1 April, 2026
The European Respiratory Society (ERS) has officially launched its search for a new Guidelines Director, a pivotal leadership position that sits at the intersection of clinical excellence, scientific rigor, and global health policy. As the respiratory community continues to navigate a rapidly evolving landscape of diagnostics, therapeutics, and digital health, the role of the Guidelines Director becomes increasingly vital in ensuring that clinical practice remains grounded in the highest standards of evidence-based medicine.
This voluntary, high-impact mandate covers the period from 2027 to 2030, with an essential one-year transition and shadowing period beginning in October 2026. For the successful candidate, the position offers an unparalleled opportunity to influence the trajectory of respiratory care across Europe and beyond.
Main Facts: Defining the Role and Responsibility
The ERS Guidelines Director is tasked with overseeing the integrity and development of the Society’s scientific portfolio. This includes, but is not limited to, clinical practice guidelines, official statements, and technical standards that are adopted by clinicians, hospitals, and national health authorities worldwide.
Core Mandates
- Portfolio Oversight: The Director is responsible for maintaining a coherent, comprehensive, and balanced portfolio of task forces, ensuring that research priorities align with current clinical needs.
- Governance and Transparency: A central pillar of the role is the management of a fair, transparent, and rigorous selection process for all new projects. This ensures that only the most robust and clinically relevant research is supported by ERS resources.
- Methodological Excellence: The Director acts as a guardian of methodological quality. They are tasked with strengthening the ERS’s internal resources for guideline development, ensuring that task forces adhere to the latest GRADE (Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluations) standards and other evidence-based benchmarks.
- Strategic Collaboration: Working closely with the Science Council Chair, the Director contributes to the long-term strategic development of the Society’s scientific mission, ensuring that ERS remains at the forefront of respiratory science.
- Leadership: The appointee will chair the ERS Guidelines Working Group, facilitating dialogue between experts, methodologists, and administrative staff to ensure that every document produced meets the Society’s stringent criteria for excellence.
Chronology: The Road to 2030
The transition process is meticulously structured to ensure continuity and the transfer of institutional knowledge. The timeline for the upcoming term is as follows:
- 1 April, 2026: Official call for applications issued to the global ERS membership.
- 31 May, 2026: Deadline for the submission of applications, including CVs and completed candidate forms.
- June–August, 2026: Review phase by the ERS Science Council and relevant leadership bodies.
- October 2026: Commencement of the one-year shadowing period. The incoming Director will work alongside the current leadership to understand the operational nuances of the role.
- January 2027: Official commencement of the three-year mandate.
- December 2030: Completion of the mandate.
This phased transition reflects the complexity of the position, acknowledging that the ERS Guidelines Director must be prepared to hit the ground running upon assuming full control of the portfolio.
Supporting Data: Why Evidence-Based Guidelines Matter
The respiratory medicine sector is currently experiencing a period of unprecedented acceleration. With the rise of precision medicine, the integration of artificial intelligence in imaging, and the ongoing global response to chronic respiratory diseases (such as COPD, asthma, and interstitial lung diseases), the demand for high-quality, up-to-date guidelines has never been higher.
The Impact of ERS Guidelines
ERS-produced documents serve as the "gold standard" for respiratory health globally. Data from the Society indicates that:
- Clinical Adoption: ERS guidelines are cited in over 85% of national clinical respiratory policies within the European Union.
- Scientific Impact: Documents published under the ERS umbrella consistently rank in the top percentile of cited literature in The European Respiratory Journal (ERJ).
- Methodological Rigor: By providing financial, methodological, and operational support, the ERS ensures that task forces remain free from bias and conflicts of interest, a factor that has significantly bolstered the credibility of respiratory health advice in the post-pandemic era.
The incoming Director will oversee a workflow that processes dozens of proposals annually, selecting the most viable candidates for task force formation. Their ability to balance competing clinical priorities while maintaining fiscal responsibility and methodological perfection is the ultimate test of the role.
Official Responses: Insights from the Current Leadership
Current ERS Guidelines Director, Winfried Randerath, has been a vocal advocate for the importance of this transition. In a recent statement to the Society’s members, he highlighted both the personal and professional rewards of the position.
"This role offers an unmissable opportunity to play a key part in the development of crucial clinical practice guidelines, statements and technical standards to shape the field of respiratory medicine," said Randerath. "It is not merely an administrative task; it is an exercise in shaping the future of care. I encourage all ERS members—regardless of their specific sub-specialty—to consider how they might contribute their vision to the Society. The process of developing a guideline is intellectually stimulating, and the resulting impact on patient outcomes is deeply rewarding."
The Science Council has also emphasized that while the role is voluntary and unpaid, the professional prestige and the ability to steer the global discourse on respiratory health represent a unique career milestone for any senior clinician or academic researcher.
Implications: The Future of the Society
The selection of the 2027–2030 Director comes at a pivotal time for the ERS. As the Society pivots toward more digitized, sustainable, and inclusive research models, the incoming Director will face several key challenges and opportunities:
1. Digital Transformation
The new Director will be expected to explore how clinical guidelines can be integrated into digital health records and point-of-care decision-support systems. The transition from static PDF documents to dynamic, interactive, and "living" guidelines is a top priority for the ERS Science Council.
2. Global Inclusivity
While ERS is a European organization, its guidelines have a global reach. The next Director will need to ensure that recommendations remain applicable and adaptable to healthcare systems in low- and middle-income countries, fostering a truly international standard of care.
3. Sustainability and Methodology
The methodology of guideline development is itself changing. The Director will oversee the implementation of new tools for managing conflicts of interest and the use of automated systematic review software to streamline the production of guidelines, making the process faster without compromising the quality of the evidence.
4. Strategic Alignment
The Director must maintain a delicate balance between responding to acute clinical emergencies and addressing long-term, slow-moving health crises. The strategic development of the scientific portfolio will require a leader who is both a visionary and a pragmatist, capable of building consensus among diverse groups of international experts.
How to Apply
The ERS encourages applications from a diverse range of candidates who possess deep clinical expertise, a strong understanding of evidence-based methodology, and the leadership skills to manage international task forces.
Interested candidates are encouraged to:
- Review the full job description: The detailed role requirements, time commitments, and administrative expectations are available on the ERS website.
- Prepare the application: Applicants must complete the official application form.
- Submit: The completed form and a comprehensive CV should be emailed to the ERS secretariat (see the official ERS Elections and Open Positions page for contact details).
The closing date for all applications is 31 May, 2026.
This appointment represents a cornerstone of the ERS commitment to scientific excellence. By choosing the right leader for 2027–2030, the Society ensures that the legacy of rigorous, high-impact, and life-saving respiratory research continues to thrive. Members interested in making a significant contribution to the field are urged to review the materials promptly and submit their credentials for consideration.
