Medical Director

Valius overview

At Valius, we believe that the future of cancer care will be defined by “maximalist” diagnostics: deep, comprehensive assessments of DNA, RNA, and protein designed to give patients and their care teams the best possible understanding of how their tumor works and what its vulnerabilities are.

We’re building the diagnostics and bioinformatics company to power this future, starting by applying this approach to patients with challenging cancers. In our first year, we have worked with over 75 of these patients and, in many cases, identified plausible therapeutic targets which had not been discovered previously. This coming year, we’re on track to scale our patient volume significantly, all while bringing new diagnostic modalities (e.g., single-cell transcriptomics) and analytical approaches into clinical care for the very first time.

We’ve just raised a $13.5M seed round, led by 8VC and Basis Set Ventures, and are looking for people passionate about changing cancer care to join our growing team.

Medical Director role

We're hiring a Medical Director to serve as Valius's senior clinical voice with patients and the broader oncology community. This role will have four primary areas of focus. First, you’ll meet with our patients and their care teams to contextualize our diagnostic findings and discuss the pros and cons of different therapeutic options. Second, you’ll design and oversee Valius’s evidence-generation strategy, scoping and guiding the research studies we’ll conduct to evaluate the applicability and value of our approach. Third, you’ll cultivate relationships with leading oncologists, research institutions, and pharmaceutical companies to advance our research, expand awareness of Valius’s offering, and help our patients access therapies. Fourth, you’ll contribute to the scientific development of Valius’s product, drawing on your clinical expertise to inform the analyses and services we add in the future.

You will be expected to work out of our San Francisco office three to four days a week. You may maintain a part-time affiliation with your existing institution.

What you’ll do

• Present therapeutic options to patients: Partner with our translational science team to interpret patient diagnostic data to identify and present potential therapeutic options

• Engage with patients and their care teams: Help patients and their care teams understand the efficacy, safety, and accessibility of the therapeutic options identified by our diagnostic workup

• Own our evidence-generation programs: Determine the types of research studies Valius should conduct to validate its approach, and guide their execution

• Build our physician network: Establish collaborative relationships with leading oncologists and institutions to advance our research and expand our clinical reach

• Shape our product strategy: Partner with our science and R&D teams to guide our product development from a clinical perspective

What you’ll bring

• M.D./Ph.D. or M.D.

• 6+ years of experience in clinical research or practice at an academic cancer center

• Deep understanding of clinical and molecular genetics (e.g., genomics, transcriptomics, protein evaluation)

• Strong track record conducting clinical research, including experience overseeing clinical trials

• Published research in a peer-reviewed oncology or molecular medicine journal

• Experience communicating directly with patients and/or their care teams

• Exceptional oral and written communication skills

• Commitment to our patient-focused mission

• Interest in working for a small, early-stage startup

Nice to have:

• Established professional network of oncologists at leading institutions

What we’ll bring

• Competitive salary and equity compensation

• Generous refresh grants

• Comprehensive benefits (health, dental, vision, 401(k))

• Genuine investment in your professional development

• Fun, mission-driven team culture