Job Description

The Icahn Genomics Institute and the Mount Sinai Center for Autoimmunity seek a Director of Communication and Strategic Advancement to lead communications, visibility, and strategic advancement across major Mount Sinai initiatives spanning genomics, autoimmunity, cancer, and immunotherapy. Together, these programs bring together genomics, immunology, cancer biology, data science, human disease biology, translational research, clinical partnerships, and therapeutic innovation to advance precision approaches to immune-mediated, malignant, and complex human disease.

This is a high-impact, institution-facing role for an energetic scientific communicator who can help define a clear public voice, media presence, donor narrative, and strategic platform for these interconnected areas. The Director will work closely with institute and center leadership, Mount Sinai faculty, institutional communications, development teams, clinical partners, and external stakeholders to communicate scientific and clinical impact across Mount Sinai and beyond.

The ideal candidate is a strategic thinker, exceptional writer, and proactive builder who can translate complex biomedical research into compelling narratives for academic, philanthropic, media, policy, industry, patient, and public audiences.

Responsibilities

Strategic Communications and Mount Sinai Visibility

• Develop and execute a cohesive communications strategy that advances the reputation and identity of the Icahn Genomics Institute, the Mount Sinai Center for Autoimmunity, and aligned efforts in cancer and immunotherapy. Shape core messaging for websites, reports, proposals, presentations, press materials, donor communications, and social media. Partner with Mount Sinai communications teams to identify media opportunities, draft press materials, develop faculty profiles, and position leadership as trusted voices in genomics, immunology, autoimmunity, cancer, immunotherapy, precision medicine, translational research, and therapeutic innovation.

Thought Leadership and Opportunity Building

• Proactively identify opportunities to elevate these programs through media stories, perspective articles, commentaries, op-eds, scientific meetings, donor briefings, institutional announcements, awards, partnerships, and public engagement. Help position genomics, immunology, autoimmunity, cancer, and immunotherapy as defining strengths of Mount Sinai and major frontiers for understanding, treating, and preventing human disease.

Grants, Initiatives, and Strategic Proposals

• Lead or substantially contribute to the writing and development of large grants, center and institute proposals, philanthropic proposals, multi-investigator initiatives, and institutional strategic documents. Translate scientific vision, clinical relevance, program structure, milestones, deliverables, and institutional impact into clear and persuasive narratives. Draft executive summaries, specific aims, vision statements, letters of support, concept notes, donor-facing materials, and launch documents.

Presentation and Advancement Materials

• Create high-quality materials for institute and center leadership, Mount Sinai leaders, donors, advisory boards, industry partners, and external audiences. Develop pitch decks, scientific overview slides, donor presentations, annual reports, briefing documents, strategic roadmaps, website language, media pitches, and social media campaigns. Maintain a library of core slides, graphics, talking points, impact metrics, and program assets for rapid use in meetings, proposals, and external engagements.

Philanthropy, External Engagement, and Communications Infrastructure

• Partner with Mount Sinai development teams to articulate each program's vision, priorities, funding needs, and patient impact for donors, foundations, and philanthropic stakeholders. Build systems to capture publications, discoveries, clinical advances, faculty achievements, funding milestones, trainee successes, technology capabilities, partnerships, and patient impact stories so these programs can communicate their value quickly and consistently.

Qualifications and Attributes

• The ideal candidate will have strong experience in scientific, medical, or academic communications; excellent writing and editing skills; and the ability to communicate complex biomedical ideas clearly to multiple audiences. Experience with large grants, strategic proposals, philanthropic materials, media strategy, social media, and presentation development is strongly preferred. Familiarity with genomics, immunology, oncology, autoimmunity, immunotherapy, or precision medicine is highly desirable.
• The successful candidate should be entrepreneurial, self-directed, highly organized, and comfortable building new programs within a fast-moving academic medical center. They should bring energy, urgency, follow-through, strong editorial judgment, and the ability to work closely with senior faculty, institutional leaders, communications teams, development officers, clinicians, scientists, donors, and external partners.

Measures of Success

• Success will be measured by increased visibility for the Icahn Genomics Institute, the Mount Sinai Center for Autoimmunity, and Mount Sinai's broader genomics, immunology, cancer, immunotherapy, and precision medicine enterprise; clear and recognizable public narratives; high-quality grants, proposals, presentations, and strategic materials; expanded media and thought leadership presence; stronger donor and partner engagement; and a durable infrastructure for communicating scientific and clinical impact.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree, Masters preferred
• 7-10 years progressive development experience, including major and principal gift work