Research Director Jobs in Maryland
Research Director jobs in Maryland are concentrated in one of the most research-intensive markets in the country, driven by the state's deep federal presence, world-class academic medical centers, and defense contracting corridors. Hiring is strongest in the Baltimore-Columbia-Towson metro and the suburban Washington corridors around Bethesda, Rockville, and Silver Spring, where institutions like the National Institutes of Health, Johns Hopkins University, and Lockheed Martin maintain significant operations. The most in-demand specialties are clinical and translational research, public health policy, and biodefense. See the openings below and apply to the ones that match your experience.
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We are seeking a Managing Director of the Institute for Policy Solutions (IPS) who will work in collaboration to support and administer programming within the assigned project or portfolio. This position will work closely with project partners towards common project goals and serve as the focal point for consortium partners. They will play a key role in knowledge management, reporting, and work planning for the overall project.
The Managing Director of the Institute for Policy Solutions (IPS) at the Johns Hopkins School of Nursing. The position is the institute’s senior operational leader—reporting to the Vice Dean for Policy and Health Systems Transformation, who also serves as IPS Executive Director—and it owns the operational execution of a newly structured, growing policy institute across its research cores, the Policy Leadership Academy, and its communications and external engagement.
Specific Duties & Responsibilities
- Serve as program lead and/or writer of sections for very large and complex and/or global proposals.
- Reviews and provides feedback on country level narrative and budget submissions to donor
- Ensures a knowledge management system to track all requests and submissions
- Network and liaise as needed to promote the project.
- Lead work planning and reporting across all project technical/core areas, as well as troubleshooting as needed.
- Develop and then track metrics to gauge performance across the project.
- Acts as Project Director, in the absence of the Project Director.
- Other duties as assigned.
In addition to the duties described above
- Communications and marketing leadership: own the institute’s integrated communications, marketing, and brand strategy across earned, owned, and paid media; supervise the Senior Communications and Marketing Strategist; and manage external communications contracts. This absorbs most functions of a Director of Communications and Marketing role being eliminated and falls entirely outside the generic Finance — Business description.
- Senior operational leadership of a new institute: build the operating infrastructure and coordinate day-to-day work across three research cores, contributing centers, and the Policy Leadership Academy, protecting the Executive Director’s strategic and scientific capacity.
- Earned-revenue program operations: direct the business model, pricing, enrollment, and continuing-education/certificate administration of a national, fee-based policy-training program, and administer the Policy Pitch Program’s proposal cycle, pitch event, and milestone-tied awards.
- Sponsored-program administration: oversee research-grant administration with School of Nursing research administration (proposal support, award set-up, effort reporting, and sponsor/university compliance) and administer discretionary and endowment funds.
- Policy convening and events: plan and execute institute convenings and policy-facing briefings, including programming at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg Center in Washington, DC, and support the advisors and affiliates network.
Required
- Demonstrated experience leading communications and marketing—integrated strategy, media relations, and brand—and supervising communications staff (scope beyond the generic Finance — Business description).
On call or non-standard work hour requirements
- Occasional travel to Washington, DC (Johns Hopkins Bloomberg Center) and evening or weekend hours as needed for convenings, briefings, and policy-facing events.
Minimum Qualifications
- Master's Degree in Finance, Business or related field.
- Five years of related experience, with at least three years managing staff.
- Additional education may substitute for required experience and additional related experience may substitute for required education beyond a high school diploma/graduation equivalent, to the extent permitted by the JHU equivalency formula.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience developing or operating a fee-based, earned-revenue educational or professional-development program.
- Sponsored program (grants) administration, including federally funded awards.
- Working knowledge of health policy, nursing, or health services research environments.
Technical Skills & Expected Level of Proficiency
- Budget Management - Advanced
- Financial Acumen - Advanced
- Financial Project Management - Advanced
- Knowledge Management - Advanced
- Proposal Development - Advanced
- Performance Metrics Development - Advanced
- Stakeholder Engagement - Advanced
The core technical skills listed are most essential; additional technical skills may be required based on specific division or department needs.
Classified Title: Sr. Program Manager
Job Posting Title (Working Title): Managing Director of the Institute for Policy Solutions (IPS) (Research Administration)
Role/Level/Range: ATP/04/PG
Starting Salary Range: $102,295 - $179,375 Annually ($150,000 targeted; Commensurate w/exp.)
