ACT Entrepreneur in Residence

THE ORGANIZATION

TMC Innovation (TMCi) is a flagship initiative of Texas Medical Center (TMC) that acts as a gateway to the facilities resources and network of the worlds largest medical center. TMC Innovation includes Therapeutic Medical Device and our Biobridge and CPRIT sponsored accelerator programs.

TMC ACT

TMCi has been awarded 2 successive Core Facility grants from The Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) for a cancer therapeutics program. This grant sponsored program is specifically designed for individuals or early-stage startups that are focused on developing novel cancer therapeutics.

The program called TMC ACT (Accelerating Cancer Therapeutics) is a comprehensive nine-month program designed to enhance biotech entrepreneurship training and comprehensive drug development programs in Texas. It will simultaneously provide Texas researchers and startup companies with integrated training resources and mentoring in order to help advance innovative cancer therapy discoveries into clinical trials ultimately leading to new approaches and therapies to treat and/or cure cancer patients.

This program has been remarkedly successful to date and has supported 103 Investigators or small biotechs across 5 cohorts. 27 unique spin-out companies have been created across numerous oncology indicaitons. The total reported funding of these companies is approaching $400 million including $60 million awarded through CPRIT grants. Participants are affiliated with 20 distinct institutions highlighting a diverse and collaborative innovation ecosystem.

POSITION OVERVIEW

TMC is currently seeking an Entrepreneur in Residence (EIR) to support and promote TMC Innovations efforts through the ACT program. The EIR will work with participating investigators or companies throughout this program by helping them navigate the path of drug development and the structuring of their businesses to be positioned for success. The companies are all early stage but at varying stages and areas of oncology. The EIR will support 10 projects per year as well as former program participants. The EIR role is sequential by design. EIRs first embed in ACT to review technologies mentor investigators and companies and support them as they design/run fast low-cost experiments that surface fatal flaws early. EIRs do not join to build companies on day one; they earn the right to co-found and lead a company with TMC by first supporting the program participants. When an opportunity arises and the EIRs own track record of engagement justifies it the EIR transitions into company-building mode shifting full focus to founding licensing team building and capitalization.

The ACT EIR will work with the TMC Innovation team to set program goals determine actions to achieve these goals and mobilize the resources to required to meet the individual will be challenged to support the translation of early stage life science innovations into commercially successful products and time the EIR will found and lead a new biotech company with the backing of TMC resources.

Ideal candidates exhibit the following qualities:

• Enthusiasm and energy;
• Humble servant leadership;
• Inquisitive and creative mind;
• Thrive on complex challenges;
• Ability to turn the conceptual into the tangible and actionable;
• Strong self-confidence with no ego;
• Looking for more than a job but a purpose;
• Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to persuasively sell ideas;
• Intellectual agility;
• Willingness to make difficult recommendations and decisions;
• Team first mentality;
• Independent thinking and data-driven decision making;
• Strong interest in healthcare and entrepreneurship

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Enable the launch of companies developing novel cancer therapeutics
• Review early-stage technologies and perform context-rich technical IP market and commercial diligence on assets within TMCACT.
• Support the design and execution of time and cost-boxed experiments to expose potential fatal flaws at the lowest possible cost generating insight and pattern recognition across the pipeline (time to truth).
• Scout and recruit early-stage drug development investigators and companies that would be suitable for ACT program.
• Evaluate the commercialization potential of programs applying to the accelerator.
• Serve as a point of contact and hands on advisor for ACT founders in developing their roadmap for product and company development.
• Drive the recruitment of the ACT advisor network of subject matter experts building relationships that benefit both the participants and your own perspective as an operator.
• Assist ACT participants in achieving short-term milestones and setting the course for those more long-term goals.
• Upon a clear truth signal and having earned the right to do so co-found and lead a new company. Shifting full focus to founding team building and capitalization including raising non-dilutive (CPRIT SBIR/STTR) and dilutive (venture)capital.
• Participate in annual progress reports as dictated by the grant-awardee Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT).
• During your EIR term you will be expected to disclose any business affiliations commitments or other employment opportunities you may have or may develop with other companies academic intuitions or other organizations.

KEY SELECTION AND SUCCESS FACTORS

Work Experience:

• 5-10 years of cumulative experience in early-stage oncology therapeutic development entrepreneurship and or commercialization
• Hands-on experience building an early-stage company as a founder co-founder or early operating leader (not solely advisory or service roles) strongly preferred
• Capital-side fluency: venture investing business development fundraising or grant diligence (e.g. CPRIT SBIR/STTR)

Education/Qualifications:

• Doctoral degree (PhD MD or MD/PhD) in a life science or medical field required
• Demonstrated interest and passion in entrepreneurship startups and innovation in the lifesciences
• Excellent communication presentation organization and interpersonal skills
• Strong analytic capabilities and experience with a variety of analytic techniques
• Sees projects through to completion with the ability to meet deadlines
• Adept in taking direction and actively soliciting feedback
• Thrives under pressure with the capacity to handle and balance conflicting requests
• Acute attention to accuracy and detail in all aspects of responsibilities
• Highly proficient in Microsoft suite of programs
• Ability to influence work in a highly entrepreneurial environment and comfort with ambiguity

Texas Medical Center is anEqual Opportunity Employer. All applicants will receive consideration without regard to race color age religion gender national origin disability or Veteran status. If you require assistance or reasonable accommodation in the application process please contact Human Resources at