Director, Early Phase Clinical Trials and Precision Therapeutics

Position Overview

Salary range: The salary range for this position is $300,000 - $358,513.50. The posted UC salary scales set the minimum pay determined by rank and step at appointment. See the Professorial Series (Adjunct, Clinical X, HS Clinical, In Residence, Ladder Rank) and Professor of Teaching Series – Health Sciences Compensation Plan . This position includes membership in the health sciences compensation plan , which provides for eligibility for additional compensation

Application Window

Open date: February 7, 2025

Next review date: Monday, Mar 10, 2025 at 11:59pm (Pacific Time)

Apply by this date to ensure full consideration by the committee.

Final date: Saturday, Feb 7, 2026 at 11:59pm (Pacific Time)

Applications will continue to be accepted until this date, but those received after the review date will only be considered if the position has not yet been filled.

Position Description

DIRECTOR, EARLY PHASE CLINICAL TRIALS & PRECISION THERAPEUTICS, UCI HEALTH

Responsible For The Development And Growth Of UCI’s Early Phase Clinical Trials Portfolio For Both Oncology And Non-oncology Indications, Across The UCI Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center’s (CFCCC) Stern Center For Cancer Clinical Trials & Research (Stern Center), The UCI Center For Clinical Research (CCR), And The UCI Alpha Stem Cell Clinic (Alpha Clinic, AC). Specific Responsibilities Include:

• Develop and lead a coordinated Phase I program for cooperative group, industry, and institutional/investigator-initiated clinical trials across all therapeutic areas
• Oversee, encourage, facilitate, and maximize enrollment on Phase I trials across disease sites and various Departments
• Create, ensure and maintain critical contacts with industry partners
• Work with institutional leadership across the three research entities (CFCCC Associate Director for Translational Science, Stern Center Medical Director, CCR Medical Director, AC Medical Director) to promote the translation of scientific discoveries toward the clinic through interactions with the various clinical research units at UCI
• With the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, create and develop the infrastructure to support a regularly held molecular tumor board or equivalent
• Ensure sufficient support levels for clinical/translational research including regulatory approval processes, biospecimen collection, and clinical research coordination; in short, all aspects of the clinical/translational research effort
• Ensure an efficient infrastructure for formulation, launch, and completion of investigator-initiated early-phase clinical trials
• Facilitate early phase clinical trials designed to maximize the development of cutting-edge therapies
• Promote rapid progress by the Early Phase Clinical Trials Unit in cancer immunotherapy
• Position the Early Phase Clinical Trials Unit to serve as a hub for precision medicine clinical trials by fostering seamless integration of oncology, genomics, computational biology, pathology, interventional and diagnostic radiology, and medical and surgical specialties
• In collaboration with the UCI Health Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant and Cell Therapy Program, develop innovative cellular therapies, collaborate in trial design, provide medical expertise, provide feedback on the scientific merit of the trials, and identify unmet medical needs and opportunities for pioneering new technologies
• Ensure that early phase clinical research efforts reflect the health disparities and needs of the CFCCC Catchment Area of Orange County (e.g., Latino and Asian populations)
• Coordinate with the Disease-Oriented Teams across UCI Health, which function to facilitate the translation of basic science discoveries through the pipeline towards the clinic and to assess the scientific quality of proposed new protocols
• Ensure an efficient infrastructure for formulation, launch, and completion of investigator-initiated early-phase clinical trials
• Represent UCI and the CFCCC in this area for the University of California Cancer Consortium
  
  

Qualifications:

• MD, MD/PhD degree or equivalent
• Academic credentials which could merit appointment at the rank of Associate Professor or Professor in the Ladder Rank or Clinical X series
  
  

Preferred Qualifications:

• Subspecialty certification in an oncologic subspecialty including, but not limited to: Gynecologic Oncology, Hematology, Medical Oncology, Neurological Oncology or Surgical Oncology.
• Experience with phase 1 clinical trials in oncology
• Experience being involved in non-cancer therapeutics development in addition to the cancer experience is a plus
• Strong leadership, coordination, team-building, and management skills
  
  

We desire applicants who have evidence of commitment to or strong potential for commitment to the advancement of diversity, equity, and inclusion for underrepresented minority students and groups (Black/African-American, Latino(a)/Chicano(a)/Hispanic, and Native American).

