Chair & Member - Department of Biostatistics

About the Role

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is seeking a Chair of the Department of Biostatistics who views biostatistics as an intellectual engine of biomedical discovery. The ideal candidate will have a strong record of scholarship in statistical methodology, demonstrated leadership, and a genuine commitment to faculty mentorship and career development. Experience in a cancer center or academic medical‑center setting is highly desirable.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide strategic and academic leadership for a department of 75 members.
• Oversee financial management and budgeting for the department.
• Secure and steward external research funding.
• Mentor and develop faculty, staff, post‑doctoral scholars, and trainees.
• Embed biostatisticians as partners across the full research continuum—from shaping scientific questions and study design to analysis, interpretation, and publication.
• Foster collaboration with major multi‑institutional efforts such as the Children’s Oncology Group and the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study.
• Guide the Biostatistics Shared Resource of the NCI‑designated Comprehensive Cancer Center.
• Support statistics education and training through the St. Jude Graduate School.

Qualifications

• PhD in Statistics, Biostatistics, or a related field (or equivalent).
• Academic credentials qualifying for appointment at the full professor (member) level.
• Strong record of scholarship in statistical methodology.
• Demonstrated leadership experience, preferably in a cancer center or academic medical‑center environment.
• Proven ability to secure external research funding.
• Commitment to faculty mentorship, career development, and collaborative science.

Department Overview

The Department of Biostatistics is a substantial enterprise comprising 75 members, including:

• 18 faculty members
• 39 staff statisticians/bioinformaticians
• 7 post‑doctoral scholars
• 11 computing and administrative professionals

Faculty research spans 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. The department contributes to major multi‑institutional initiatives and houses the Biostatistics Shared Resource, which received an Exceptional score in its most recent review. It also supports statistics education through the St. Jude Graduate School’s MS degree in Applied Biomedical Data Science.

About St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital

Located in Memphis, TN, St. Jude was founded in 1962 on the belief that no child should die in the dawn of life. With approximately 7,200 scientists, clinicians, and support personnel, it is the only NCI‑designated Comprehensive Cancer Center devoted exclusively to children. The institution is consistently recognized as a top employer and a leader in research and treatment of catastrophic blood, neurological, and infectious diseases in children.

Application Details

Applications and nominations should be submitted via the online application system or directed to the Search Committee Chair, Jennifer Martin (jennifer.martin2@stjude.org). Candidates must submit a curriculum vitae and a statement of interest emphasizing relevant scholarship, mentoring, and leadership experiences. Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled. All applications will be kept confidential.