Industry Liaison

Columbia University Irving Medical Center; New York (NY); Hybrid; USD 115,000 - 125,000; Full time

Job summary

Columbia University Irving Medical Center is seeking an Industry Liaison for the Phase I Program within the Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center. The role focuses on developing and managing relationships with pharmaceutical and biotechnology sponsors, CROs, and industry partners to position HICCC as a preferred Phase I oncology trial site.

The position supports cross-site consortium activities, feasibility reviews, budget and contracting workflows, and coordination with Columbia Technology

Qualifications

• 4 years related experience and Bachelor's degree or equivalent.
• Preferred Qualifications include oncology clinical research experience and strong communication and project management skills.
• CCR P/CCRC certification preferred or obtained within 6 months of hire.

Responsibilities

• Serve as primary relationship manager for pharma/biotech sponsors and CROs.
• Develop and execute industry-engagement strategy for Phase I oncology trials.
• Build long-term relationships with clinical development leaders and alliance managers.
• Coordinate sponsor meetings, site visits, and follow-up with timely communication.
• Coordinate cross-site feasibility and opportunity summaries for committee review.
• Prepare consortium materials and track portfolio activity.
• Travel to national meetings and sponsor sites as needed.
• Lead special projects and other duties as assigned.

Skills

Relationship management

Project management

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

Grade 105

• Job Type: Officer of Administration
• Bargaining Unit:
• Regular/Temporary: Regular
• End Date if Temporary:
• Hours Per Week: 35
• Standard Work Schedule:
• Building:
• Salary Range: $115,000 - $125,000

The salary of the finalist selected for this role will be set based on a variety of factors, including but not limited to departmental budgets, qualifications, experience, education, licenses, specialty, and training. The above hiring range represents the University's good faith and reasonable estimate of the range of possible compensation at the time of posting.

Position Summary

The Industry Liaison, Phase I Program will lead the development and management of relationships between the Phase I Program at the Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center (HICCC) and the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry. The role will strengthen existing sponsor and CRO partnerships, cultivate new pharma partners and emerging biotech companies, and position the HICCC as a preferred first-choice site for Phase I oncology trials. The role will also support the Phase I oncology research consortium among Columbia, Rutgers, and Yale as an operational liaison for sponsor intake, feasibility, and communication. The position is housed within the Clinical Protocol & Data Management (CPDM) Office of the HICCC at Columbia University Medical Center. This experienced research operations and business development role requires strong knowledge of oncology clinical trials, Phase I operations, sponsor communication, feasibility assessment, and budget and contracting workflows. The incumbent will represent the Phase I Program at national meetings, facilitate sponsor pipeline days, and coordinate with investigators, regulatory and finance partners, Columbia Technology Ventures, and institutional leadership. Travel to national meetings and sponsor sites is expected. This position reports jointly to the HICCC Phase I Director and the Sr. Director of Clinical Research Operations and works under the day-to-day direction of the Phase I Director and the Phase I Associate Director. Flexible or hybrid work arrangements may be supported, subject to business needs, and will be discussed during the interview process.

Responsibilities

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

Industry Relationship Management and Partnership Building

• Serve as the primary relationship manager and point of contact for pharmaceutical and biotechnology sponsors, contract research organizations, and other industry partners of the Phase I Program.
• Develop and execute, under the direction of the Phase I Director and the Phase I Associate Director, a proactive industry-engagement strategy that positions the HICCC as a preferred partner for Phase I oncology trials.
• Build long-term relationships with clinical development leaders, medical directors, feasibility and site-selection teams, and alliance managers; hold regular check-ins with existing sponsors on study performance, concerns, and opportunities for expanded collaboration.
• Coordinate sponsor meetings, capability presentations, site visits, and follow-up, ensuring communication is clear, timely, and responsive.