Reporting Structure:

• Reports to:
  
  

i) CFCCC Director

ii) UCI School of Medicine Vice Dean for Clinical Research

Serves on the oversight committees for the Stern Center, CCR, and Alpha Clinic. Has regular communication with SOM leadership (Dean, Vice Deans, ICTS director, and clinical Chairs) and other key stakeholders (e.g., CFCCC Internal Advisory Board, External Advisory Board, CCR, and ASCC Advisory Boards)

The home department appointment will be in whichever is most appropriate for the selected candidate.

To apply, please log onto UC Irvine’s recruitment site located at https://recruit.ap.uci./edu/JPF09351 . Review of applications will continue until the position is filled.

Applicants should complete an online application profile and upload the following application materials electronically to be considered for this position:

• Cover Letter
• Curriculum Vitae
• Statement of Current and Future Research Plans
• Statement of Teaching
• Statement of Inclusive Excellence Activities - Statement addressing past and future planned contributions to inclusive excellence that will advance UCI's Commitment to Inclusive Excellence (For more information about the UCI Inclusive Excellence Activities Statement, please visit https://inclusion.uci.edu/recruitment-resources/ )
• Contact information to request three reference letters
  
  

Criteria For The Ladder Rank Professor Series:

Ladder-Rank Faculty will serve as Research Scholars and educators. They are expected to design and lead significant, thematic research with extramural support when that is needed. Teaching is required and may include clinical, classroom or lab teaching. The incumbent will have a major focus on innovative research of high significance as reflected in sustained, high-quality publications and peer-reviewed national funding as a principal investigator.

Criteria For The Clinical X Professor Series:

The incumbent will be expected to conduct substantial and meaningful research; teach residents and medical students; and perform public and University service. Excellent teaching is an essential criterion for appointment in this series. Priority will be given to candidates with a proven track record of academic productivity, as demonstrated through high-impact publications, thematic-based research, and/or grant funding.

The salary range for this position is $300,000 - $358,513.50. The posted UC salary scales set the minimum pay determined by rank and step at appointment. See the Professorial Series (Adjunct, Clinical X, HS Clinical, In Residence, Ladder Rank) and Professor of Teaching Series – Health Sciences Compensation Plan . This position includes membership in the health sciences compensation plan , which provides for eligibility for additional compensation.

The UCI Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center (CFCCC) is one of 57 National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer centers in the United States and the only one based in Orange County. First designated by the NCI in 1994 and competitively renewed in 2021, the CFCCC is one of the health institutes and centers in the UCI Samueli College of Health Sciences. CFCCC members are drawn from the UCI Schools of Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences, Population & Public Health, Biological Sciences, Physical Sciences, Information & Computer Science, Engineering, and Business. Three formal research programs are linked by eight CFCCC Disease-Oriented Teams that bring together basic, translational, patient-centered, and clinical investigators to facilitate the movement of CFCCC discoveries through the pipeline into the clinical arena. Clinical cancer research includes a large portfolio of early-phase and investigator-initiated trials under the Stern Center for Cancer Clinical Trials & Research, which coordinates all cancer-related trials. CFCCC research is further supported by six shared resources that provide members access to state-of-the-art technology, equipment and expert consultation. CFCCC clinicians saw over 4,800 new cancer patients in 2023, with more than 780,000 outpatient encounters and 60,000 infusion center visits at practice sites across Orange County including Orange, Yorba Linda, Newport Beach, Costa Mesa, Irvine, and Laguna Hills. An adult hematopoietic stem cell transplant and cellular therapy program was launched in 2020, the only such program in Orange County. More information about the Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center and cancer services at UCI is available at http://www.cancer.uci.edu/ .

