Medical Director, Center for Simulation and Research

Primary Location

Department

Shift

Schedule

Weekly Hours

FTE

Employee Status

Applications are now being accepted for the next Medical Director of our Center for Simulation and Research at Cincinnati Children’s. This experienced leader will help guide us to the next evolution of an already successful center.

KEY RESPONSABILITIES

The new Medical Director will oversee the development, delivery, and assessment of simulation-based education and training courses developed by the CSR, as well as the recruitment, support and development of CSR staff. To achieve this purpose, the Medical Director is intended to work at a leadership level with the CSR’s Operations Director, Research Director and Fellowship Director.

ABOUT THE CENTER FOR SIMULATION AND RESEARCH

The Center for Simulation and Research started as a small Emergency Medicine based program 25 years ago and evolved into a formal institutional center in 2009. Today we are accredited by the Society for Simulation in Healthcare across the five domains: Core, Education & Training, Systems Integration, Research and Fellowship.

The Center currently functions out of over 10,000 square feet of dedicated space spread across our campuses and through in-situ training and mobile simulation reaching over 20,000 participants annually. We are excited to be planning a new state-of-the-art facility which we will open in the next 2 years.

REQUIRED SKILLS

• Demonstrated leadership ability/potential.

• Excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills.

• Attention to detail and strong organizational skills.

• Excellent and demonstrable supervisory skills. Although the position will have no direct, formal reports, the person will take a senior role within the CSR and supervise all the physicians with dedicated FTE.

• An innovative and established approach to program development.

• Designing, implementing, and completing education, training and/or research projects, especially simulation-based.

• The ability to relate to diverse age and demographic backgrounds, including fostering an atmosphere of support for diversity, equity and inclusion.

• Computer literate and working knowledge of common office and research software applications.

• Ability to synthesize information and to create solutions to problems by applying past experiences.

• Proficient teacher, of all levels of trainee and staff and with a variety of approaches/media, including but not limited to educational group presentations.

• Well-versed in adult learning principles, including experiential learning, deliberate practice and mastery learning.

• Ability to aid the evaluation of staff management and management practices, systematically and without bias.

• Respectful of timeliness in program/project completion.

• Ability to organize and to coordinate multifaceted programs involving several components, staff, and participants.

• Ability to lead and to empower teams.

• Ability to work well under pressure, including prioritizing and adapting to a highly dynamic environment.

EDUCATION/WORK EXPERIENCE

Required

• Faculty-level physician, with MD, DO, or equivalent.

• Clinical and other commitments permit spending at least 2.5 full days per week, on average, focused on CSR work.

• At minimum five years of formal experience in medical simulation.

• Primary academic focus is simulation; education and/or research is acceptable.

• Instructor status in PALS, ACLS, NRP and/or ATLS (as applicable to clinical duties), given our status as a certification center.

• Knowledge of patient simulation services, applications, and instructional technologies.

• Demonstrated experience with scientific writing, including IRB protocols, meeting abstracts, and manuscripts.

• Experience in study design, coordination, enrollment, and analysis.

Preferred

• Formal training in medical simulation (e.g., medical simulation fellowship) or similar advanced degree on medical education (e.g., Master of Medical Education).

• Grant writing skills and experience, including documentation of prior securement of research funding.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Collaborate with the Operations Director, Research Director, Fellowship Director, content expert(s), research scientist, and education specialist/consultant(s) in developing innovative simulation-based scenarios, courses and programs, including capitalizing on opportunities to research these novel simulations to advance the science within our field.

• Collaborate with the Operations Director on day-to-day operations of the CSR, including meeting monthly with the CSR directors and attending meetings of the various sub-groups (operations, research, education leadership, intake, mobile lab, digital simulation and certification) within the Center, as needed.

• Collaborate with the Research Director to determine validity and feasibility of outcome measures in the simulation lab and in situ settings. When needed, collaborates on derivation and validation of new measure instruments/tools for use in simulation-based education and training.

• Collaborate with the Operations Director, education consultants and simulation technicians on the annual CSR budgets, including but not limited to staffing, space, capital equipment, and standard equipment and supplies.

• Represent the CSR at the institutional level, including response to safety issues identified in the root cause analysis of serious safety events, requests from leadership regarding the need for simulation-based education and training, use of simulation-based clinical systems testing to open new spaces efficiently and safely, and advocating for the use of simulation for other identified needs across the various units and healthcare settings.

• Maintain the Center’s accreditation status with the Society for Simulation in Healthcare, including Core, Education & Training, Research, Systems Integration, and Medical Simulation Fellowship. This requires an annual submission of updates and a formal application for re-accreditation every five years.

• Co-lead monthly staff meetings and annual strategy meetings with the Operations Director, as well as being personally responsible for the CSR’s monthly Journal Review/Top Discussion session and facilitating at least one session annually.

• Participate, and encourage staff to participate, in local, regional and national forums regarding simulation-based education, training and research, allowing the Center to maintain its national status as a leading center for medical simulation. This includes exploring opportunities to lecture on simulation related topics at meetings and conferences at the hospital, local and national levels. This also includes encouraging and supporting pursuit of the certified healthcare simulation educator (CHSE) status for staff.

OTHER RESPONSIBILITIES

• Support other members of the CSR and content experts through participation in courses outside of your main area of clinical involvement, including help with scenario design, course piloting and facilitation, as needed.

• Support the development of simulation expertise across the institution, including maintenance and improvement of our facilitator course and annual evaluation of facilitators.

• Ensure all individual certifications and requirements as required by CCHMC, i.e. My Role in Safety, Integrity and Compliance, are fulfilled in a timely basis.

• Follow policies and procedures governing the handling of confidential information as defined by Cincinnati Children’s mission and applicable laws and regulations. Ensure timeliness, accuracy, availability, and security of information.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Funding Source/Effort: This position is part of the physician’s overall effort at CCHMC. Fifty percent (50%) clinical effort will be dedicated to working in the division credentialed in, and the remaining fifty percent (50%) effort will be supported by the Center for Simulation from the Chief of Staff Office budget. The amount of dedicated effort to the Center for Simulation and Research will be discussed during the interview process and then reassessed on a yearly basis thereafter during the Medical Director’s annual evaluation.

TO APPLY

Please attach your curriculum vitae and letter of interest.

About Us

At Cincinnati Children’s, we come to work with one goal: to make children’s health better. We believe in a holistic team approach, both in caring for patients and their families, and in advancing science and discovery. We strive to do better and find energy and inspiration in our shared purpose. If you want to be the best you can be, you can do it at Cincinnati Children’s. 

 Cincinnati Children's is: 

• Recognized by U.S. News & World Report as a top 10  best Children's Hospitals in the nation for more than 15 years 

• Consistently among the top 3 Children's Hospitals for National Institutes of Health (NIH) Funding 

• Recognized as one of America’s Best Large Employers  (2025), America’s Best Employers for New Grads (2025) 

• One of the nation's America’s Most Innovative Companies as noted by Fortune 

• Consistently certified as great place to work 

• A Leading Disability Employer as noted by the National Organization on Disability 

• Magnet® designated for the fourth consecutive time by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) 

 We Embrace Innovation—Together.  We believe in empowering our teams with the tools that help us work smarter and care better. That’s why we support the responsible use of artificial intelligence. By encouraging innovation, we’re creating space for new ideas, better outcomes, and a stronger future—for all of us.

Comprehensive job description provided upon request.

Cincinnati Children’s is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to creating an environment of dignity and respect for all our employees, patients, and families. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, genetic information, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability or protected veteran status. EEO/Veteran/Disability