Executive Director, Research Oncology

Location: South San Francisco or Thousand Oaks, California, United States

Annual salary: $270,050–$365,363, excluding Puerto Rico.

Company

Biotechnology company researching, manufacturing, and delivering medicines across oncology, inflammation, general medicine, and rare disease.

What you will do

• Drive research strategy and execution for an oncology portfolio focused initially on antibody-drug conjugates and expanding into other modalities.
• Lead and develop project leaders and scientists while fostering innovation, accountability, and professional growth.
• Advance preclinical programs and collaborate with clinical development and biomarker teams to translate research insights into therapies.
• Lead discovery and development of therapeutics for solid tumors and hematologic malignancies.
• Use large-scale human datasets, AI/ML, and other technologies to accelerate discovery and decision-making.
• Shape academic partnerships, external collaborations, and business development opportunities.

Requirements

• Doctorate degree and 6 years of oncology research experience, or a master’s degree and 10 years, or a bachelor’s degree and 12 years.
• At least 6 years of managerial or leadership experience managing people, teams, projects, programs, or resource allocation.
• Extensive experience leading large- and small-molecule oncology drug development from target discovery and validation through clinical candidate selection.
• Deep knowledge of cancer biology, including cell signaling, tumor genetics and subtypes, and mechanisms of therapeutic response and resistance.
• Experience advancing preclinical oncology programs through IND/CTA submission and supporting clinical and translational studies.
• Strong scientific leadership, communication, collaboration, and talent-development skills.

Nice to have

• PhD in Cancer Biology, Cell Biology, or a related discipline with at least 15 years of industry oncology research experience after postdoctoral training.
• High-impact publications, invited congress presentations, or oncology-related patents.
• Experience establishing successful external research partnerships and leading business development diligence.
• Familiarity with AI/ML models and their application to drug development.

Culture & Benefits

• Collaborative, innovative, science-based environment focused on patient impact.
• Comprehensive health, dental, vision, life, disability, and flexible spending benefits.
• Retirement and savings plan with company contributions, stock-based long-term incentives, and an annual bonus program.
• Paid time off plans and company-wide shutdowns twice a year.
• Career development opportunities and flexible work models where applicable.