Executive Assistant Therapeutics Discovery

UT MD Anderson Cancer Center; Town of Texas (WI); Hybrid; USD 53,000 - 79,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical coverage from day one

PTO and holidays

Tuition assistance

Pension plan

Job summary

UT MD Anderson Cancer Center is seeking an Executive Assistant to support the Vice President of Oncology Research within the Therapeutics Discovery Division. The role involves managing complex calendars, arranging travel (domestic and international), and coordinating high-level meetings across multiple time zones.

The successful candidate will handle confidential information, liaise with internal and external stakeholders, and provide operational support to the TDD Operations team.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent is required.
• Six years admin/secretarial experience supporting leadership.
• Bachelor's degree preferred; with degree two years of experience suffices.

Responsibilities

• Provide high-level calendar support for the VP, prioritizing scheduling requests.
• Arrange domestic and international travel with adherence to policies.
• Coordinate meetings across time zones and prepare agendas/minutes.
• Act as liaison with internal/external stakeholders and follow through on logistics.
• Maintain strict confidentiality regarding sensitive information.
• Support division operations and back up other team members as needed.

Skills

Calendar management

Travel coordination

Executive support

Confidentiality

Communication

Education

High School Diploma or equivalent

Bachelor's degree

Job description

UT MD Anderson lies a powerful engine driving the future of new targeted, immune- and cell-based therapies: the Therapeutics Discovery Division. Therapeutics Discovery eliminates the bottlenecks that hamper traditional drug discovery, with a multidisciplinary team of dedicated researchers, doctors, drug developers and scientific experts working together to develop small-molecule drugs, biologics and cellular therapies. Our unique structure and collaborative approach allow the team to work with agility, bringing novel medicines from concept to clinic quickly and efficiently — all under the same roof.

The Therapeutics Discovery Division is built around four platforms: The Institute for Applied Cancer Science (IACS), ORBIT (Oncology Research for Biologics and Immunotherapy Translation), TRACTION (Translational Research to Advance Therapeutics and Innovation in Oncology) and RADIATE (Radiopharmaceuticals for Advanced Diagnostic Imaging And Therapy).

The TDD platforms are industrialized research and development units that align world-class drug discovery and development with highly innovative science and clinical care research. Through an investment in patient-centric research, we have developed the infrastructure, platforms, and capabilities to enable transformative research, partnering with leading clinical research scientists and physicians for which MD Anderson is known. Our approach combines small and large molecule development, large scale data science, innovative cancer genetics, disruptive technologies, deep mechanistic biology, disease modeling, and pharmacology to accelerate the translation of novel discoveries.

As part of our mission, we focus on partnering with a growing list of external partners (to discover and develop the next generation of small-molecule targeted therapies, antibody therapeutics and cell therapies, all driven by the needs we see in our patients.

We work in a fast-paced, milestone-driven environment with a focus on team science and interdisciplinary research. Our unique approach has created a biotech-like engine within the walls of the nation’s leading cancer center to bring life-saving medicines to our patients more quickly and effectively. This model already has achieved results, with multiple programs currently in clinical and late-stage preclinical development.

The primary purpose of the position is to coordinate all the activities that relate to the function of the Vice President of Oncology Research – TDD. This position reports directly to the Scientific Project Director, who sets and communicates priorities and provides day-to-day direction, mentorship, and support. The candidate would be able to carry out complex administrative duties requiring a thorough knowledge of a wide range of regulations, policies and procedures. The candidate will be part of the TDD Operations Team and will work closely with team members, the Scientific Project Director, the Director of Research and Development and the Division Administrators to ensure effective and efficient day-to-day operations.

The ideal candidate will have strong organizational, communication, and relationship-building skills, with the ability to manage complex calendars, coordinate travel, oversee executive-level meetings and events, and handle multiple competing priorities with discretion and accuracy. This individual is resourceful, self-directed, and comfortable anticipating needs while adapting to changing priorities. Success in this role requires flexibility with schedule and work location, including the ability to be onsite as needed to support the Vice President during meetings, special events, visitor engagements, and other business-critical activities.

Why Us?

At UT MD Anderson, this role provides a unique opportunity to support executive leadership and contribute to initiatives that advance one of the world’s leading cancer centers. The Executive Assistant plays an integral role in fostering strategic partnerships, coordinating high-profile visits and meetings, and ensuring operational excellence across the organization. This position offers meaningful opportunities for professional growth, cross-functional collaboration, and the ability to make a direct impact on UT MD Anderson’s mission while benefiting from programs that support career development and work-life balance.

• Employer-paid medical coverage starting day one for employees working 30 hours/week, plus optional group dental, vision, life, AD&D, and disability insurance.
• Accruals for PTO and Extended Illness Bank, plus paid holidays, wellness, childcare, and other leave options.
• Tuition Assistance Program after six months of service and access to extensive wellness, fitness, and employee resource groups.
• Defined-benefit pension through the Teachers Retirement System, voluntary retirement plans, and employer-paid life and reduced salary protection programs.