UC Irvine (UCI; https://uci.edu ) is one of ten campuses of the highly regarded University of California system. With approximately 37,000 students, 1,500 ladder-rank faculty members, and over $500 million per year of extramural grant funding, the campus offers a wealth of opportunities for research collaboration and is ranked among the top 10 public universities in the US. UCI Health Affairs comprises UCI’s biomedical research, medical education, and clinical enterprises, a multifaceted organization dedicated to the discovery of new medical frontiers, the teaching of future healers, and the delivery of the finest evidenced-based care. The UCI Susan & Henry Samueli College of Health Sciences (COHS) is home to the School of Medicine, the Sue and Bill Gross School of Nursing, the School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, and the Joe C. Wen School of Population & Public Health, and includes the Institute for Clinical & Translational Science (funded by the NIH National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences) and the Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center (funded by the National Cancer Institute). UCI Health, the clinical enterprise, is the fourth largest healthcare system in California and includes UCI Douglas Hospital, recognized as one of America’s Best Hospitals for 22 consecutive years by U.S. News & World Report, as a National Magnet Hospital for nursing excellence, and recipient of an “A” Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade.

The University of California is committed to creating and maintaining a community dedicated to the advancement, application, and transmission of knowledge and creative endeavors through academic excellence, where all individuals who participate in University programs and activities can work and learn together in a safe and secure environment, free of violence, harassment, discrimination, exploitation, or intimidation. With this commitment as well as a commitment to addressing all forms of academic misconduct, UC Irvine conducts institutional reference checks for candidate finalists to whom the department or other hiring unit would like to extend a formal offer of appointment into Ladder Rank Professor or Professor of Teaching series, at all ranks (i.e., assistant, associate, and full). The institutional reference checks involve contacting the administration of the applicant’s previous institution(s) to ask whether there have been substantiated findings of misconduct that would violate the University’s Faculty Code of Conduct.

To implement this process, UC Irvine requires all candidates of Ladder Rank Professor or Professor of Teaching series, at all ranks (i.e., assistant, associate, and full), to complete, sign, and upload the form entitled “Authorization to Release Information” into AP RECRUIT as part of their application. If the candidate does not include the signed authorization to release information with the application materials, the application will be considered incomplete. As with any incomplete application, the application will not receive further consideration. Although all applicants for faculty recruitments must complete the entire application, only finalists (i.e., those to whom the department or other hiring unit would like to extend a formal offer) considered for Ladder Rank Professor or Professor of Teaching series, at all ranks (i.e., assistant, associate, and full), will be subject to institutional reference checks.

Qualifications

Basic qualifications (required at time of application)

• MD, MD/PhD degree or equivalent
• Academic credentials which could merit appointment at the rank of Associate Professor or Professor in the Ladder Rank or Clinical X series
  
  

Application Requirements

Document requirements

• Curriculum Vitae - Your most recently updated C.V.
• Cover Letter
• Statement of Research
• Teaching Statement - See our guidance for writing a reflective teaching statement .
• Inclusive Excellence Activities Statement - Statement addressing how past and/or potential contributions to inclusive excellence will advance UCI's Commitment to Inclusive Excellence . See our guidance for writing an inclusive excellence activities statement .
  
  

Reference Requirements

• 3 required (contact information only)
  
  

Apply link: https://recruit.ap.uci.edu/JPF09351

About UC Irvine

The University of California, Irvine is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer advancing inclusive excellence. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status, or other protected categories covered by the UC anti-discrimination policy.

As a condition of employment, the finalist will be required to disclose if they are subject to any final administrative or judicial decisions within the last seven years determining that they committed any misconduct, are currently being investigated for misconduct, left a position during an investigation for alleged misconduct, or have filed an appeal with a previous employer.

• “Misconduct” means any violation of the policies or laws governing conduct at the applicant’s previous place of employment, including, but not limited to, violations of policies or laws prohibiting sexual harassment, sexual assault, or other forms of harassment, discrimination, dishonesty, or unethical conduct, as defined by the employer.
• UC Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment Policy
• UC Anti-Discrimination Policy for Employees, Students and Third Parties
• APM - 035: Affirmative Action and Nondiscrimination in Employment .
  
  

As a University employee, you will be required to comply with all applicable University policies and/or collective bargaining agreements, as may be amended from time to time. Federal, state, or local government directives may impose additional requirements.

Job location

Irvine, CA