Director, Research and Scholarly Partnerships

Heartland Whole Health Institute is a non-profit that addresses physical, mental, emotional, and social well-being by working with health systems, employers, and communities to redesign health care delivery.

Job Description:

Job Title: Director, Research and Scholarly Partnerships

Reports to: President

FLSA Classification: Exempt
Location: Bentonville, Arkansas (On-site)

Date Reviewed: 10/26/2025

Who We Are

Heartland Whole Health Institute (HWHI) is dedicated to transforming health care – beginning in our home of Northwest Arkansas and scaling to disrupt the national health crisis. We advocate, educate, and guide the implementation of an innovative system, rooted in whole health and the realignment of financial incentives. Our team members are collaborative, analytical, mission-driven, and working together to change the status quo.

The Institute’s 85,000-square-foot facility is located on the campus of Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art near Alice L. Walton School of Medicine.

About The Position

The Director, Research and Scholarly Partnerships leads the strategic direction, initiatives, and infrastructure of HWHI’s population health research and scholarly endeavors, furthering HWHI’s mission to transform health care through whole-person approaches, rigorous research, and collaborative learning.

The Director oversees HWHI’s outcomes and impact evaluation strategy, ensuring that all studies are methodologically sound, data-driven, and aligned with whole health principles. This position oversees research design, implementation, and dissemination, and maintains high-quality relationships with scholarly partners, including the Alice L. Walton School of Medicine (AWSOM) and other research collaborators, to ensure world-class research collaboration, scientific excellence, and credibility.

Success in this role requires strategic systems thinking, exceptional analytical and communication skills, and the ability to lead complex research initiatives at the intersection of science, strategy, and collaboration. The Director works closely with the President, senior leadership, and teams across Digital and Informatics, Value-Based Initiatives, and Policy and Workforce Development to ensure research initiatives are integrated, evidence-driven, and aligned with HWHI’s organizational priorities.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership and Research Development

• Provide strategic leadership and creative vision for the development and expansion of HWHI’s research portfolio.
• Develop and maintain research infrastructure that ensures compliance with federal and state requirements while leveraging shared resources with AWSOM and other partners.
• Lead research and innovation initiatives that align with HWHI’s mission, vision, and strategic priorities.
• Oversee research administration, compliance, and operational processes supporting data integrity and transparency.
• Liaise with AWSOM, clinical partners, and other entities to advance collaborative research and innovation opportunities.
• Build and lead a high-performing research team, fostering an environment of inquiry, collaboration, and professional growth.
• Establish clear performance metrics and accountability mechanisms to ensure research outcomes are aligned with institutional goals.

Research Design, Execution, and Quality

• Serve as the Principal Investigator (PI) for a multi-year longitudinal study evaluating a comprehensive whole health program to improve cardiometabolic disease management.
• Lead the design of research and evaluation studies assessing outcomes and impact in partnership with AWSOM and other academic collaborators.
• Define study methodologies, sampling frameworks, and data collection strategies to ensure rigor and reproducibility.
• Oversee protocol development, IRB submissions, and adherence to research ethics and compliance standards, including but not limited to the management of adverse events and protocol deviations.
• Ensure that all studies align with HWHI’s broader organizational goals and contribute to measurable impact across programs.
• Ensure data validity, accuracy, and consistency across all research activities.
• Partner with the Data Infrastructure & Evaluation team to implement quality assurance and control procedures for data management.
• Oversee statistical modeling, biostatistical analysis, and interpretation of results to ensure evidence-based conclusions.
• Establish performance tracking systems and dashboards to monitor research progress, data integrity, and key outcomes.
• Collaborate with organizational leaders to integrate research KPIs into enterprise-level reporting frameworks.

