Chair & Member - Department of Biostatistics

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital • Memphis, TN

2d • Onsite

About The Position

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is seeking a Chair of the Department of Biostatistics who views biostatistics as a critical driver of biomedical discovery. The ideal candidate will possess a strong background in statistical methodology scholarship and proven leadership abilities. Prior experience within a cancer center or academic medical center is highly advantageous. Key responsibilities include providing strategic and academic leadership, demonstrating financial acumen, securing external funding, and fostering faculty mentorship and career development. At St. Jude, biostatisticians are integral partners in scientific endeavors, involved throughout the research process from initial concept and study design to analysis, interpretation, and publication. This role offers an environment where quantitative scientists actively shape the scientific direction, rather than merely providing support. The department is a significant entity, comprising 75 members, including 18 faculty, 39 staff statisticians/bioinformaticians, 7 postdocs, and 11 computing and administrative professionals. Faculty expertise covers a wide range of areas such as clinical trial design, statistical genetics and genomics, Bayesian methods, survival and longitudinal analysis, high-dimensional and functional data, causal inference, machine learning, artificial intelligence, and predictive modeling. Faculty contribute to major collaborative projects like the Children’s Oncology Group and the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study. The department also hosts the Biostatistics Shared Resource of the St. Jude NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, which achieved an Exceptional score in its recent review. Furthermore, the department contributes to statistics education and training through the St. Jude Graduate School, offering an MS degree in Applied Biomedical Data Science. The incoming Chair will lead a robust, mission-focused department and will have the opportunity to enhance the cohesion of its people, capabilities, and collaborations.

Requirements

• PhD degree in Statistics, Biostatistics, or a related field, or equivalent.
• Academic credentials qualifying for appointment at the full member (Professor) level.
• Strong record of scholarship in statistical methodology.
• Demonstrated leadership abilities.
• Strategic and academic leadership skills.
• Financial acumen.
• Ability to secure external funding.
• Genuine commitment to faculty mentorship and career development.

Nice To Haves

• Experience in a cancer center or academic medical center setting.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic and academic leadership for the Department of Biostatistics.
• Demonstrate financial acumen and manage departmental finances.
• Secure external funding to support research initiatives.
• Foster faculty mentorship and support career development.
• Engage across the full research continuum, from shaping scientific questions and study design to analysis, interpretation, and publication.
• Contribute to statistics education and training through the St. Jude Graduate School.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Executive
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree