The Scientific Project Director will provide strategic, operational, and scientific project management support for multiple projects within the Cancer Neuroscience Program (CNP). The position reports to the CNP Director for Research Planning & Development and operates within a matrixed environment in close partnership with CNP senior leaders, theme directors, and project team Principal Investigators. This role oversees day-to-day operations, coordinates complex cross disciplinary activities, and ensures projects advance toward scientific milestones and institutional objectives. Serving as the primary liaison among project teams, leadership, and institutional partners, the Scientific Project Director drives resource planning, project execution, risk mitigation, and standardized reporting. The position plays a critical role in enabling high impact, high risk scientific initiatives by ensuring scientific rigor, operational continuity, and effective communication across all stakeholders.
The ideal candidate is a strategic scientific project leader with strong expertise across basic, translational, and clinical research who excels at cross-functional coordination, financial and resource stewardship, risk mitigation, and milestone-based progress for complex, multi-investigator discovery initiatives. Must be willing to work in a hybrid environment based in Houston with frequent in-person engagements.
JOB FUNCTIONS:
* Plans, develops, manages, and implements scientific and financial planning of long and short-term goals, deliverables and milestones for CNP projects.
* Conducts ongoing project analysis and evaluates resources, outcomes, and barriers to scientific progress. Identifies risks; recommends and implements mitigation strategies.
* Serves as central coordination point across project teams, co-investigators, other faculty/collaborators, staff, Philanthropy, external partners, and others as needed.
* Drives structured project interactions including agenda setting, discussion facilitation, follow-up on action items, and managing timelines from project deliverables and other ad hoc reporting.
* Plans, coordinates, and implements all needed actions to maintain a seminar series including identifying and inviting speakers, ensuring timely and constant follow-through, coordinating travel as needed, and ensuring invites to institutional stakeholders is done in a timely and efficient manner.
* Ensures clear, prompt, and timely communication between scientific, operational, and leadership stakeholders.
* Manages and maintains centralized project documentation, source materials, and project templates; updates documentation to reflect evolving strategic plans and operational needs.
* Implements standardized processes, reporting structures, and operational best practices that support project transparency and performance tracking.
* Serves as the primary liaison between the Director, Research Planning & Development and each individually CNP-funded principal investigator; maintains regular structured touchpoints with each PI to monitor scientific progress, surface emerging needs or barriers, and relay relevant programmatic updates, ensuring that the Director maintains informed, timely visibility into the status of all funded projects without requiring direct PI contact for routine matters.
* Develops and maintains a systematic ROI tracking framework for all CNP-funded projects capturing metrics such as publications, subsequent grant funding, intellectual property disclosures, patent application filings, clinical translation milestones, and philanthropic leverage attributable to CNP investment; produces regular ROI reports for program leadership and philanthropic stakeholders, and continues monitoring return on investment for a defined period following project close.
* Oversees project budgets, resource allocation, and monthly financial reconciliation in partnership with SRP finance, departmental administrative and financial personnel, and Director.
* Identifies internal and external funding opportunities, proactively plans and leads grant strategy with key stakeholders, and serves as the primary grant writer responsible for directing, drafting, and submitting all CNP grant applications.
* Systematically assesses the research interests, expertise, and preliminary data of CNP-funded investigators to identify synergistic pairings; architects multi-project grant teams by matching investigators whose work shares a common scientific theme or objective; and convenes and facilitates structured cross-PI planning meetings to develop integrated, thematically cohesive program project applications consistent with NCI P01 requirements.
* Applies knowledge of basic, translational, and clinical research processes to guide scientific planning, troubleshoot operational challenges, and facilitate milestone-driven progress.
* Other duties as assigned.
EDUCATION:
Required: Master's Degree
Preferred: PhD in Biological Science or related.
EXPERIENCE:
Required: Six years In biotechnology/pharmaceutical/academic research or clinical research setting to include three years research program/project management experience. With preferred degree, four years experience.
Preferred: Demonstrates ability to manage a portfolio of complex, research-driven projects including execution, tracking, and reporting of funded initiatives; has strong scientific literacy with the ability to read and interpret scientific and clinical proposals, understand research methods, milestones, and risks, and proactively assess project progress; communicates effectively with multiple principal investigators and stakeholders; is highly organized, solutions-oriented, and innovative with the ability to independently identify opportunities and propose strategies; exhibits strong written and verbal communication skills; and has experience with budgets and philanthropy or donor-funded projects as a plus.
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.
