The Associate Director will be responsible for planning and management of activities of the Strategic Partnerships Office, including supporting and overseeing strategic initiatives at the Institute level, and identifying and prioritizing new cross-cutting strategic initiatives. This role will require collaboration and coordination across multiple teams at the Institute and will involve establishing partnerships and alliances with external parties including academic centers and industry. This position reports directly to the Chief of Strategic Partnerships. This is an exciting opportunity to help drive strategic initiatives that support our Institute?s mission to improve the lives of cancer patients.

Under supervision of the Office of Strategic Partnerships, the Associate Director will help develop and coordinate efforts around strategic initiatives. This role will work collaboratively with the Associate Director of the Center for Cancer Therapeutic Innovation (CCTI) as well as with other associate directors, directors, faculty and staff within DFCI. This role may involve setting goals and timelines for initiatives, delineating resource and budget needs, tracking progress, as well as writing and editing related to internal and external communications.

Located in Boston and the surrounding communities, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute is a leader in life changing breakthroughs in cancer research and patient care. We are united in our mission of conquering cancer, HIV/AIDS and related diseases. We strive to create an inclusive, diverse, and equitable environment where we provide compassionate and comprehensive care to patients of all backgrounds, and design programs to promote public health particularly among high-risk and underserved populations. We conduct groundbreaking research that advances treatment, we educate tomorrow's physician/researchers, and we work with amazing partners, including other Harvard Medical School-affiliated hospitals.

This position?s work location is hybrid with two or three days per week remote. The selected candidate may only work remote days from a New England state (ME, VT, NH, MA, CT, RI).  

Strategic Initiatives of the Office

• Support the Chief of Strategic Partnerships and DFCI Leadership in identifying, launching and overseeing key strategic initiatives related to cross cutting translational and clinical research at the Institute. These initiatives may include new centers such as the DFCI Center for RAS Therapeutics as well as new units, working groups and other cross-disciplinary/cross disease center activities
• Establish collaborations and alignment with other DFCI Offices, Centers, investigators and staff to support the launch, execution, and success of strategic initiatives. Specific responsibilities include:
  • Evaluate clinical trials within areas of strategic focus, including both industry sponsored and investigator-initiate clinical trials
  • Coordination and integration of DFCI translational research efforts across investigator labs, the Belfer Institute, and the Center for Patient Derive Models (CPDM)
  • Collaboration with the DFCI Innovation Office to help support externalization of DFCI discoveries
• Help develop a strategy and plan to engage with external partners in the biotech/pharma community to support and advance strategic initiatives. Help promote DFCI research and clinical capabilities, and identify opportunities for collaborations (eg sponsored research agreements, industry alliances) within strategic areas of interest.
• Work with the Chief of Strategic Partnerships to identify and build external academic collaborations and projects within areas of strategic focus

Operations of the Office

• Oversee the development of the Office?s infrastructure to support the launch and management of strategic initiatives at the Institute level
• Act as the Office?s point person with industry partners, with the following key responsibilities:
  • Build and maintain collaborations, including translational projects and clinical trials that support strategic initiatives
  • Organize and help lead meetings with individual companies to identify opportunities for research and clinical collaborations. These may be local or virtual meetings, or meetings organized in the context of biopharma events/oncology conferences
  • Help write and develop metrics/endpoints/timelines for collaborative agreements with industry.
• Support and expand strategic alliances with industry partners. Serve as the point person for both academic and industry members of the alliances. Support and help implement the recommendations of joint steering committees for these alliances. Assist in writing and review of progress reports
• Collaborate with the Office and the DFCI management team to ensure streamlined, effective, and regulatory compliant operations.
  • Anticipate, identify, and resolve issues on an ongoing basis to ensure successful launch and execution of strategic initiatives
  • Develop and implement policies, procedures, and tools as needed to support initiatives of the Office
  • Partner with different Offices/Centers, including Innovation, BODFI, Belfer, CPDM, CCTI, CIO, Clinical Trials Office, disease centers, and core facilities to facilitate internal and external collaborations within areas of strategic focus.

• Participate in recurring departmental and disease center meetings to communicate and coordinate across disease areas

• Represent the Office and DFCI both internally and externally
  • Communicate progress and accomplishments of strategic initiatives to collaborators and internal staff in the form of newsletters and emails
  • Organize DFCI based conferences and symposia to support strategic initiatives of the Office
  • Plan and participate in engagements with industry partners at cancer congresses

• Master?s degree required; PhD preferred and may substitute Master?s requirement.
• At least 5 years of relevant experience required.
• 2 years of experience working in industry required.
• Experience in translational research or clinical development preferred.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES REQUIRED:

• Essential attention to detail, organizational, communication (written and oral) and interpersonal skills
• Excellent ability to multi-task at an advanced level, work effectively with diverse groups of staff and faculty in an environment of frequently changing needs, priorities, and deadlines
• Ability to work independently and balance multiple projects and tasks simultaneously
• Strong competence in computer applications including Adobe Creative Cloud, MS Office, Outlook, Excel, PowerPoint, and various web-based platforms
• Critical thinking and problem-solving abilities
• Compile complex information and streamline communication to express ideas clearly and logically
• Capable of taking initiative, being self-directed, and remaining calm under pressure
• Curiosity, a broad range of knowledge, and perseverance also are necessary
• Must understand the science, and then translate that knowledge accurately into a form that is both interesting and intelligible
• A proven ability to work both collaboratively and independently, and produce high-quality work on a defined timeline is required
• Superior written and verbal communication skills.
• Outstanding interpersonal skills to understand and engage with a wide range of stakeholders, from faculty, trainees, and staff to industry and biotech partners
• Proficiency in e-newsletter software and website functionality
• High ethical standards, integrity and a sense of collegiality

At Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, we work every day to create an innovative, caring, and inclusive environment where every patient, family, and staff member feels they belong.  As relentless as we are in our mission to reduce the burden of cancer for all, we are equally committed to diversifying our faculty and staff.  Cancer knows no boundaries and when it comes to hiring the most dedicated and diverse professionals, neither do we. If working in this kind of organization inspires you, we encourage you to apply.

Dana-Farber Cancer Institute is an equal opportunity employer and affirms the right of every qualified applicant to receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender identity or expression, national origin, sexual orientation, genetic information, disability, age, ancestry, military service, protected veteran status, or other characteristics protected by law.

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