Senior Director & Principal Advisor, Research Integrity

BUSINESS TITLE: Senior Director & Principal Advisor, Research Integrity

WORK SCHEDULE:

Hybrid work arrangement with at least 5 days per month on-site; additional on-site time may be required based on business need.

BUDGETED SALARY: $250k to $325k

REPORTS TO: Senior Program Director, Research Conflicts and Integrity (dual report to the Associate Vice Provost for Research Policy & Integrity)

SCHOOL/UNIT DESCRIPTION:

The Research Policy and Integrity (RPI) office, within the Office of the Vice Provost and Dean of Research, provides university-wide policy and regulatory leadership for Stanford's research enterprise. RPI works closely with faculty leadership, school deans, research administration offices, the Office of the General Counsel, and other campus partners to develop and implement clear, consistent approaches to complex research policy and compliance matters. The office stewards the Stanford Research Policy Handbook and provides policy and regulatory leadership in several areas, including Conflict of Interest & Conflict of Commitment; Research Security, Export Controls, and Global Engagement Review; and Research Integrity.

POSITION SUMMARY:

The Senior Director & Principal Advisor, Research Integrity is a newly created leadership position that helps ensure research integrity concerns at Stanford are examined rigorously and fairly. Reporting to the Senior Program Director, Research Conflicts and Integrity, with a dual reporting relationship to the Associate Vice Provost, Research Policy & Integrity, the position serves as the University’s senior expert and advisor on research integrity matters, leads fact-finding in significant and complex proceedings, and helps shape Stanford’s research integrity program, policies, and practices. The role exercises substantial independence in conducting and managing assigned investigations and works closely with University leadership.

The position conducts and leads assessments, inquiries, and investigations involving allegations of research misconduct. Working at the intersection of science, law, and university policy, the role develops investigative strategies; directs evidence preservation and sequestration; analyzes documentary, electronic, data, image, and other scientific evidence; interviews respondents, complainants, and witnesses; engages forensic, statistical, and subject-matter experts; and prepares the analyses and reports on which institutional decisions rely. The role advises faculty committees and university leadership on evidentiary sufficiency, procedural requirements, and the application of federal regulations and university policy to complex and novel matters.

Beyond individual cases, the position plays a leading role in Stanford’s research integrity program: advising university leadership on policy and institutional response, developing procedures and guidance, advising schools on the matters they handle, training committee members and university partners, and representing Stanford with federal agencies, journals, collaborating institutions, and peer research integrity professionals. The role also takes on other significant research policy, security, and integrity assignments, such as specialized reviews, policy analysis, and complex matters that call for independent judgment.

The ideal candidate is an experienced attorney or senior research integrity professional who combines investigative rigor, exceptional writing, sound judgment, independence, and discretion. A scientific, engineering, or health research background is a particular asset, especially when combined with a JD.

PREFERRED/DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Juris Doctor (JD) strongly preferred. Particularly relevant backgrounds include law firm or in-house investigations, regulatory investigations, inspector general or other federal enforcement work, prosecutorial experience, and other complex investigative or fact-finding roles.

• Candidates without a JD are encouraged to apply if they bring substantial research integrity or comparable scientific-investigations experience, such as service as a Research Integrity Officer or deputy, significant responsibility for research misconduct proceedings, or equivalent work at a university, academic medical center, ORI, an Office of Inspector General, or another research oversight body. Doctoral-level scientific or clinical research training (PhD or MD) is especially valued.

• A scientific, engineering, or health research background is a significant plus, particularly when combined with a JD or substantial investigations experience.

• Experience with research integrity or another complex investigative or regulatory environment is strongly preferred; candidates should be able to work confidently at the intersection of scientific evidence, institutional policy, and legal or regulatory requirements.

• Demonstrated experience leading complex, sensitive investigations involving disputed facts, extensive records, and senior stakeholders at a research university, academic medical center, federal agency, law firm, corporation, or comparable organization.

• Knowledge of federal research misconduct requirements; closely analogous regulatory investigations experience and demonstrated ability to master new frameworks will also be considered.

• Demonstrated ability to analyze complex documentary, electronic, scientific, data, and image evidence and reach well-supported conclusions; experience with evidence preservation, chain of custody, e-discovery, or forensic review is a plus.

• Exceptional writing skills, including experience preparing clear, persuasive investigative reports, legal or regulatory analyses, or comparable work relied on by senior decision makers.

• Experience planning and conducting sensitive interviews, assessing conflicting accounts, and managing confidential matters with discretion, fairness, and sound judgment.

