Director, UF Health Cancer Institute

Prof & Director

Qualified candidates must hold a medical degree (MD), terminal (PhD), or equivalent. Candidates must be eligible for a faculty appointment at the Professor level at the University of Florida. Clinically active candidates must be board certified and eligible for licensure in the state of Florida.

The next Director will play a central role in shaping strategy, strengthening areas of opportunity, and articulating a compelling case for continued excellence. As an inspirational and visible leader, they will galvanize faculty, recruit high-performing talent, build trust across departments, and foster a culture grounded in collaboration, innovation, and accountability. This is an opportunity for a mission-driven leader to build upon substantial institutional and state support and lead the UF Health Cancer Institute into its next era of scientific distinction and transformative impact.

The new Director will be responsible for leading the clinical, research, education and community outreach programs of the center, including programs at the Cancer & Genetics Research Complex, the UF Health Shands Cancer Hospital, several ambulatory cancer practices, and the UF Health Proton Therapy Institute in Jacksonville. The Director will serve as Physician-In-Chief of the UF Health Shands Cancer Hospital in accordance with the provision of the Marshall E. Rinker, Sr. Foundation, Inc., and the David B. and Leighan R. Rinker gift agreement. The Director will work closely with the Executive Vice President for Health Affairs, University of Florida President, UF Health, the Deans of the UF colleges, other UF Center and Institute Directors and the President and Chief Executive Officer of the UF Health system to effectively implement the strategic plan and aims of the UFHCI for oncology clinical, research, education, and community outreach operations.

The Director will be responsible for deepening scientific impact and accelerating growth in key priority areas, including expansion of translational research and the continued development of medical oncology within an integrated academic–clinical model. The Center’s four research programs - Cancer Control & Population Sciences, Mechanisms of Oncogenesis, Cancer Targeting & Therapeutics, and Immuno-Oncology & Microbiome – the Director will leverage shared resources in genomics, computational biology, AI-enabled clinical trial infrastructure, and matching, and high-throughput technologies to strengthen investigator-initiated trials, expanded therapeutic accrual, and enhance community-engaged research. A central charge will be to create synergies across research, clinical service lines, shared resources, and outreach efforts to ensure a cohesive and high-performing cancer enterprise.

Importantly, the new Director must be an expert at building internal and external relationships, with a demonstrated track record of working successfully with senior leadership at large medical institutions, as well as local, state, and federal legislators and constituents. They will have a high emotional intelligence (EQ) and cultural intelligence (CQ), and be a consensus-oriented team player, who displays “respectful courage” and is highly influential in their ability to encourage people to move forward toward shared goals.

Key Priorities of the new Director, UF Health Cancer Institute:

• Authority over the CCSG process and award, implementing CCSG activities to stimulate transdisciplinary collaborative research, inclusive workforce development, and community engagement.
• Development of a shared vision of the Institute, utilizing the full range of university resources to address the cancer burden of the catchment area and formally articulating this through the Institute's strategic plan.
• Recruitment and appointment of Institute leaders and members and charging and empowering UFHCI committees.
• Leadership of the executive committee, which directs decision-making in accordance with the UFHCI strategic plan.
• Service on the UF Health Shands Board of Directors and the cancer service line steering committee assuring that Institute and catchment area strategic priorities are well-represented at all decision-making levels of the institution.
• Development and oversight of the cancer service line to ensure integration of research and care.
• Authority over all cancer research requiring IRB approvals at UF, including the Institute's Clinical Research Office.
• Oversight of activities of Community Outreach & Engagement to enhance bidirectional communication and community impact in the catchment area.
• Complete authority over the Institute's budget supporting ongoing operations and recruitment, including funds provided by UF Health and the State of Florida.
• Oversight of Institute philanthropy and fundraising activities, including all major gifts of the institution impacting cancer.
• Allocation of Institute-assigned laboratory and clinical research space.
• Development of and supporting Institute shared resources.
• Centralization of training programs to enhance the development of a prepared cancer research workforce.

Commensurate with education and experience.

The ideal candidate is expected to be a highly respected cancer scientist, possess dynamic leadership skills and administrative expertise, and to lead in a manner that supports and contributes to the success and unity of the Cancer Institute, hospitals and their affiliates, and their appointed college.

• Bring a proven track record of progressive leadership experience within a matrixed institution and the ability to integrate comprehensive cancer services to meet the needs of the growing clinical enterprise.
• Lead innovative research efforts which foster discovery at the bench and in the community; and facilitate the translation of those discoveries into the clinic and community at large.
• Articulate a compelling vision for the future of the Cancer Center within a highly regarded academic health system and to the community in general.
• Demonstrate expertise at building strong internal and external relationships, with a track record of working collaboratively with academic partners, physician scientists, physician leaders and diverse management teams and/or affiliated partnerships to support the implementation of clinical programs and quality initiatives.
• Be a "systems thinker" who demonstrates an understanding, innovative thinking, and an expertise with various operating entities of an integrated healthcare system.
• Be a consensus-oriented individual who displays "respectful courage" and is highly influential in their ability to encourage people forward.
• Understand the organizational landscape and be able to anticipate the critical issues, opportunities, and threats in the foreseeable future.
• Demonstrate the ability to drive the implementation of strategic and annual operating plans that ensure people, systems, and processes are coordinated, integrated, and aligned.
• Demonstrate experience in aligning, expanding, and sustaining innovative quality, safety, and performance improvement initiatives that achieve superior clinical quality, favorable financial outcomes, and high patient/physician/employee satisfaction.
• Contribute to the improvement of cancer care delivery by the advancement of the UFHCI's role in the transformation and evolution of a regional and state-wide health strategy.
• Develop and mentor the academic careers of faculty/fellows and be skilled in the recruitment of outstanding new faculty to build high performing cohesive teams and cultivate a pipeline of next generation leaders.
• Collaborate across institutions in the continued development of the clinical enterprise to foster and uniquely broaden multidisciplinary clinical education and research innovations.
• Promote an environment of accountability and continuous performance improvement by establishing and monitoring concrete performance measures to drive achievement of targeted outcomes.
• Support University of Florida’s goal to recognize the value of all employees, embrace diversity and contribute to a positive, collaborative culture that leads to commitment to the organization's success.
• Display impeccable values, ethical standards, and high emotional intelligence.

The University of Florida is a member of the State University System of Florida and an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment based on merit.

Applicants must upload a copy of the following documents to be considered for this position:

• Cover Letter or Letter of Interest
• Curriculum Vitae
• Current Biosketch

The final candidate will need to provide an official transcript to complete the hiring process. A transcript will not be considered "official" if a designation of "Issued to Student" is visible. Degrees earned from an educational institution outside of the United States are required to be evaluated by a professional credentialing service provider approved by the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES), which can be found at http://www.naces.org/.

Be advised: The “government in the sunshine” laws of Florida require that all documents relating to the search process, including letters of application/nomination and reference, be available for public inspection upon request.

This is not a remote work position, and is located on the University of Florida's Main Campus in Gainesville, FL.

To ensure full consideration, inquiries, nominations, and applications should be submitted electronically, in confidence, to:

caroline.thompson@kornferry.com