The World’s Most Dedicated Never Give Up

There’s a reason St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is recognized as a great place to work. Because at our world-class pediatric research hospital, every one of our professionals shares our commitment to make a difference in the lives of the children we serve. There’s a unique bond when you’re part of a team that gives their all to advance the treatments and cures of pediatric catastrophic diseases. The result is a collaborative, positive environment where everyone, regardless of their role, receives the resources, support and encouragement to advance and grow their careers and be the force behind the cures.

About the Position:

We have a Director of Laboratory Operations opportunity in our Preclinical Therapeutics Program (PTP) at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.  

The PTP team are a dynamic group of research technologists focused on providing a comprehensive suite of resources for preclinical therapeutic development.  This support includes model development and xenografting, treatment with novel therapeutics, study observation and therapy response determination using imaging readouts and routine data processing.   

The Director of PTP will engage with the leadership of our Comprehensive Cancer Center programs to evaluate project needs from a resource perspective and onboard approved projects into the PTP pipelines towards effective delivery on all aspects of the studies.  Where appropriate, this effort will be in partnership with the Center for In Vivo Imaging and Therapeutics (CIVIT) and Advanced Resource Center staff to provide program leaders with the robust data needed to make the requisite key decisions on the validity of the novel therapeutic strategy being assessed. 

 This is a dynamic laboratory environment where you will work with researchers involved in innovative basic and translational research for the fulfillment of our mission: Finding Cures. Saving Children. 

During the past five decades, St. Jude has made remarkable progress toward curing childhood cancer and other life-threating diseases.  St Jude is committed to world-class support for translational research as we seek to identify novel targets for therapeutic intervention and evaluate relevant therapies in a preclinical setting towards improving treatment options for catastrophic diseases of childhood.

At St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, we know what can be achieved when the brightest scientific minds face the fewest barriers. That’s why we provide world-class facilities, state-of-the-art technologies, extraordinary support and a collaborative, bench-to-bedside environment where you can see, firsthand, how your science translates into survival for the children we serve.   

The Ideal Candidate will have:   

• A strong background in preclinical research, including translation projects 
• Proven results managing complex projects and/or high performing teams (preferred) 
• A knack for project management and ensuring success 
• Strong organizational skills and ability to communicate clearly with all stakeholders 
• Data processing skills 

Responsibilities:   

• Develop, evaluate, and conduct studies that support the goals and objectives of the institution with program leaders and other key partners in the preclinical research enterprise
• Develop relevant laboratory operating procedures  
• Manage budget planning processes where appropriate  
• Provide direction and supervision to PTP staff  
• Contribute to the scientific direction of the institution in partnership with the translational research community   
• Develop, evaluate, and conduct studies that support the goals and objectives of the institution
• Develop laboratory operating procedures
• Manage budget planning process
• Provide direction and supervision to laboratory staff
• Contribute to the scientific direction of the laboratory in partnership with the Principal Investigator

Minimum Education and/or Training:

• Bachelor's degree is required

Minimum Experience:

• Ten (10) years of relevant post-degree work experience is required with a Bachelor's degree.
• Eight (8) years of relevant post-degree work experience is required with a Master's degree.
• Six (6) years of relevant post-degree work experience is required with a PHD.
• Management experience is required.

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital has a diverse, global patient population and workforce, built on the principles of diversity, equity and inclusion. Our founder Danny Thomas envisioned a hospital that would treat children of the world—regardless of race, religion or a family’s ability to pay.  Learn more about our history and commitment.

Today, we continue the mission to advance cures and means of prevention for pediatric catastrophic diseases through research and treatment. As we accelerate this progress globally, we believe our legacy of diversity, equity and inclusion is foundational to success.  With the commitment of leaders at all levels of the organization, we strive to ensure the St. Jude culture, leadership approaches and talent processes are equitable and culturally responsive.  View our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Report to learn about the hospital’s roots in diversity, equity and inclusion, where we are today and our aspirations for an even better future.

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