Scientific Director

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Job Summary

The Merkin Institute for Translational Research at Caltech fosters and accelerates translational research in the biomedical sciences. The Scientific Director will report to the Director of the Merkin Institute for Translational Research, Professor Viviana Gradinaru, and coordinate efforts with the Merkin Insitute's Executive Director, George Tolomiczenko (GT).

The Scientific Director will serve on Merkin grant review panels and then monitor and guide ongoing and future Merkin-funded projects (including guiding continued support through, for example, catalyzing and writing collaborative grants primarily from external, follow-on funders) The Scientific Director will collaborate with investigators of all fields focused on by Caltech Merkin Grantee labs.

This position will also have access to labs to conduct and direct original research that advances the Merkin mission.

Essential Job Duties

• Determines, communicates, and advises on the implementation of research, plans, aims and operational objectives of Merkin funded projects.
• Provides leadership and scientific guidance to researchers/grantees for ongoing projects.
• Updates the Merkin Director (VG) on progress made toward achieving proposed aims and translational milestones.
• Ensures alignment between a funded project's interim results and their original strategic plan; proposes revisions to the project strategy if needed, for review and approval by Merkin Director (VG).
• Provides a high degree of research/scientific leadership and expertise with a focus on enabling the translational impact of Merkin funded projects.
• May serve on Institute committees representing the Merkin Institute.
• Working with Merkin Institute Executive Director (GT):
• Identifies and facilitates changes in research processes to support the fulfillment of the vision and organizational goals of the Merkin Institute.
• Promotes effective and innovative scientific problem-solving and sound decision-making such as finding ways to connect Merkin-funded PIs with enabling technologies from different groups/projects with complementary objectives.
• Works synergistically with OTTCP staff at Caltech (Office of Technology Transfer and Corporate Partnerships) for commercialization/translation.
• Aids researchers/grantees in solving tactical/logistical barriers to project implementation.
• With joint guidance from the Merkin Director (VG):
• Drafts scientific communications to stakeholders within the Merkin Institute (e.g., internal Division Chairs, Merkin Executive committee, grantees, OTTCP, etc. as well as external science collaborators/consultants) via written (e.g., annual) and oral (bi-annual Merkin Institute Executive Committee meetings and annual external MITR Advisory Board) reports.

Basic Qualifications

• PhD or equivalent in bio-science.
• 8 years of research and management experience (including fundraising through successful grant writing).
• Experience developing/evaluating/managing biomedical research teams, collaboratives or consortia in university or private sectors.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills.
• Experience leading and coordinating multidisciplinary research projects or technology pipelines, including creating necessary project infrastructure, conceiving short- and long-term strategic goals, and troubleshooting tactical barriers to goal completion.
• Comprehensive technical and scientific expertise.
• Experience on and leading interdisciplinary project teams.
• Experience in scientific project review, such as through serving as a scientific journal editor or reviewer or participating in NIH and NSF grant review panels.
• Demonstrated ability to assess scientific methodologies and collaborate constructively with research investigators and their teams to assist with decision making regarding:
• Go-no-go milestone setting.
• Drafting research aims that align with translational objectives.
• Recognizing barriers to making progress toward translational objectives.
• Pivoting/re-orienting efforts to achieve aims modified to improve the odds of achieving translational goals.
• Communicates with stakeholders to help ensure changes in research plans are accepted and implemented.

Preferred Qualifications

• PhD degree.
• Expertise in research methodologies and statistics relevant to translational research.
• Experience working with projects that have achieved translational impact in clinical settings.
• Experience serving as an editor and/or reviewer for a scientific journal would be a plus.

Required Documents

• Resume.