Chief Medical Officer

Quick Facts

• Reports to the Executive Director; senior advisor to executive leadership and commissioners
• Provides evidence-based medical and public health guidance for consumer product safety and injury risk decisions

Description

The Chief Medical Officer (CMO) advises leadership on clinical and injury trends, contributes to policy development and evaluation, and leads cross-cutting clinical and scientific initiatives. The role develops and applies rigorous, agency-wide standards and methodologies for evaluating medical and public health evidence used in regulatory, compliance, and enforcement contexts. The CMO also integrates clinical and medical evidence with exposure and injury surveillance data to support risk-based decision-making.

Responsibilities

• Serve as a senior clinical and scientific advisor to leadership on policy development, program direction, and long-range strategy
• Advise on policy and operating strategies aligned with public health and safety goals
• Develop and implement standards and methodologies for evaluating and interpreting medical and public health evidence
• Lead objective evaluation and resolution of clinical, epidemiological, and scientific evidence for high-impact decisions
• Assess external clinical and public health recommendations for relevance, applicability, and evidentiary weight
• Integrate clinical and medical evidence with exposure data, product use patterns, and injury surveillance systems
• Advise on injury causation and risk characterization (product design, foreseeable use, exposure conditions, observed outcomes)
• Identify emerging areas where claims may outpace evidence and establish evidentiary thresholds for Commission action
• Provide scientific assessments and strategic counsel to ensure evidence-based regulatory and program actions
• Exercise executive leadership over cross-cutting clinical and public health initiatives; chair or participate in committees and resolve complex or controversial issues

Requirements

• U.S. citizenship and eligibility to pass a required background investigation for a Public Trust Position
• 52 weeks of specialized experience at the equivalent of GS-15, including medical/clinical/public health/scientific expertise for regulatory or public health decisions; evaluation and application of scientific evidence (clinical, epidemiological, toxicological, injury-related); integration of medical and risk information for health hazards and injury causation; development/implementation of scientific policies, standards, or methodologies; leading multidisciplinary initiatives; advising senior leadership; and collaborating with internal and external stakeholders
• Mandatory education: bachelor’s or graduate/higher degree in a medical/health sciences/allied sciences field from an accredited program; transcripts required
• Selective Service registration or exemption (if applicable)