Lead Academic Collaborations Manager

Exact Sciences • Madison, WI

1d • $112,000 - $190,000 • Remote

About The Position

At Exact Sciences, we’re helping change how the world prevents, detects and guides treatment for cancer. We give patients and clinicians the clarity needed to make confident decisions when they matter most. Join our team to find a purpose-driven career, an inclusive culture, and robust benefits to support your life while you’re working to help others. Position Overview The Lead Academic Collaborations Manager supports academic collaboration activities that enable the adoption of new and emerging technologies and the acquisition of biological samples for product development and clinical research. This role coordinates collaboration efforts across internal teams and external academic partners, managing administrative workflows and deliverables to ensure alignment with contractual obligations and relationship expectations. The Manager combines scientific understanding with operational rigor and a strong service mindset to help ensure collaborations run smoothly and effectively. This role is eligible for fully remote status or onsite status at one of our office locations.

Requirements

• Ph.D. in Biomedical Sciences, with focus in molecular biology.
• 4+ years of combined experience in biotech, pharma, diagnostics, or academic setting working with clinicians and researchers from academic medical centers performing translational and clinical studies in peer review settings.
• Demonstrated ability to interpret complex clinical and scientific data and translate it into clear action items to help advance studies.
• Strong project management skills and familiarity with tools (i.e., Asana, Smartsheet, MS Project).
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including ability to interact with stakeholders across functions and levels.
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple high-priority projects concurrently.
• Demonstrated ability to perform the essential duties of the position with or without accommodation.
• Applicants must be currently authorized to work in country where work will be performed on a full or part-time basis.
• We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of employment visas at this time.

Nice To Haves

• Experience in oncology diagnostics or precision medicine in industry or academic settings.
• 4+ years of experience with project management and related techniques.
• Working knowledge/familiarity with collaboration contracts including clinical service, confidentiality, material transfer, partnership contracts, and sponsored research.
• Experience coordinating with academic, clinical, or industry partners on collaborative programs.
• Hands-on experience with contract workflows, negotiation support, and cross-functional stakeholder engagement.
• Strong familiarity with Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems, scheduling tools, and collaboration platforms.
• Strong analytical ability to evaluate new technologies and trends, interpret scientific literature, and assess technology impact to cancer molecular diagnostic field.
• Ability to anticipate risks, navigate ambiguity, and drive clarity across matrixed environments.

Responsibilities

• Serve as a cross-functional partner for academic collaborative studies, providing visibility, structure, and momentum to advance prospective and active projects.
• Support development of collaborative research plans and monitor milestones and deliverables, surfacing risks and opportunities to enable timely decision-making and productive partnerships.
• Identify and evaluate new and emerging academic technologies, assessing potential impact to research and development and coordinating due diligence activities.
• Act as a connective tissue across business, clinical, research, medical, legal, commercial, and leadership stakeholders to ensure clear communication and alignment on collaboration objectives.
• Apply operational expertise to support execution of collaborative studies in a highly matrixed environment, managing timelines, resources, risks, and interdependencies.
• Maintain a strong pulse on collaboration progress, facilitating the right discussions at the right time to sustain forward momentum and accountability.
• Develop clear, decision-ready materials—including dashboards, reports, and presentations—that synthesize collaboration status, insights, and next steps.
• Uphold company mission and values through accountability, innovation, integrity, quality, and teamwork.
• Support and comply with the company’s Quality Management System policies and procedures.
• Maintain regular and reliable attendance.
• Ability to act with an inclusion mindset and model these behaviors for the organization.
• Ability to travel up to 25% of working time away from work location (e.g., between Exact Sciences locations, to collaborative institutions, to scientific medical conferences, etc.); may include overnight/weekend travel.

Benefits

• paid time off (including days for vacation, holidays, volunteering, and personal time)
• paid leave for parents and caregivers
• a retirement savings plan
• wellness support
• health benefits including medical, prescription drug, dental, and vision coverage

What This Job Offers

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