The Mark Foundation for Cancer Research seeks a Scientific Director to help build, shape, and direct the Foundation’s portfolio of innovative cancer research projects, primarily composed of grants to academic investigators. Reporting to the Chief Scientific Officer, the successful candidate will bring a deep understanding of cancer biology as well as discovery and/or translational science to inform the Foundation’s strategic direction, ensure early awareness of opportunities, and establish research funding programs to enable breakthroughs that can transform the lives of cancer patients. The Scientific Director will evaluate opportunities across diverse areas of cancer research such as disease mechanism elucidation, model systems development, therapeutics discovery, and biomarker identification, with responsibility to select, shape, and initiate new projects for grants, and to engage with academic investigators and teams to track progress, assess impact, communicate results to key stakeholders, and identify areas of potential synergy across our research portfolio and broader network of scientific collaborators.

Key Responsibilities

Identify, evaluate, and prioritize global opportunities in basic, translational, and clinical science for potential research grants, seeking to accelerate value to cancer patients
Work closely with Foundation administration, operations, and management personnel to ensure selected projects are initiated in a timely manner
Direct a portfolio of scientific grants and research projects, including engagement with academic investigators; evaluation of new project concepts and proposals; progress assessment for ongoing projects; and communication of results
Work closely with The Mark Foundation Scientific Team to help develop our strategy and implementation for new funding programs
Engage with a diverse group of external partners and collaborators in academia, industry, and other nonprofit organizations to sustain and advance the Foundation’s high-impact portfolio of research programs
Connect academic research partners to expertise within the Foundation’s network and beyond to help advance solutions to challenges and accelerate the pace of discovery
Identify new partners and collaborators who provide differentiated capabilities and perspectives and identify win-win opportunities to work together
Work closely with the Scientific Team to stay abreast of the latest discoveries and trends in cancer research and strategic areas of focus
Serve as a scientific spokesperson for the Foundation, including representing the Foundation at scientific meetings and conferences
Build and maintain key relationships for the Foundation with global thought leaders
Collaborate with internal and external team members on business, legal, and communications activities to advance the Foundation’s mission
Work closely with The Mark Foundation Venture Investment Team to provide scientific due diligence for investment opportunities and proactively identify potential commercial spinouts from within our research grant portfolio

Requirements

Doctoral degree in life sciences (PhD, MD, or equivalent)
Minimum five years of post-graduate experience working in cancer research or a cancer-related research area
Demonstrated track record of accomplishment, including notable contributions to science and authorship of high impact scientific publications
Familiarity with state-of-the-art technologies, platforms, and scientific methodologies as applied to cancer research
Demonstrated ability to work well in cross-functional teams
Proven problem-solving skills and creativity
Excellent written and oral communication skills
Experience working at the interfaces between cancer biology and other relevant disciplines such as immunology, genetics, pharmacology, or data science is preferred

About the Mark Foundation for Cancer Research

Based in New York City, we are a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to partnering with scientists to accelerate promising discoveries into new ways to prevent, diagnose, and treat cancer. We fulfill our mission by supporting groundbreaking research carried out by individual investigators, multi-disciplinary teams, and early-stage companies in the United States and across the globe. Recognizing the obstacles that prevent scientific advances from improving patient outcomes, we maintain a nimble, high-impact approach to funding basic and translational cancer research that bridges the gap between bench and bedside through grants and venture investments. Since our launch in 2017, we have awarded over $100 million in grants to more than 60 institutions in the U.S. and Europe and invested over $10 million in companies bringing exciting innovations to market.

Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action Policy

The Mark Foundation for Cancer Research is an equal opportunity employer committed to hiring a diverse and comprehensive workforce based on merit and experience. We provide equal employment opportunities to all employees and employment applicants without regard to unlawful considerations of sex, sexual orientation, gender (including gender identity and/or expression), pregnancy, race, color, creed, national or ethnic origin, citizenship status, religion or similar philosophical beliefs, disability, marital and civil union status, age, genetic information, veteran status or any personal attribute or characteristic that is protected by applicable local, state or federal laws.

Salary and Benefits

Salary is commensurate with experience. We offer a competitive compensation package with comprehensive benefits including medical, dental, vision, and 401(k).

Job Type

Full-time

Job Location

1350 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10019

To Apply

Submit an application via our career portal. Please send questions about this position to careers@themarkfoundation.org.