Employee group: Full Time
Schedule: Monday - Friday 8:30 - 5:00 (evening or weekend hours as needed for convenings, briefings, and policy-facing events)
FLSA Status: Exempt
Location: Hybrid/School of Nursing
Department name: Research Administration
Personnel area: School of Nursing
Total Rewards
The referenced base salary range represents the low and high end of Johns Hopkins University’s salary range for this position. Not all candidates will be eligible for the upper end of the salary range. Exact salary will ultimately depend on multiple factors, which may include the successful candidate's geographic location, skills, work experience, market conditions, education/training and other qualifications. Johns Hopkins offers a total rewards package that supports our employees' health, life, career and retirement. More information can be found here: https://hr.jhu.edu/benefits-worklife/.
Education and Experience Equivalency
Please refer to the job description above to see which forms of equivalency are permitted for this position. If permitted, equivalencies will follow these guidelines: JHU Equivalency Formula: 30 undergraduate degree credits (semester hours) or 18 graduate degree credits may substitute for one year of experience. Additional related experience may substitute for required education on the same basis. For jobs where equivalency is permitted, up to two years of non-related college course work may be applied towards the total minimum education/experience required for the respective job.
Applicants Completing Studies
Applicants who do not meet the posted requirements but are completing their final academic semester/quarter will be considered eligible for employment and may be asked to provide additional information confirming their academic completion date.
Background Checks
The successful candidate(s) for this position will be subject to a pre-employment background check. Johns Hopkins is committed to hiring individuals with a justice-involved background, consistent with applicable policies and current practice. A prior criminal history does not automatically preclude candidates from employment at Johns Hopkins University. In accordance with applicable law, the university will review, on an individual basis, the date of a candidate's conviction, the nature of the conviction and how the conviction relates to an essential job-related qualification or function.
Diversity and Inclusion
The Johns Hopkins University values diversity, equity and inclusion and advances these through our key strategic framework, the JHU Roadmap on Diversity and Inclusion.
Equal Opportunity Employer
All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran.
EEO is the Law
https://www.eeoc.gov/sites/default/files/2023-06/22-088_EEOC_KnowYourRights6.12ScreenRdr.pdf
Accommodation Information
If you are interested in applying for employment with The Johns Hopkins University and require special assistance or accommodation during any part of the pre-employment process, please contact the Talent Acquisition Office at jhurecruitment@jhu.edu. For TTY users, call via Maryland Relay or dial 711. For more information about workplace accommodations or accessibility at Johns Hopkins University, please visit: https://accessibility.jhu.edu/.
Vaccine Requirements
Johns Hopkins University requires all faculty, staff, and students to receive the seasonal flu vaccine. Exceptions to the flu vaccine requirements may be provided to individuals for religious beliefs or medical reasons. Requests for an exception must be submitted to the JHU vaccination registry.
The following additional provisions may apply, depending upon campus. Your recruiter will advise accordingly.
The pre-employment physical for positions in clinical areas, laboratories, working with research subjects, or involving community contact requires documentation of immune status against Rubella (German measles), Rubeola (Measles), Mumps, Varicella (chickenpox), Hepatitis B and documentation of having received the Tdap (Tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis) vaccination. This may include documentation of having two (2) MMR vaccines; two (2) Varicella vaccines; or antibody status to these diseases from laboratory testing. Blood tests for immunities to these diseases are ordinarily included in the pre-employment physical exam except for those employees who provide results of blood tests or immunization documentation from their own health care providers. Any vaccinations required for these diseases will be given at no cost in our Occupational Health office.
We are seeking a Managing Director of the Institute for Policy Solutions (IPS) who will work in collaboration to support and administer programming within the assigned project or portfolio. This position will work closely with project partners towards common project goals and serve as the focal point for consortium partners. They will play a key role in knowledge management, reporting, and work planning for the overall project.
The Managing Director of the Institute for Policy Solutions (IPS) at the Johns Hopkins School of Nursing. The position is the institute’s senior operational leader—reporting to the Vice Dean for Policy and Health Systems Transformation, who also serves as IPS Executive Director—and it owns the operational execution of a newly structured, growing policy institute across its research cores, the Policy Leadership Academy, and its communications and external engagement.
Specific Duties & Responsibilities
- Serve as program lead and/or writer of sections for very large and complex and/or global proposals.
- Reviews and provides feedback on country level narrative and budget submissions to donor
- Ensures a knowledge management system to track all requests and submissions
- Network and liaise as needed to promote the project.
- Lead work planning and reporting across all project technical/core areas, as well as troubleshooting as needed.
- Develop and then track metrics to gauge performance across the project.
- Acts as Project Director, in the absence of the Project Director.
- Other duties as assigned.
In addition to the duties described above
- Communications and marketing leadership: own the institute’s integrated communications, marketing, and brand strategy across earned, owned, and paid media; supervise the Senior Communications and Marketing Strategist; and manage external communications contracts. This absorbs most functions of a Director of Communications and Marketing role being eliminated and falls entirely outside the generic Finance — Business description.