• Ability to translate complex evidence and regulatory requirements into clear advice for faculty, senior leadership, counsel, committees, and federal agencies.

• Excellent interpersonal, communication, and conflict-management skills, including the confidence and diplomacy to work effectively with distinguished faculty and senior leaders in high-stakes or contested matters.

• Experience building or improving investigative processes, training or advising committees, supervising professional staff, and directing forensic, statistical, or other subject-matter experts.

• An exemplary track record of integrity, independence, and judgment, including the ability to reach and clearly defend well-supported conclusions that may be unwelcome.

Core Duties:

• Provide strategic leadership and institutional direction for assigned research policy, security, and integrity programs, functions, or areas of oversight, with accountability for outcomes in regulatory environments of significant complexity, risk, and institutional consequence.
• Interpret and synthesize complex and interrelated regulatory requirements; identify regulatory intersections and cumulative institutional risk requiring coordinated response; exercise delegated authority for policy interpretation and programmatic decision-making, including resolution of novel or high-consequence matters with limited or absent regulatory guidance.
• Provide strategic direction for quality management and operational effectiveness across assigned programs, including institutional quality standards, monitoring frameworks, assurance obligations to sponsors and federal agencies, and ensuring operations comply with regulatory requirements while advancing strategic objectives.
• Establish institutional governance frameworks, policies, procedures, controls, and assurance mechanisms within assigned scope; oversee institutional disclosures, certifications, attestations, and assurance activities.
• Lead assessments, investigations, and mitigation planning for matters involving significant legal, financial, reputational, or national security risk; lead and direct institutional response to complex matters requiring coordinated action across multiple schools, departments, and administrative functions.
• Oversee active monitoring of regulatory developments, agency guidance, enforcement actions, and peer institution practices; set institutional measurement direction and oversee institutional performance, monitoring, and reporting frameworks; assess institutional implications and direct institutional response; identify, address, and mitigate unforeseen or rapidly unfolding regulatory matters.
• Advise senior leadership on risk posture, emerging regulatory developments, and institutional response, including matters implicating regulatory frameworks or university functions outside the primary assigned program.
• Lead cross-functional working groups and initiatives with university partners across functions that intersect with research compliance; guide resource planning and investment decisions for assigned programs.
• Direct institutional outreach, stakeholder engagement, and external relations strategy; develop and maintain executive-level relationships with senior university leadership, federal sponsors and regulatory agencies, peer institutions, and national professional bodies; oversee institutional communications, training, and education.
• Direct staff, project teams, or the work of other employees; set program priorities and resource allocation; oversee recruitment, performance, development, and disciplinary decisions; develop or oversee program budgets and financial plans.

Minimum Education and Experience Required:

• Bachelor’s degree and ten years of progressively responsible professional experience in research compliance, regulatory affairs, or a related field, including at least five years of demonstrated leadership experience in complex, high-consequence regulatory or compliance program areas at a large research university, academic medical center, federal agency, national laboratory, research-based non-profit organization, or equivalent institutional or governmental setting, or an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.
• Advanced degree in law, public policy, public health, or a relevant regulatory or scientific field is preferred.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities Required:

• Ability to advise senior leadership on novel, ambiguous, and high-consequence regulatory matters, including matters requiring analysis of regulatory requirements or intersecting university functions, compliance, and administrative areas beyond the primary assigned program (e.g., sponsored research administration, faculty affairs, information security, human/animal research).
• Ability to assess and communicate significant institutional risk, including legal, financial, national security, reputational, and employment or faculty affairs dimensions; expertise in institutional governance and policy interpretation in high-consequence regulatory environments.
• Demonstrated ability to lead and influence at the institutional level, shaping institutional posture and direction across faculty, executive leadership, and federal/peer constituencies; strategic thinking and sound judgment in complex, multi-domain institutional compliance and risk environments, including application of innovative and creative problem-solving to novel and high-consequence matters.
• Ability to lead and direct assessments, investigations, and cross-functional initiatives requiring coordinated action across schools, departments, and central offices; ability to exercise institutional authority, resolve complex matters with limited regulatory precedent, and coordinate effective institutional response.
• Excellent advisory and communication skills with ability to cultivate executive-level partnerships with senior university leaders, federal sponsors and regulatory agencies, peer institutions, and national professional bodies.
• Demonstrated ability to direct staff and organizational resources, and where applicable, financial resources, at the program-portfolio level.

Certificates and Licenses Required:

Relevant professional certifications in compliance, research administration, or domain-specific areas are preferred or expected for program leaders.