Scientific Director of Clinical NGS

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, scientists across MSK collaborate to conduct innovative translational and clinical research that is driving a revolution in our understanding of cancer as a disease and improving the ability to prevent, diagnose, and treat it. MSK is dedicated to training the next generation of scientists and clinicians, who go on to pursue our mission at MSK and around the globe.  

Exciting Opportunity at MSK: Scientific Director of Clinical NGS

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.

Role Overview

• 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.

Key Requirements

• 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.

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

Application Instructions

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@mskcc.org

Helpful links:   

• MSK Compensation Philosophy  

• Review Our Great Benefits Offerings 

MSK is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer committed to diversity and inclusion in all aspects of recruiting and employment. All qualified individuals are encouraged to apply and will receive consideration without regard to race, color, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, age, religion, creed, disability, veteran status or any other factor which cannot lawfully be used as a basis for an employment decision. 

Federal law requires employers to provide reasonable accommodation to qualified individuals with disabilities. Please tell us if you require a reasonable accommodation to apply for a job or to perform your job. Examples of reasonable accommodation include making a change to the application process or work procedures, providing documents in an alternate format, using a sign language interpreter, or using specialized equipment.