JOB SPECIFIC COMPETENCIES

• Provide high-level calendar support for the Vice President of Oncology applying judgment to prioritize scheduling requests, distinguish urgent from important, and anticipate conflicts and agenda changes, proactively proposing solutions and seeking clarification from the Scientific Project Director when priorities are unclear.
• Arrange travel, both domestic and international, adhering to institutional policies and guidelines, coordinating trips, schedules, agendas, and expense reports; anticipate and manage changes to the VP’s travel plans, pivoting quickly and communicating updates to all affected parties.
• Act on priorities set by the Scientific Project Director, adjusting focus as priorities shift, maintaining composure and organization during high-volume periods, and keeping the manager informed of progress, obstacles, and items requiring escalation.
• Act as a liaison for the VP of Oncology Research with other departments and organizations, professionally engaging internal and external stakeholders to schedule meetings, distribute agendas, and share updates, and taking ownership of follow-through by independently closing loops on invitations, deliverables, approvals, and logistics.
• Exercise sound judgment and maintain strict confidentiality regarding scientific, business development, partnership, and personnel matters.
• Coordinate meetings across time zones and organizations including virtual meeting platforms, visitor access, and pre-meeting requirements such as confidentiality agreements and compile agendas, take and distribute minutes, and confirm and send reminders to ensure all key leaders are present.
• Demonstrate willingness to learn from others and openness to coaching including learning institutional systems, policies, and procedures as well as the scientific and drug development terminology used across the division.
• Work closely with the Therapeutics Discovery Division Operations team for all the operational activities related to TRACTION, IACS, ORBIT and specifically to the VP of Oncology Research, and serve as backup to other operations team members (operations manager and program coordinators) for tasks including travel, calendar management, and new employee processing.Coordinate and administratively oversee projects, meetings, and division business activities as requested by the VP of Oncology Research and the Scientific Project Director, including SAB, JSC, scientific symposiums, guest lectures, special committees, monthly and weekly meetings with internal and external participants, and the VP’s extramural activities: managing scheduling, budgeting, travel, catering, agenda development, presentations, and communication planning.
• Manage relations with the Strategy Industry Ventures office to organize events and meetings related to external collaborations with TDD . Work closely with leadership and administrative support for TDD strategic partners, including but not limited to STRIDE, Moonshots, and Break Through Cancer teams.
• Compose correspondence for the VP of Oncology Research and assist others with correspondence requests; maintain credentialing for the VP (conflict of interest forms, CV, biosketch, other support, and external documents); and perform general administrative duties (posting manuscript reviews, PubMed and citation searches, holiday and party card guest lists, coordinating Chair signatures/approvals, and observing for housekeeping and maintenance issues).
• Maintain current knowledge of TDD expenditure and reimbursement guidelines, comply with institutional policy and procedures relating to monitoring and spending of funds, and acquire and review required financial support documentation.
• Other administrative duties as needed

Service Orientation

Provide service to our stakeholders, including patients, caregivers, colleagues and each other, in a safe, courteous, accountable, efficient and innovative manner to include:

• Promoting belonging and collegiality that demonstrates respect and professionalism to our stakeholders at all times
• Modeling safe, ethical behavior that mitigates risk to the institution through sound business practices, and adherence to MD Anderson’s Standards of Conduct, institutional policies and procedures
• Responding to requests in a timely manner while proactively communicating expectations for procedures, service arrival, or project deliverables to stakeholders
• Using the steps to HEAL (Hear, Empathize, Address and Learn) the relationship when service recovery is needed

EDUCATION:

Required: High School Diploma or Equivalent

Preferred: Bachelor’s Degree

EXPERIENCE:

Required: Six years administrative/secretarial experience supporting a leadership/executive level position.

With Bachelor’s degree, two years.

Preferred:

• Manage a heavy and complex calendar.
• Coordinate domestic and international travel arrangements.
• Process and manage travel expenses.
• Organize and coordinate visits to MDA from pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies.
• Develop and manage visit agendas and event logistics.
• Coordinate division meetings and executive level meetings.
• Build strong relationships and partnerships across departments and stakeholders.

The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center offers excellent benefits, including medical, dental, paid time off, retirement, tuition benefits, educational opportunities, and individual and team recognition.

This position may be responsible for maintaining the security and integrity of critical infrastructure, as defined in Section 113.001(2) of the Texas Business and Commerce Code and therefore may require routine reviews and screening. The ability to satisfy and maintain all requirements necessary to ensure the continued security and integrity of such infrastructure is a condition of hire and continued employment.

It is the policy of The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center to provide equal employment opportunity without regard to race, color, religion, age, national origin, sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, disability, protected veteran status, genetic information, or any other basis protected by institutional policy or by federal, state, or local laws unless such distinction is required by law.

Additional Information

• Requisition ID: 182750
• Employment Status: Full-Time
• Employee Status: Regular
• Work Week: Days
• Minimum Salary: US Dollar (USD) 53,000
• Midpoint Salary: US Dollar (USD) 66,000
• Maximum Salary : US Dollar (USD) 79,000
• FLSA: non-exempt and eligible for overtime pay
• Fund Type: Soft
• Work Location: Hybrid Onsite/Remote
• Pivotal Position: No
• Referral Bonus Available?: No
• Relocation Assistance Available?: No