- Senior operational leadership of a new institute: build the operating infrastructure and coordinate day-to-day work across three research cores, contributing centers, and the Policy Leadership Academy, protecting the Executive Director’s strategic and scientific capacity.
- Earned-revenue program operations: direct the business model, pricing, enrollment, and continuing-education/certificate administration of a national, fee-based policy-training program, and administer the Policy Pitch Program’s proposal cycle, pitch event, and milestone-tied awards.
- Sponsored-program administration: oversee research-grant administration with School of Nursing research administration (proposal support, award set-up, effort reporting, and sponsor/university compliance) and administer discretionary and endowment funds.
- Policy convening and events: plan and execute institute convenings and policy-facing briefings, including programming at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg Center in Washington, DC, and support the advisors and affiliates network.
Required
- Demonstrated experience leading communications and marketing—integrated strategy, media relations, and brand—and supervising communications staff (scope beyond the generic Finance — Business description).
On call or non-standard work hour requirements
- Occasional travel to Washington, DC (Johns Hopkins Bloomberg Center) and evening or weekend hours as needed for convenings, briefings, and policy-facing events.
Minimum Qualifications
- Master's Degree in Finance, Business or related field.
- Five years of related experience, with at least three years managing staff.
- Additional education may substitute for required experience and additional related experience may substitute for required education beyond a high school diploma/graduation equivalent, to the extent permitted by the JHU equivalency formula.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience developing or operating a fee-based, earned-revenue educational or professional-development program.
- Sponsored program (grants) administration, including federally funded awards.
- Working knowledge of health policy, nursing, or health services research environments.
Technical Skills & Expected Level of Proficiency
- Budget Management - Advanced
- Financial Acumen - Advanced
- Financial Project Management - Advanced
- Knowledge Management - Advanced
- Proposal Development - Advanced
- Performance Metrics Development - Advanced
- Stakeholder Engagement - Advanced
The core technical skills listed are most essential; additional technical skills may be required based on specific division or department needs.
Classified Title: Sr. Program Manager
Job Posting Title (Working Title): Managing Director of the Institute for Policy Solutions (IPS) (Research Administration)
Role/Level/Range: ATP/04/PG
Starting Salary Range: $102,295 - $179,375 Annually ($150,000 targeted; Commensurate w/exp.)
Employee group: Full Time
Schedule: Monday - Friday 8:30 - 5:00 (evening or weekend hours as needed for convenings, briefings, and policy-facing events)
FLSA Status: Exempt
Location: Hybrid/School of Nursing
Department name: Research Administration
Personnel area: School of Nursing
Total Rewards
The referenced base salary range represents the low and high end of Johns Hopkins University’s salary range for this position. Not all candidates will be eligible for the upper end of the salary range. Exact salary will ultimately depend on multiple factors, which may include the successful candidate's geographic location, skills, work experience, market conditions, education/training and other qualifications. Johns Hopkins offers a total rewards package that supports our employees' health, life, career and retirement. More information can be found here: https://hr.jhu.edu/benefits-worklife/.
Education and Experience Equivalency
Please refer to the job description above to see which forms of equivalency are permitted for this position. If permitted, equivalencies will follow these guidelines: JHU Equivalency Formula: 30 undergraduate degree credits (semester hours) or 18 graduate degree credits may substitute for one year of experience. Additional related experience may substitute for required education on the same basis. For jobs where equivalency is permitted, up to two years of non-related college course work may be applied towards the total minimum education/experience required for the respective job.
Applicants Completing Studies
Applicants who do not meet the posted requirements but are completing their final academic semester/quarter will be considered eligible for employment and may be asked to provide additional information confirming their academic completion date.
Background Checks
The successful candidate(s) for this position will be subject to a pre-employment background check. Johns Hopkins is committed to hiring individuals with a justice-involved background, consistent with applicable policies and current practice. A prior criminal history does not automatically preclude candidates from employment at Johns Hopkins University. In accordance with applicable law, the university will review, on an individual basis, the date of a candidate's conviction, the nature of the conviction and how the conviction relates to an essential job-related qualification or function.
Diversity and Inclusion
The Johns Hopkins University values diversity, equity and inclusion and advances these through our key strategic framework, the JHU Roadmap on Diversity and Inclusion.
Equal Opportunity Employer
All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran.
EEO is the Law
https://www.eeoc.gov/sites/default/files/2023-06/22-088_EEOC_KnowYourRights6.12ScreenRdr.pdf
Accommodation Information
If you are interested in applying for employment with The Johns Hopkins University and require special assistance or accommodation during any part of the pre-employment process, please contact the Talent Acquisition Office at jhurecruitment@jhu.edu. For TTY users, call via Maryland Relay or dial 711. For more information about workplace accommodations or accessibility at Johns Hopkins University, please visit: https://accessibility.jhu.edu/.
