NIH Clinical Center- Head of Bioethics Consultation Service

Department of Health and Human Services

National Institutes of Health | Clinical Center

Department of Bioethics

Shape the ethical future of biomedical research and clinical care

The National Institutes of Health Clinical Center in Bethesda, Maryland invites applications from scholars with an established or potential career as a leader in the field for a position in the Department of Bioethics.

The NIH Clinical Center is not a traditional hospital. It is a unique clinical research environment where patients, families, clinicians, investigators, and scientists work together to understand disease and develop new approaches to prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. The Department of Bioethics advances this mission through rigorous interdisciplinary research, responsive ethics consultation, fellowship training, and education across the NIH intramural research community.

Why this position is distinctive

• Ethics at the center of discovery: The Department is in the NIH Clinical Center, where complex ethical questions arise in first-in-human studies, rare-disease research, innovative therapies, and the care of patient-participants.
• Consultation with direct clinical and research impact: The Bioethics Consultation Service analyzes and facilitates discussion of ethical issues raised by patients, families, investigators, clinicians, nurses, administrators, social workers, and other members of the NIH community.
• Interdisciplinary scholarship with national relevance: Faculty and fellows use conceptual and empirical methods to address ethical issues in biomedical research, clinical practice, genetics, biotechnology, public health, health policy, and health disparities.
• Education and mentorship as a core mission: The Department supports a fully funded fellowship program, seminars, case conferences, ethics consultations, IRB deliberations, courses, and lectures that prepare the next generation of leaders in bioethics.

What this position involves

• Leading the NIH Clinical Center Bioethics Consultation Service, overseeing clinical and research ethics consultations, scheduling, operations, and service quality, and serving as a consultation attending.
• Conducting and leading independent bioethics research, serving as a principal investigator or collaborator, managing studies from conception through publication and presentation.
• Mentoring and educating bioethics fellows through consultation training, research mentorship, teaching, and supervision.
• Advancing NIH bioethics education and outreach by teaching courses and seminars, co-leading the NIH Bioethics Interest Group, participating in fellowship recruitment, and promoting ethical practice across the NIH.

The ideal candidate

The ideal candidate will bring strong leadership credentials, sound judgment, and demonstrated ability to conduct independent research, lead a bioethics consultation service and mentor fellows. Applicants must meet the federal qualification requirements described in the USAJOBS announcement, including:

• Bachelor's degree or graduate/higher level degree with major study in an academic field related to the medical field, health sciences or allied sciences appropriate to the work of the position.
• Degree must be from an educational program from an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education at the time the degree was obtained.
• For appointment at the GS-15 level, you must have and your resume must demonstrate at least one year of qualifying specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-14 level in the Federal Government obtained in either the private or public sector, performing the following types of tasks: 1.) participating in the planning, management, and implementation of a Bioethics Consultation Service and serving as a Bioethics Consultation Service attending; 2.) conducting original bioethics research on topics relevant to bioethics and/or health policy; 3.) teaching bioethics courses and seminars; 4.) mentoring post-bac and post-doctoral fellows.
• US Citizenship is required.

Benefits, location, and application

Salary will be commensurate with experience as well as scientific accomplishments. A full federal Civil Service package of benefits (including retirement, health, life and long-term care insurance, Thrift Savings Plan, etc.) is available for this position. This is a permanent, full-time position at the NIH Clinical Center in Bethesda, Maryland. Relocation expenses and travel are not authorized. The position is subject to on-call and/or callback, requires a background investigation and credentialing, and may require a pre-employment medical examination and a one- or two-year trial or probationary period.

Applications must be submitted through USAJOBS. Applications will be accepted from November 9, 2026, through November 18, 2026, and the complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on the closing date. A completed application questionnaire is required. Your resume must be two pages or less and must clearly show how your skills and experience meet the qualifications; if it exceeds two pages, only the first two pages will be reviewed. The resume should include your current job title, employer, employment dates, hours worked per week, detailed duties and accomplishments, and supervisory responsibilities. A cover letter and any applicable certifications or licenses are encouraged. For application assistance, contact NIH HR Service Desk Branch E at ohrcsdbranchesrvdsk@od.nih.gov.

DHHS and NIH are equal opportunity employers. Visit NIH Equal Employment Opportunity site for more information.

NIH...Turning Discovery Into Health

A full federal Civil Service package of benefits (including retirement, health, life and long-term care insurance, Thrift Savings Plan, etc.) is available for this position. This is a permanent, full-time position at the NIH Clinical Center in Bethesda, Maryland. Relocation expenses and travel are not authorized. T

English proficiency required.