Xilis is an innovation-driven biotech company developing its proprietary MicroOrganoSphere (“MOS”) Technology for functional precision oncology. Xilis’ MOS Technology enables rapid and scalable generation of patient tumor models that retain patient-specific tumor biology and tumor microenvironment, representing one of the most translationally relevant ex vivo technologies for precision oncology drug discovery and development. The headquarters, Xilis, Inc., is located in Research Triangle Park, Durham, NC, and the subsidiary Xilis B.V. is located in Utrecht, the Netherlands. Xilis is building a functional precision medicine platform that incorporates scaled multi-modal profiling of therapeutic activity and AI/ML-enabled analytics to catalyze functional precision medicine drug discovery, development, and diagnostics. Collectively, Xilis aims to harness its MOS Platform to enable the development of the most effective therapeutics and guide them to the right patients at the right time.
About the role
Xilis BV, the Dutch subsidiary of Xilis Inc., is seeking a seasoned scientific leader with deep experience in translating R&D into commercial success. This individual will play a pivotal role in guiding the scientific direction of Xilis BV, ensuring alignment with corporate strategy and managing strategic alliances with clinical and research partners.The ideal candidate brings a strong scientific foundation, proven managerial leadership, and the ability to bridge internal R&D with external business opportunities. This role requires both strategic oversight and hands-on engagement with our multidisciplinary scientific teams to develop and implement innovative MOS (MicroOrganoSphere) assays. The candidate will report into Xilis BV Site Head.
Responsibilities
- Oversee and guide all R&D activities at Xilis BV, ensuring strategic alignment with both corporate goals and external partnership needs
- Act as a strategic liaison between Xilis BV’s scientific team and senior leadership
- Partner with Xilis' business development team to identify and support high-impact collaboration opportunities
- Support and coach BV Scientists in daily operations, including project planning, experimental design, and data analysis
- Resolve key operational and technical challenges to maintain research momentum and success
- Advocate for the scientific team’s needs by translating them into infrastructure requirements for the platform team
- Lead coordination of joint research efforts with clinical institutions, including tumor tissue acquisition and data sharing
- Ensure scientific initiatives at Xilis BV are fully integrated with the broader strategy of Xilis headquarters
- Thrive in and contribute to a dynamic, fast-paced, and mission-driven environment
Requirements
- Ph.D. in Cancer Biology, Immunology, or a related field
- 8+ years of post-doctoral experience in oncology or immunology within the biotech or pharmaceutical industry
- 3+ years in a scientific leadership position including team and program leadership responsibilities and demonstrated success in driving R&D strategy
- Proven ability to lead scientific programs, connecting strategy and scientific progress to corporate goals and commercial opportunities
- Strong track record of employing critical thinking and effective decision making to define and advance scientific efforts
- Strong interpersonal and communication skills with a collaborative approach to leadership
- Experience in fast-growing startup environments and comfort working across cross-functional teams
- Direct experience with human primary tumor tissue models is highly preferred
Xilis was created when its three founders — an engineer, a physician, and a biologist — decided to come together and commercialize their technology to transform cancer care. We are committed to building a team that represents a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity, or Veteran status. Furthermore, even if your work experience isn't perfectly aligned with what we've described above, if you're excited about what we're building then we want to talk to you!
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