Senior Lead Scientist, Cancer & NCD Translational Research

South African Medical Research Council

Cape Town

On-site

ZAR 1,526,000 - 1,865,000

Full time

14 days+

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Job summary

The South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) invites suitably qualified candidates to apply for a Chief Specialist Scientist position within the Biomedical Research and Innovation Platform (BRIP), based in Cape Town. You will provide strategic scientific leadership and drive innovative, translational research with a focus on precision medicine and risk prediction.

The role requires an established leadership track record, extensive publications, and a strong ability to secure funding,

Qualifications

PhD in Molecular Biology, Biochemistry, Cancer Biology, Epidemiology, or related field.
Excellent scholarly record with at least 40 ISI-indexed publications, including 12 as first author.
Internationally recognised leader in the cancer field with NRF C1 (pending B3) or equivalent standing.
Proven track record of major research grants and income as PI (over R10 million).
Postgraduate supervision experience with MSc and PhD graduates (10+).
Leadership and management experience in cancer research with mentorship and capacity development.
Experience in budgeting, financial oversight and risk management.
Membership of national and international scientific bodies.
Strong scientific writing, communication and stakeholder engagement skills.
University affiliation at Associate or Full Professor level.
20+ years in molecular/cell biology research in NCD/cancer fields.
Understanding of ethical standards in human subjects research.

Responsibilities

Provide strategic leadership in cancer and/or NCD molecular research within the unit.
Initiate, lead, and manage national and international multidisciplinary research programmes.
Publish in peer-reviewed ISI-indexed journals as first and/or senior author.
Secure and manage substantial grant funding as Principal Investigator.
Lead and implement research strategy, innovation, and capacity development.
Supervise and mentor postgraduate students, postdocs, and early-/mid-career scientists.
Foster strategic collaborations with academia, government, clinical and international partners.
Translate findings into public health impact, policy contributions, and innovation outputs.
Present findings at national and international conferences including keynote talks.
Contribute to unit management, budgeting, reporting and risk management.
Support transformation and equity initiatives within SAMRC and BRIP.