Vaccine Requirements
Johns Hopkins University requires all faculty, staff, and students to receive the seasonal flu vaccine. Exceptions to the flu vaccine requirements may be provided to individuals for religious beliefs or medical reasons. Requests for an exception must be submitted to the JHU vaccination registry.
The following additional provisions may apply, depending upon campus. Your recruiter will advise accordingly.
The pre-employment physical for positions in clinical areas, laboratories, working with research subjects, or involving community contact requires documentation of immune status against Rubella (German measles), Rubeola (Measles), Mumps, Varicella (chickenpox), Hepatitis B and documentation of having received the Tdap (Tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis) vaccination. This may include documentation of having two (2) MMR vaccines; two (2) Varicella vaccines; or antibody status to these diseases from laboratory testing. Blood tests for immunities to these diseases are ordinarily included in the pre-employment physical exam except for those employees who provide results of blood tests or immunization documentation from their own health care providers. Any vaccinations required for these diseases will be given at no cost in our Occupational Health office.
See All 7 Research Director Jobs in Maryland
Find roles in Maryland that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
Find Research Director JobsResearch Director Jobs by City in Maryland
Where Maryland roles are concentrated, by current openings.
Research Director Job Market in Maryland
A snapshot from current Maryland openings, updated as new roles post.
Who's Hiring
Top Industries Hiring
- Education
What Maryland Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in research director jobs across Maryland.
- Doctoral degree in a relevant scientific, social science, or public health field required
- Seven or more years of progressive research experience including team or program leadership
- Demonstrated experience managing federally funded grants or government contracts
- Expertise in research design, IRB compliance, and scientific or regulatory writing
- Ability to obtain or maintain federal security clearance for defense or intelligence roles
- Strong record of peer-reviewed publication or program evaluation in a relevant discipline
Research Director Jobs in Maryland: Frequently Asked Questions
How do you become a research director in Maryland?
Most research director roles in Maryland require a doctoral degree, typically a PhD, MD, or equivalent, combined with substantial leadership experience in a research setting. Maryland does not issue a state license specifically for research directors, but those working in clinical research must ensure their studies comply with federal human subjects protections through an Institutional Review Board. Candidates pursuing roles at federally funded centers in Bethesda or Baltimore benefit from familiarity with NIH grant mechanisms and federal compliance frameworks.
How much do research directors make in Maryland?
Research directors in Maryland earn a median of about $168,620 a year, based on May 2025 Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data, ranging from around $127,920 for the lowest 10% to over $268,240 for the top 10%. Pay rises with experience, specialty, and employer.
Which companies hire research directors in Maryland?
Employers hiring research directors in Maryland right now include Johns Hopkins University, AstraZeneca, and University of Maryland Baltimore County, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of August 2026. Maryland's concentration of federal agencies, academic medical centers, and defense contractors means openings appear across a uniquely broad range of research disciplines, from biomedical science to national security.
Which Maryland cities have the most research director jobs?
The cities with the most research director openings in Maryland are Baltimore and Gaithersburg. The Baltimore metro anchors demand through Johns Hopkins, the University of Maryland Medical System, and major biotech firms, while the Montgomery County corridor from Bethesda to Rockville reflects the dense presence of NIH campuses, federal health agencies, and life sciences companies that cluster around that federal funding base.
Are there remote research director jobs in Maryland?
Yes, and more than most fields. About 100% of research director openings tied to Maryland are remote or hybrid as of August 2026, reflecting the desk-based and analytical nature of much research oversight work. Roles focused on policy research, program evaluation, and data-intensive social science studies tend to offer the most remote flexibility, while positions requiring direct oversight of laboratory operations or clinical trials typically require on-site presence.
How can I get hired as a research director in Maryland with little or no experience?
The most realistic entry path is building toward the director level from a research manager, principal investigator, or senior research scientist role within a large Maryland institution. Organizations like Johns Hopkins, the University of Maryland system, and federal contractors in Montgomery County regularly recruit research coordinators and project managers who can grow into director tracks over time. Holding a relevant doctoral degree, securing a first-author publication, or completing an NIH-funded postdoctoral fellowship significantly accelerates that progression within Maryland's research community.
Where can I find and apply to research director jobs in Maryland?
You can find and apply to research director jobs in Maryland on Migrate Mate, which lists current openings across the state. Search the listings to find roles that match your background, experience level, and preferred location, then apply directly to the ones that fit.
See All 7 Research Director Jobs in Maryland
Find roles in Maryland that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
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