Director, Ethics

Emory Healthcare•Atlanta, GA

7h•Onsite

About The Position

The Director of Ethics provides system-wide leadership for the Ethics Program across Emory Healthcare (EHC), including hospitals and ambulatory sites. In collaboration with EHC leadership and the Office of Quality, this role is responsible for the development, implementation, and oversight of a comprehensive Ethics program that supports high-quality, compassionate, and ethically grounded patient care. Role Scope and Effort Allocation 0.25 FTE: Protected leadership time for system-wide ethics program oversight Minimum 0.50 FTE: Clinical ethics consultation, including formal and informal consults Remaining FTE: Education, supervision, scholarship, and system-wide ethics initiatives

Requirements

Master’s or doctoral degree in Ethics or a related field with a focus on healthcare ethics, clinical ethics, or bioethics required.
Minimum of five (5) years of progressively responsible experience in healthcare and clinical ethics.
Minimum of five (5) years of experience providing ethics consultation to patients, families, and healthcare teams.
Demonstrated experience supervising clinical ethicists or similar professionals.
Advanced expertise in clinical and organizational ethics within complex healthcare systems.
Strong conflict resolution, mediation, and interdisciplinary communication skills.
Working knowledge of health law, cultural and religious considerations, and institutional policy frameworks.

Nice To Haves

Terminal degree (PhD, MD, JD, or equivalent) in Ethics or a closely related field preferred.
Healthcare Ethics Consultation Certification (HEC-C) strongly preferred.
Demonstrated leadership within regional or national healthcare ethics organizations.
Record of scholarly activity, including publications in clinical or healthcare ethics.
Experience advancing ethics programs within large, complex healthcare systems.

Responsibilities

Lead and oversee a system-wide Ethics consultation service across Emory Healthcare.
Maintain responsibility for overall program leadership, strategy, and operational oversight.
Align ethics initiatives with the mission, vision, and strategic priorities of Emory Healthcare.
Drive innovation and continuous improvement in ethics program delivery.
Provide formal and informal ethics consultations across the health system.
Serve as the consultant of record for complex, high-risk, or ethically challenging cases.
Support and guide other ethicists in delivering consistent, high-quality consultation services.
Maintain active clinical ethics practice as a core responsibility.
Support ongoing development and enhancement of the system-wide Ethics consultation service.
Track, evaluate, and report on the impact of ethics consultations.
Integrate ethics workflows and documentation within the electronic medical record (EMR) system.
Supervise, mentor, and develop clinical ethicists and related staff.
Provide performance management, coaching, and professional development opportunities.
Foster a collaborative and high-performing team environment.
Develop and deliver ethics education programs across the health system.
Lead multidisciplinary education initiatives, including Ethics Grand Rounds.
Promote ongoing learning and awareness of ethical standards and practices.
Lead the development, review, and implementation of ethics-related policies, protocols, and guidelines.
Provide ethics consultation and guidance for organizational decision-making and system-level initiatives.
Ensure alignment with regulatory, legal, and organizational standards.
Coordinate and support hospital-based Ethics Committees across the system.
Collaborate with Quality, Risk Management, Legal, and executive leadership on complex ethical matters.
Participate in interdisciplinary initiatives to support ethical clinical and operational practices.
Perform additional duties as assigned to support program effectiveness and organizational priorities.