HRSA and the OPTN contractors to achieve the objectives outlined in the strategic plan.
  • Promoting collaboration and fostering productive working relationships with the Board and all OPTN contractors.
  • Leading the Board in evaluating and monitoring the OPTN activities, reviewing financial reports and audits, and ensuring compliance with legal and regulatory requirements.
  • Managing strategic discussions, reviewing Board documents, providing advice on key issues, and setting Board policies.

2. Operations

  • Partnering with the Board support contractor to ensure Board activities comply with legal and ethical standards, including the OPTN’s Conflict of Interest Policy.
  • Monitoring and reporting on the outcomes of the OPTN committee meetings for presentation to the Board.
  • Performing Board governance activities in collaboration with the OPTN contractors, including review of bylaws and policies, and recordkeeping.
  • Developing tools and systems, in collaboration with the OPTN contractors, for delivering financial and operational information for sound business decisions and prudent stewardship of funds.
  • Compiling key information from contractors, including cost expenditures, progress reports, and providing such information to the Board upon their request.
  • Leading the Board in reporting and communication processes to ensure that information is effective and timely for the OPTN members.

3. Strategic Planning

  • Working with the Board to develop and implement strategic plans that address the needs of the OPTN members, patients, donors, and the public, moving the system toward greater effectiveness, efficiency, and productivity.
  • Engaging the Board and the OPTN contractors to optimize Board effectiveness and adherence to National Organ Transplant Act (NOTA), the Final Rule, OPTN Code of Conduct, the designation agreement, and the OPTN policies and bylaws.
  • Coordinating with HRSA on strategic communications with multiple federal contractors/awardees.

4. Financial Oversight

  • Working with the OPTN contractors to understand operational budget and prioritize projects within the scope of the budget.
  • Making recommendations around the annual budget tied to strategic goals, while ensuring accountability for achieving stated goals.
  • Tracking the OPTN finances and collaborating with leadership to agree on key initiatives as needed to achieve operational goals on time and within budget.

5. Board Support and Administration

  • Serving as a non-voting member of the OPTN Board.
  • Effectively engaging the Board of Directors, leveraging their strengths to advance the OPTN mission, enable informed decision-making and ensure transparent governance.
  • Organizing, facilitating, and attending Board meetings and selecting the OPTN committee meetings, ensuring productive discussions and strategic alignment.
  • Informing Board members of conditions, opportunities, issues, and challenges to strengthen Board governance and institutional leadership.
  • Assisting the Board in building a group of directors that is representative of the OPTN membership, patients, and organ donor community and ensuring the Board is effective as a governing body and that recruitment, involvement, and departures of individual directors are effective.
  • Ensuring compliance with NOTA (42 USC 274), the OPTN Final Rule, the OPTN Bylaws, and other relevant statutory and regulatory requirements.
  • Reviewing proposed Board decisions and conducting independent review and analysis to ensure Board decision making is free of bias, conflict and are in the best interests of patients, donors and their families.

Required Competencies 

Leadership and Management: Knowledge of effective leadership principles and strategies, with the ability to guide and empower the Board to achieve organizational goals. The Executive Director will apply adaptive leadership techniques to foster collaboration among directors, ensure alignment with HRSA, strategic priorities, and drive timely, informed decision-making, while maintaining a focus on the board’s role in effective, patient-centric governance.

Operations: Knowledge of best practices in managing and integrating complex operational functions, with the ability to coordinate and share outcomes of OPTN committees to the Board and ensure alignment across a multi-vendor environment.

Strategic Planning: Knowledge of strategic planning processes, with the ability to work closely with the Board to develop and prioritize key initiatives within available budgets that address the needs of the OPTN and the patients and families it serves. The Executive Director will guide the Board toward greater effectiveness, efficiency, and productivity, ensuring strategic goals are aligned with operational contractors and HRSA.

Patient-Centric Orientation: A commitment to putting the needs and interests of patients and their families at the center of OPTN decision-making. Ensure patient and family interests are continuously shared with the Board and drive continuous improvements in OPTN services and outcomes.

Governance/Board Support: Knowledge of strategies to engage and support an effective Board of Directors, leveraging their unique strengths to advance the OPTN mission, enable informed decision-making, and promote transparent governance while identifying opportunities to strengthen board effectiveness.

Communications and Engagement: Knowledge of and ability to promote collaboration and build productive relationships with diverse internal OPTN members, stakeholders, and HRSA operational contractors/awardees.

Qualifications 

  • Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field with a minimum of 15 years’ experience of executive leadership in health care administration, public health, public policy, or relevant non-profit fields.
  • Significant nonprofit and/or policy experience.
  • Proven track record in leading organizations, working with boards of directors, implementing strategic plans, and navigating executive management during a time of change and transition.
  • Experience serving on executive boards or governance committees and effectively developing and strengthening those governance groups. (i.e. experience leading or participating in top-level strategic planning, communications, and team building).
  • Familiarity with serving and/or coordinating with federal agencies (e.g., understanding federal acquisition processes and regulations).
  • Experience managing budgets and finances for large non-profit or healthcare organizations.
  • Working knowledge of the legal, fiscal, and regulatory environment in which a nonprofit or health care organization operates.
  • Has not served as a voting member of the OPTN Board within the last 10 years.
  • Free of any professional, financial and/or personal conflicts of interest within the transplant community.

Disclosures:

Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the U.S. on a full-time basis. Employment-based visa sponsorship (including H-1B sponsorship) is not available for this position. Depending on project work, qualified candidates may need to meet certain residency requirements.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without discrimination on the basis of age, race, color, religion, sex, gender, gender identity/expression, sexual orientation, national origin, protected veteran status, or disability.

AIR adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo reference and background checks.

AIR maintains a drug-free work environment.

Accessibility Notice: If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the employment process due to a physical or mental disability, please send an email to Taliba Boone at tboone@air.org or call 202.403.5000.

Fraudulent Job Scams Warning & Disclaimer:

AIR is aware of individuals falsely presenting themselves as AIR representatives. Fraudulent job scams seek to extract sensitive information or money from victims. To protect yourself, please be aware that AIR recruitment will only email you from an “@air.org” domain. Please take extra caution while examining the email address, for example jdoe@air.org is correct and jdoe@aircareers.org is not a legitimate AIR email address. If you are unsure of the legitimacy of a communication you have received, please reach out to recruitment@air.org.

If you see a job scam, or lose money to one, report it to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. You can also report it to your state attorney general. Find out more about how to avoid scams at ftc.gov/scams.

#LI-AS1 #LI-Remote #LI-Hybrid

AIR’s Total Rewards Program, is designed to reward our staff competitively and motivate them to achieve our critical mission. This position offers the anticipated annual salary as listed. Salary offers are made based on internal equity within the institution and external equity with competitive markets. Please note this is the annual salary range for candidates that are based in the United States.

Anticipated Annual Salary Range

$190,000 - $220,000 USD

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