Medical Director

Headquartered in Los Angeles, the Dr. Susan Love Foundation for Breast Cancer Research challenges the status quo to end breast cancer and improve the lives of people impacted by it now through education and advocacy. The Foundation drives collaborative, cutting-edge research with nontraditional partners, brings to light the collateral damage of treatment and seeks ways to diminish it, and interprets science to empower patients. Fast, flexible, and project-based, the Foundation actively engages the public in scientific research to ensure that it produces accurate and meaningful results. 

Recognized for her progressive approach to women’s health and research paired with her laser-like focus, Dr. Susan Love is the quintessential Chief Visionary Officer. Since the earliest days of her career, as one of 10 women in her medical school graduating class and the first female surgeon on the staff of Boston’s Beth Israel Hospital, Dr. Love has challenged treatment norms, championed innovation, and led the charge for women and breast cancer patients. She helped establish Boston’s Faulkner Breast Center, the first American facility to specialize in breast disease, as well as the National Breast Cancer Coalition, which helped influence the federal government to increase research funding for breast cancer. In 1990, she published the bestselling Dr. Susan Love’s Breast Book, which the New York Times called “the Bible for women with breast cancer.”  

Through her work with the Foundation, Dr. Love has pioneered some of the world’s more innovative research. From spearheading a partnership with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory to map the breast ductal system, to harnessing the power of artificial intelligence to develop a handheld, self-reading ultrasound for breast cancer screening in underserved populations, she has dedicated her career to the eradication of breast cancer. 

In 2008, Dr. Love founded the Army of Women, a flagship program of the Dr. Susan Love Foundation for Breast Cancer Research. This groundbreaking initiative connects more than 390,000 women and men, with or without breast cancer, to researchers committed to solving important breast cancer questions. The goal of the Army is to forge partnerships between members and the scientific community. 

Operating with 14 staff and an annual budget of $3 million, the Foundation is governed by a nine-person Board of Directors. The Foundation’s Chief Executive Officer, Christopher Clinton Conway, joined the team in March 2019. Mr. Conway is an accomplished and globally engaged nonprofit leader and attorney serving iconic nonprofit institutions and high-net-worth individuals in pursuit of meaningful impact and lasting change. Mr. Conway launched his career assisting Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and First Lady Rosalynn Carter pursue an innovative global health agenda at The Carter Center of Emory University, and most recently supported the merger of the eye institutes at UCLA and USC. 

The Vision: To end breast cancer. 

The Mission: The Dr. Susan Love Foundation for Breast Cancer Research performs and facilitates innovative and collaborative research while translating science to engage the public as informed partners. 

The Position: Reporting to the Chief Executive Officer, the Medical Director will work closely with the Chief Visionary Officer and Founder, Dr. Susan Love and Leah Eshraghi, Senior Director of Clinical Research, to develop and assist with research strategy and planning. The Medical Director will act as the primary clinical resource for the internal, foundation research, development, marketing and communications teams. The Medical Director will ensure the accuracy and consistency of medical content and messaging. The Medical Director, with the CVO and CEO, will have the opportunity to represent the Foundation in public facing activities with donors, stakeholders, partners and the media. The Medical Director’s primary responsibilities include the following: 

Research, Strategy and Vision 

• Participate in the clinical research strategy and planning along with Dr. Love and the Foundation’s Senior Director of Clinical Research 
• Conceive progressive research studies that challenge the status quo and leverage the power of collaborative research partners 
• Help identify, cultivate and manage relationships with research partners and collaborators 
• Working in collaboration with diverse individuals, partners and teams, manage a broad range of multi-faceted, translational as well as clinical research projects to realize strategic goals 
• Serve as a clinical expert, providing direction and insights to the research team 

Communications

• Be an active member of the Foundation team responsible for strong internal communication, coordination of efforts and focused attention to mission and vision 
• Provide commentary on the latest treatments and research developments in various forums including blogs and social media posts 
• Speak at public and private events, research meetings, and conferences 
• Deliver complex medical and scientific content in language that is accessible to a variety of audiences 

Fund Development 

• Assist the Foundation’s Senior Director of Clinical Research and the Director of Development with grant proposals and reports 
• Support development and event teams to inspire, cultivate, and solicit a dedicated group of donors  

Professional Requirements 

The Medical Director will have a strong background in breast cancer treatment and research and a long history of partnering with researchers. The ideal candidate will have the following qualifications: 

• Proven success assisting with the development and implementation of strategic research plans; 
• Recent, since the advent of Electronic Health Records and the Affordable Care Act, clinical experience; 
• An understanding of the adverse impact of health disparities on marginalized and at-risk populations, and a commitment to advancing health equity; 
• Outstanding communications skills including experience presenting medical and scientific data to both professional and lay audiences; 
• Published contributions to medical and/or scientific journals; 
• Exceptional project management skills; 
• Doctor of Medicine strongly preferred. 

Personal Characteristics 

The new Medical Director will be a dynamic, highly organized, detail-oriented individual with excellent interpersonal and communications skills. They will have the ability to effectively engage with physicians, researchers, advocates, the public, and the media as well as with a large multi-institutional network of collaborators. The selected candidate will be aligned with the mission and values of the Foundation and will be driven to eradicate breast cancer. 

Compensation: Our client is offering a competitive compensation package for the position with a comprehensive benefits package that includes medical, dental, vision, and life insurance, a 401(K)-retirement plan, supplemental insurance options, generous vacation and paid leave. 

Basic relocation expenses may be considered for the exceptional individual they are seeking. 

Opportunity: This is an exceptional opportunity for an accomplished researcher with recent clinical experience to develop progressive research that transforms conventional breast cancer treatment. The successful candidate will be willing to critique and eager to challenge the traditional research status quo. Most importantly, the Medical Director will collaborate with the pioneering Dr. Susan Love, working in partnership to revolutionize breast cancer research and end breast cancer.  

Location: The Medical Director will work out of the Foundation headquarters on Ventura Boulevard in Encino, California.