Agent Development Program Director Position Available

Date Posted

Chemopreventive Agent Development Research Group, Division of Cancer Prevention

The National Cancer Institute (NCI), Division of Cancer Prevention (DCP), is seeking a Program Director to manage the formulation, production and distribution of small molecule and biologic agents for preclinical and clinical trials. As a Program Director, the candidate will have the opportunity to lead an innovative portfolio focused on preclinical and clinical agent development in the rapidly growing areas of research on cancer prevention and interception. The Program Director will actively manage and contribute to research on non-CGMP and CGMP manufacturing of cancer vaccines that are based on peptides, recombinant proteins, DNA, mRNA or viral vectors, evaluation of the developability of candidate drugs using in silico and other methods, and novel strategies for optimization of lead chemical agents for clinical translation. Additionally, the Program Director will have direct involvement in numerous aspects of drug development, including; preclinical testing of chemopreventive and immunopreventive agents, formulation development and optimization, assessment of active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) and finished drug products, CMC requirements under GLP and CGMP conditions, and IND-enabling preclinical studies directed towards early phase clinical trials. The position will focus on identifying NCI research priorities and gaps to move the field forward and communicate the state of the science to the division staff, scientific community and technology developers.

The Program Director will be a member of the Chemopreventive Agent Development Research Group, which manages the Cancer Prevention-Interception Targeted Agent Discovery (CAP-IT) and PREVENT Cancer Preclinical Drug Development Program (PREVENT). The incumbent will also work closely with Cancer Prevention Clinical Trials Network (CP-CTNet) and other relevant programs in the Division. Qualified candidates will be expected to contribute to all relevant programs through prior experience and expertise.

Qualified candidates are expected to have training in medicinal chemistry, formulation development, CGMP manufacturing, and familiarity with the regulatory requirements for drug development and will have appropriate research experience as a PhD investigator or similar. Candidates must have a broad and inclusive knowledge of the scientific field, skills to lead and summarize scientific discussion and review critiques, the ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously, and communication skills to represent the program and NCI nationally and internationally. Recognition as a leader, documented by receipt of awards from professional societies for outstanding work in the field and a track record of peer-reviewed scientific publications, is desired. The incumbent will have knowledge of grants and contracts administration, federal policies, and guidelines, and the ability to provide and direct major program areas in preclinical, clinical, and translational research. The position will also involve working with the NCI’s Office of Acquisitions (OA) to develop Acquisition Plans, Task Orders, and Contracts to support the provision of goods and services.

Interested applicants should submit a letter of interest and a CV with the list of representative publications to Shizuko Sei, M.D. (shizuko.sei@nih.gov). This announcement is for a career position with the U.S. government and requires U.S. citizenship.