Director, Ethics Policy
Chicago, IL (Hybrid)

The American Medical Association (AMA) is the nation’s largest professional Association of physicians and a non-profit organization. We are a unifying voice and powerful ally for America’s physicians, the patients they care for, and the promise of a healthier nation.  To be part of the AMA is to be part of our Mission to promote the art and science of medicine and the betterment of public health.

We continuously work to embed equity in our internal practices and are committed to increasing the diversity of our staff across all levels of the organization. We intentionally work to create the right conditions to enable our employees to feel that they can be their authentic selves and fully participate in the life of the enterprise.

We encourage and support professional development for our employees, and we are dedicated to social responsibility. We invite you to learn more about us and we look forward to getting to know you.

We have an opportunity at our corporate offices in Chicago for a Director, Ethics Policy on our Publishing and Mission Operations team. This is a hybrid position reporting into our Chicago, IL office, requiring 12 days per month in the office.

As a Director, Ethics Policy you will direct all policy activities related to ethics for the American Medical Association and its Council on Ethical and Judicial Affairs. Responsible for maintaining the AMA standing as the preeminent authority in the development of ethics guidance for the medical profession; promoting greater awareness and understanding of the AMA Code of Medical Ethics; and advocating for legislative and regulatory positions at the federal and state level that are consistent with AMA ethics policies.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Council on Ethical and Judicial Affairs (CEJA)

Serve as Secretary to the Council on Ethical and Judicial Affairs (CEJA).
Oversee the development and updating of ethics guidance in the AMA Code of Medical Ethics, which represents the official policy position of the Association on matters of ethical import in medicine and health care.
Coordinate with AMA Office of General Counsel and Membership to establish and support a CEJA judicial process that reviews the ethical integrity and fitness of AMA members.
Manage strategic planning and prioritization of Council activities and the planning of CEJA’s work at its business meetings including CEJA’s Open Forum at Annual and Interim meetings of the AMA’s House of Delegates (HOD).
Oversee the staff who provide substantive support to the Reference Committee on Amendments to Constitution and Bylaws at HOD meetings.
Promoting AMA Code of Medical Ethics

Maintain and update the Code website which includes the development of ethics cases and legal briefs.
Oversee the development of Code-based educational resources for medical students and physicians including UME, GME and CME-relevant content on the AMA EdHub.
Develop Code-based manuscripts for peer-review publication consideration in leading ethics journals.
Create ethics-relevant content that draws on the ethics guidance from the Code for dissemination across AMA marketing and communication channels.
Work with Health Solutions to update and publish the annotated edition of the Code.
Internal Collaboration

Work with AMA Advocacy to identify legislative and regulatory proposals that warrant ethics review and prepare responses to government stakeholders including Congressional committees, US federal agencies and state legislatures.
Work with AMA Enterprise Communications to respond to media inquiries and prepare letters to the editor.
Work with AMA Litigation Center to review amicus briefs and other legal documents that the Association plans to submit in court cases.
Prepare responses to inquiries related to ethics from AMA leadership including BOT, physicians, patients and the public at large.
Work with AMA International Relations to provide substantive support for World Medical Association and other international medicine activities.
People Management

Provide appropriate training, guidance, and leadership for all professional staff.
Responsible for setting goals, evaluating performance, and developing and advancing staff skills/expertise.
May include other responsibilities as assigned

REQUIREMENTS:

JD, PhD or equivalent degree in a medical professionalism and bioethics relevant field is required.
Minimum 10+ years of experience in health care ethics policy development and scholarship.
Demonstrated knowledge of the AMA Code of Medical Ethics and familiarity with key organizations involved in the regulation of professional conduct in medicine including accreditation bodies and licensing boards.
Minimum 5+ years of experience in people management; able to grow and mentor talent.
Demonstrated legal and/or bioethics research skills as well as strong writing skills and editing experience.
Excellent organizational and prioritization skills, including committee work experience.
Project management experience, including managing staff effectively.
Proven experience in publication in peer-reviewed journals.
Experience in the administration of a budget and team operations.
Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively including presentations, around complex and controversial topics, to diverse audiences, including physician audience.
Experience with media relations.
Demonstrated ability to collaborate with a wide diversity of colleagues, as well as to take the lead role or to work with minimal supervision.
AMA’s safety and policy protocols require proof of full vaccination against COVID19 for employment at AMA (including booster when eligible). Employees may apply for a religious or medical exemption from getting the vaccine.
The American Medical Association is located at 330 N. Wabash Avenue, Chicago, IL 60611 and is convenient to all public transportation in Chicago.

We are an equal opportunity employer, committed to diversity in our workforce. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment. As an EOE/AA employer, the American Medical Association will not discriminate in its employment practices due to an applicant’s race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity and veteran or disability status.

THE AMA IS COMMITTED TO IMPROVING THE HEALTH OF THE NATION