Phase I Consortium Coordination and Collaboration

• Serve as the operational point of contact for incoming consortium-related Phase I opportunities; coordinate sponsor communications, intake documentation, confidentiality processes, and routing to designated institutional contacts.
• Maintain a standardized intake workflow supporting timely review by the steering committee, operations committee, investigators, and participating institutions.
• Coordinate cross-site feasibility, prepare opportunity summaries for committee review, and facilitate communication on complementary and shared trial placement.
• Present the consortium's combined reach and capabilities in sponsor outreach and materials, and track consortium portfolio activity, activation, accrual, and sponsor feedback.
• Assist in developing consortium SOPs, workflows, and communication pathways, and coordinate workstreams for activation, regulatory, contracting, budgeting, reliance, referral, pre-screening, and slot management, including common budget principles and fee categories.
• Prepare consortium meeting materials and minutes; support a cross-site referral framework and a current directory of open consortium trials, slots, and referral contacts, and pre-screening processes were permitted by policy.

New Partner Development: Pharma and Emerging Biotech Companies

• Identify and prioritize new pharmaceutical partners and emerging biotech companies whose pipelines align with HICCC disease priorities, investigator expertise, and Phase I capacity.
• Conduct outreach through direct contact, investigator networks, scientific meetings, venture and accelerator communities, and other channels, maintaining a clear pipeline from first contact through feasibility, site selection, and activation.
• Develop sponsor-facing materials that communicate the HICCC's scientific expertise, patient population, early-phase infrastructure, and performance, and help emerging biotech companies understand HICCC processes and timelines.
• Partner with Columbia Technology Ventures to align industry outreach with technology transfer, licensing, and sponsored research activity; identify Columbia-affiliated spinouts and startups that may become Phase I partners; and coordinate communication so sponsors engage with the university consistently.

National Meetings, Pipeline Days, and Industry Events

• Attend national scientific and industry meetings (for example, ASCO, AACR, ESMO, and early-phase drug development meetings) on behalf of the Phase I Program; plan sponsor meetings and briefing materials with Phase I leadership; follow up promptly and route new opportunities into intake.
• Plan, organize, and facilitate sponsor pipeline days that bring industry partners together with HICCC Phase I investigators, staff, and leadership, and track sponsor interest and resulting opportunities.

Reporting And Other Duties

• Maintain trackers and dashboards on sponsor outreach, meetings, pipeline, feasibility, site selections, trial awards, activation, and accrual, and provide regular updates and recommendations to the Phase I Director, Phase I Associate Director, Sr. Director of Clinical Research Operations, and HICCC leadership.
• Lead special projects and perform other related duties as requested by the Phase I Director, the Phase I Associate Director, or the Sr. Director of Clinical Research Operations.

Key Competencies

• Relationship management: Builds trust and sustains long-term partnerships with industry sponsors and internal stakeholders.
• Representation and communication: Represents the Phase I Program credibly at national meetings and sponsor events and identifies and pursues new sponsor opportunities.
• Project management and collaboration: Exercises sound operational judgment on approvals and escalations, maintains trackers and metrics, and coordinates with Phase I leadership, investigators, Columbia Technology Ventures, and consortium partners.

Minimum Qualifications

• 4 years related experience and Bachelor's degree or equivalent in education and experience required.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in clinical research operations, clinical trial coordination, research administration, business development, sponsor or industry relations, or project management in a healthcare or research setting.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects and stakeholders, with strong written, verbal, and presentation skills, and proficiency with Microsoft Office.
• Establish and maintain collaborative relationships with NewYork-Presbyterian and ColumbiaDoctors marketing teams, serving as the liaison to coordinate outreach, messaging, and promotional opportunities for the Phase I Program.
• Ability to travel to national meetings and sponsor sites as needed.
• Minimum of 2 years of management, project management, or program coordination experience; 5 years of oncology clinical research experience.
• Experience with Phase I oncology trials, early-phase drug development, or sponsor-facing clinical trial operations.
• Experience building relationships with pharmaceutical or biotechnology companies or CROs, organizing scientific meetings or sponsor events, and representing an organization at national conferences.
• Experience with academic medical centers, NCI-designated cancer centers, or multi-site or consortium-based research programs; familiarity with technology transfer is a plus.
• CCRP/CCRC certification preferred or obtained within 6 months of hire, if applicable to institutional expectations.

Equal Opportunity Employer / Disability / Veteran

Columbia University is committed to the hiring of qualified local residents.