Research Dissemination and External Collaboration

• Manage research staff, consultants, and academic partners to ensure timely and high-quality execution of all projects.
• Lead the preparation of manuscripts, white papers, and presentations for peer-reviewed publication and knowledge dissemination across stakeholders.
• Contribute to HWHI’s broader organizational communications and annual reports by summarizing research findings in accessible formats.
• Oversee the preparation and presentation of executive briefings, program reports, and stakeholder updates for internal and external audiences.
• Promote external visibility of HWHI’s research through conferences, symposia, and academic partnerships.
• Serve as the primary liaison to AWSOM Research and other academic institutions engaged in the research component of HWHI programs.
• Coordinate across internal teams (e.g., Data Infrastructure, Evaluation, KPI Tracking) to ensure alignment with organizational priorities.
• Present findings to internal and external stakeholders, including funders, policymakers, community partners, and other external audiences to build credibility and support knowledge translation.
• Cultivate and sustain senior-level relationships that enhance HWHI’s research visibility, collaboration, and long-term strategic growth.

Continuous Improvement and Learning

• Identify emerging research questions and methodologies relevant to whole health and value-based care.
• Foster a culture of learning, continuous improvement, and innovation that integrates data-driven insights into program and policy design.
• Monitor emerging literature and best practices to ensure HWHI’s research remains on the leading edge of the field.
• Promote a culture of accountability, innovation, and continuous improvement across research and scholarly partnership initiatives.

Team Leadership

• Lead, coach, and develop a dynamic and growing team of leaders and specialists fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration, and high performance.
• Conduct regular one-on-one meetings and performance evaluations, providing feedback and professional development opportunities.
• Support recruitment, onboarding, and training of new team members to ensure alignment with HWHI standards and practices.
• Monitor and manage team performance, addressing attendance, conduct, or productivity issues promptly and professionally.
• Encourage employee engagement and morale through recognition and open communication practices.

Qualifications and Requirements

• Doctoral degree (Ph.D., Dr.PH, Sc.D., or equivalent) in health sciences, public health, biostatistics, epidemiology, health services research, or a related discipline required.
• 8–10+ years of progressively responsible experience leading research or evaluation studies within healthcare, academic, or public health settings.
• Proven expertise in study design, biostatistics, and impact evaluation methodologies.
• Demonstrated success managing multi-institutional research collaborations and scholarly partnerships.
• Strong background in data validation, quality assurance, and compliance with research regulations.
• Demonstrated experience publishing in peer-reviewed journals and presenting at academic or professional conferences.
• Exceptional analytical, writing, and communication skills, with the ability to translate complex findings for diverse audiences.
• Skilled in managing timelines, deliverables, and research teams in dynamic, complex multi-stakeholder environments.
• Proficiency with project management and performance tracking tools (e.g., Asana, SharePoint) and the ability to leverage systems for organizational effectiveness.
• High level of professional integrity and discretion in handling sensitive data and research relationships.
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively within a multidisciplinary team.
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced and innovative environment where change is constant.

Physical Demands and Work Environment:

The physical demands and work environment characteristics described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Physical demands: In the work environment described, position requires sitting at a desk and utilizing a computer and a telephone for prolonged periods of time and good eye/hand coordination, bending and stretching, and physical stamina to lift and transport a minimum of 10 pounds. Visual acuity to review written materials is required for this job.

Work environment: Work is performed full-time (Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.) in a professional, climate-controlled office environment with standard office equipment, including computers, printers, and telephones. This role requires working in an open setting near colleagues. The noise level is typically low to moderate. The role also requires interaction with both the public and internal team members in a professional and courteous manner. Some local travel will be required, and a flexible schedule may be necessary to accommodate business needs, including occasional evening and weekend work hours.

Heartland Whole Health Institute is an equal opportunity employer committed to building and maintaining a workplace that is free of discrimination and harassment of any kind. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, veteran status, or any other status protected by the laws or regulations in the locations where we operate.

All offers of employment are contingent on your successful completion (where permitted by state law) of a confidentiality agreement and a background check. In addition, you will need to provide proper identification verifying your eligibility to work in the United States.