Scientific Director of Clinical NGS

Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK)

1275 York Avenue
New York , NY 10065
United States

Pay Range: $200,000 - $400,000

The Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at MSK is seeking an outstanding faculty candidate at the level of Assistant, Associate, or full Member to fill a position dedicated to development and clinical operationalization of next-generation sequencing (NGS) methods for cancer diagnosis and treatment selection. MSK is one of the world’s premier cancer centers, committed to exceptional patient care and leading-edge research.

To enable large-scale tumor genomic characterization and facilitate enrollment to precision oncology clinical trials, we have implemented several innovative NGS-based assays as part of our world-leading clinical genomics program, including MSK-IMPACT for tumor tissue and MSK-ACCESS for circulating tumor DNA. MSK-IMPACT was the first tumor profiling test to be cleared by the US Food & Drug Administration and has been used as part of the clinical care of >100,000 MSK patients.

MSK-ACCESS is approved by the NY State Department of Health and has been used for non-invasive liquid biopsy testing of >15,000 MSK patients. Newer tests for rapid genomic profiling and whole transcriptome RNA sequencing have also been approved and implemented. All clinical NGS testing is jointly operationalized by the Molecular Diagnostics Service and the Clinical Computational Diagnostics Service and performed by a collaborative team of pathologists, laboratory scientists, computational biologists, and administrative personnel.

We are searching for a Scientific Director of Clinical NGS to oversee assay development and laboratory operations across the areas of nucleic acid extraction, sample preparation, next-generation sequencing, and laboratory automation, in partnership with the Medical Laboratory Directors and Service and Departmental leadership. Expertise in next-generation sequencing technology and nucleic acid extraction is required. Experience with high-throughput laboratory automation and a strong scientific background and a track record in clinical assay development is desired.

Applicants must have a PhD, MD or equivalent degree.

In this role, you will:

• Oversee the clinical validation and implementation of NGS-based diagnostic tests within the Diagnostic Molecular Pathology Laboratory.
• Design and develop new clinical tests to address emerging clinical needs in accordance with institutional strategic priorities.
• Serve as a technical resource to laboratory staff for experimental design, protocol development, and troubleshooting.
• Pilot novel technologies, processes, automation methods, and QA procedures across high-throughput nucleic acid extraction, sample preparation, and next-generation sequencing teams.
• Partner with medical directors, bioinformatics teams, and departmental and service leadership to develop and execute MSK’s clinical genomics strategy to support clinical research and patient care.
• Drive and sustain a culture of continuous innovation and improvement.

The ideal candidate should:

• Have a PhD or MD or equivalent degree.
• Have expertise in next-generation sequencing technology, nucleic acid extraction, and high-throughput laboratory automation.
• Be a problem solver who can manage complex information to effectively solve problems in collaboration with diverse teams.
• Be good decision maker, with proven success of making timely decisions that keep the organization moving forward.
• Be action oriented and eager to take on new opportunities and challenges with a sense of urgency, high energy, and enthusiasm.

Please send a CV and letter outlining your interest to:

Kojo Elenitoba-Johnson, M.D.
Chairman, Department of Pathology
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
1275 York Avenue
New York, NY 10065
Email: ramkisss

Company Overview:
The people of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) are united by a singular mission: ending cancer for life. Our specialized care teams provide personalized, compassionate, expert care to patients of all ages. Informed by basic research done at our Sloan Kettering Institute,…