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By joining the American Red Cross you will touch millions of lives every year and experience the greatness of the human spirit at its best. Are you ready to be part of the world's largest humanitarian network?

Join us—Where your Career is a Force for Good!

Job Description:

Joining The American Red Cross is like nothing else – it’s as much something you feel as something you do. You become a vital part of the world’s largest humanitarian network. Joining a team of welcoming individuals who are exceptional, yet unassuming. Diverse, yet uncompromising in unity. You grow your career within a movement that matters, where success is measured in people helped, communities made whole, and individuals equipped to never stop changing lives and situations for the better.

When you choose to be a force for good, you’ll have mentors who empower your growth along a purposeful career path. You align your life’s work with an ongoing mission that’s bigger than all of us. As you care for others, you’re cared for with competitive compensation and benefits. You join a community that respects who you are away from work as much as what you do while at work.

Where Your Career is a Force for Good!

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:

As the Director, Public Health and Behavioral Research, you will lead strategic research initiatives to understand and influence blood donor motivation and behavior. Develop evidence-based programs to enhance donor education, recruitment, engagement, and retention, while fostering partnerships and securing funding to advance public health and behavioral science applications in blood donation.

This position is based at our Rockville, MD location and requires a consistent on-site presence, with flexibility for a hybrid remote schedule. Our ideal candidate will live within commuting distance to Rockville to support collaboration and leadership responsibilities.

Key strengths include:

• Leadership & Strategy: Proven ability to lead cross-functional teams and foster partnerships.
• Research Excellence: Skilled in designing and executing studies on blood donor motivation and behavior.
• Communication: Exceptional written and verbal skills to present complex information to diverse stakeholders.
• Operational Impact: Develop evidence-based programs to enhance donor education, recruitment, engagement, and retention.
• Management: Strong project and budget management skills; provide guidance and support to volunteers.

WHERE YOUR CAREER IS A FORCE FOR GOOD (Key Responsibilities):

• Provide strategic leadership for donor behavior research and public health initiatives aligned with organizational priorities.
• Design, execute, and evaluate innovative, evidence-based studies to inform donor engagement strategies.
• Collaborate across service areas to ensure integrated public health approaches and advise senior leadership on related decisions.
• Develop and implement operational interventions based on research findings.
• Identify and cultivate research partnerships and funding opportunities with academia, government, and private sectors.
• Oversee project planning, budgeting, resource allocation, and supervise research staff to ensure team success.
• Represent the organization to federal agencies, the public, and other entities while fostering a culture of innovation and scientific excellence.

Pay Information:

The salary range for this position is $185,000- $195,000

This job will be posted for a minimum of five business days and extended if the applicant pool needs to be expanded.

Note that American Red Cross salaries are aligned to the specific geographic location in which the work is primarily performed. Other factors that may be used to determine your actual salary may include your specific skills, how many years of experience you have and comparison to other employees already in this role.

This role may be eligible for relocation assistance

WHAT YOU NEED TO SUCCEED

Education

• Doctoral degree (PhD, DrPH, ScD) in Public Health, Behavioral Science, Health Psychology, Epidemiology, Sociology, or related field preferred.

Experience

• Minimum 10 years of progressively responsible experience in public health research, behavioral science, or related fields.
• Demonstrated success in designing and leading applied research programs focused on health behavior, population engagement, or health communication.
• At least 5 years of management experience.

Skills & Abilities

• Strong leadership and strategic thinking skills; ability to influence across complex organizations.
• Expertise in qualitative and quantitative research methods and implementation science.
• Ability to translate research findings into actionable insights and operational strategies.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills; able to present complex information to diverse stakeholders.
• Strong project and budget management skills.
• Commitment to ethical research practices and continuous learning.
• Ability to work collaboratively in team environments.

Other Requirements

Ability to travel occasionally for conferences, stakeholder meetings, or site visits.

Commitment to the mission and humanitarian values of the American Red Cross.

BENEFITS FOR YOU:

As a mission-based organization, we believe our team needs great support to do great work. Our comprehensive package includes:

• Medical, Dental Vision plans
• Health Spending Accounts & Flexible Spending Accounts
• PTO: Starting at 15 days a year; based on type of job and tenure
• Holidays: 11 paid holidays comprised of six core holidays and five floating holidays
• 401K with up to 6% match
• Paid Family Leave
• Employee Assistance
• Disability and Insurance: Short + Long Term
• Service Awards and recognition

Apply now! Joining our team will provide you with the opportunity to

make your career a force for good!

The American Red Cross is an Equal Opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, religion, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, age, or any other characteristic protected by law.
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Qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers, San Diego Fair Chance Ordinance, the California Fair Chance Act and any other applicable state and local laws.

AmeriCorps, the federal agency that brings people together through service, and its partners — the Peace Corps, AmeriCorps Alums, National Peace Corps Association, and the Service Year Alliance — launched Employers of National Service to connect national service alumni with opportunities in the workforce. American Red Cross is proud to be an EONS partner and share our employment opportunities with the network of organizations.

Interested in Volunteering? Visit redcross.org/volunteertoday to learn more, including our most-needed volunteer positions.

To view the EEOC Summary of Rights, click here: Summary of Rights