Chief Science Officer, Cancer Research & Collaboration

Break Through Cancer; Boston (MA); On-site; USD 250,000 - 360,000; Full time

Job summary

Break Through Cancer, Cambridge, MA, seeks a Chief Science Officer to set and lead the scientific vision and strategy for the organization. The CSO will collaborate with the President, SAB and Board to identify high-impact opportunities, steward TeamLabs, and convert bold ideas into funded programs.

The CSO will oversee strategic alliances, cultivate relationships with academic leaders and industry partners, and advance radical collaboration across partner institutions.

Qualifications

• MD, PhD, or MD/PhD in a biomedical field; clinical experience preferred.
• Proven leadership in cancer research across basic, translational, or clinical science.
• Ability to build trust and drive collaboration among scientists across partner institutions.
• Experience managing a scientific portfolio or grant program, including funding decisions and milestone accountability.
• Deep knowledge of the cancer research ecosystem, including academic cancer centres, the NCI, and industry partners.
• Strong record of peer-reviewed publications and scientific thought leadership.
• Experience engaging boards, scientific advisory bodies, and philanthropic stakeholders.
• Ability to translate scientific vision into tactical, fundable programs.
• Team player in a highly matrixed, multi-institutional environment.
• Experience leading multidisciplinary scientific organizations.
• Demonstrated success building strategic partnerships across academia, industry, and nonprofit sectors.
• Ability to communicate complex scientific concepts to diverse audiences, including donors and non-scientific stakeholders.
• Experience leading organizational change or innovation initiatives.
• Demonstrated success influencing without direct authority across matrixed organizations.

Responsibilities

• Direct the overall scientific strategy for Break Through Cancer with the Leadership Team.
• Identify bold, high-impact scientific challenges and co-design TeamLab programs with partner researchers.
• Set scientific direction for Scientific Portfolio Managers as embedded strategists across TeamLabs.
• Lead Strategic Alliances, including oversight of the Director of Strategic Alliances.
• Build and maintain trusted relationships with cancer center directors, department chairs, and principal investigators.
• Chair the process for identifying, launching, and evaluating TeamLabs, including milestones and funding decisions.
• Represent Break Through Cancer’s scientific progress to SAB and BoD with the President.
• Champion Radical Collaboration across partner institutions and resolve data-sharing friction.
• Represent the scientific vision externally at conferences, publications, and with peer foundations and industry partners.
• Partner with the Development Team on fundraising meetings, proposals, and stewardship communications.
• Partner with the Chief Data Officer on leveraging the Data Science Hub for TeamLab science.
• Identify emerging disease areas and advise the President and Board on portfolio growth.
• Co-lead the Technology Review Committee with licensing, tech transfer, legal, and grants staff.

Skills

Scientific leadership

Strategic collaboration

Communication to donors

Portfolio management

Cross-institutional collaboration

Fundraising liaison

Grant management

Strategic thinking

Public speaking

Team leadership

Project leadership

Change management

Influencing without authority

Education

MD/PhD in biomedical field

MD/PhD or MD/PhD; clinical experience preferred

Job description

Break Through Cancer, Cambridge, MA, seeks a Chief Science Officer to set and lead the scientific vision and strategy for the organization. The CSO will collaborate with the President, SAB and Board to identify high-impact opportunities, steward TeamLabs, and convert bold ideas into funded programs.

The CSO will oversee strategic alliances, cultivate relationships with academic leaders and industry partners, and advance radical collaboration across partner institutions.