Chief Scientific Officer

Job title: Chief Scientific Officer

HCEMM is a rapidly growing Program for Translational Medicine in Hungary. The mandate of HCEMM is to conduct research and development in the field of Molecular Medicine. The main foci are chronic and infectious diseases impacting the healthy ageing of the Hungarian population. The HCEMM Program is managed by HCEMM Kft. with headquarters at the Incubator House located at Szeged Science Park. Currently HCEMM operates 20 Matching Groups, which are embedded at the locations of the HCEMM owners (Semmelweis University, the University of Szeged and the Biological Research Centre in Szeged) and four Advanced Core Facilities. At the Incubator House, the HCEMM Kft. Administration Team and the Core Groups are operating in Office Space and dedicated Laboratories. More information about HCEMM can be found at https://www.hcemm.eu/.

The HCEMM program is funded by an E.U. Teaming Grant, a NRDIO Thematic Excellence award and has been awarded National Laboratory status in 2020.

The advanced partner of HCEMM is the European Molecular Biological Laboratory (EMBL) with headquarters in Heidelberg, Germany. EMBL supports all aspects of the HCEMM establishment, including advice on the development of the program, support through access to EMBL’s core facilities and interactions between EMBL scientists and HCEMM researchers. EMBL also provides training for HCEMM staff on administrative and scientific topics. The CSO is expected to closely interact with EMBL on all aspects of the HCEMM development.

We are looking for a Chief Scientific Officer (CSO) at the HCEMM headquarters, who will also coordinate the interaction between the HCEMM Administration and the Research Groups and participate in the general management tasks of the HCEMM program. The CSO is also expected to establish a Core Group at the HCEMM headquarters, with a research topic related to healthy ageing, with a 50/50 split between participating in the HCEMM Kft. Administration and overseeing the Core Research Group.

Conditions required to occupy position:

• Doctoral Degree in Biomedical Sciences or Biotechnology or a related area
• At least ten years of experience with managing a research group, as well as management experience of large-scale grants within scientific organizations, with at least 5 years of work experience in an international environment
• Excellent awareness of the field of Molecular Medicine
• Awareness of the political map of Europe in the field of large-scale research projects, and the short- and long-term concept in the area of translational molecular medicine
• Management experience acquired preferably in a global institutional environment where different scientific and social cultures are connected
• Proven experience in successful fundraising, program development, faculty recruitment and mentoring, and presentation of organizational management
• Excellent communication skills
• Negotiation skills at different levels (HCEMM Owners, Government, Industrial Partners)
• Knowledge of EU research funding mechanism and the Hungarian research environment is an advantage
• Excellent organizational skills and fluent command English orally and in writing and the ability to write and defend Grant applications on the national Hungarian and EU level.

Professional tasks related to the position of CSO of HCEMM Project (approximately 50% of the work time):

• Contribute to executing the scientific strategy of the HCEMM Program and ensure academic autonomy of the Centre of Excellence in accordance with the HCEMM EU Project, including in collaboration with the HCEMM partners in Hungary and EMBL;
• Support the DG&CEO of the HCEMM Project in coordinating the infrastructural developments, the selection of research teams and the assessment of their performance
• Ensure integration and strategic alignment of scientific research at HCEMM across its four research pillars and chair the Scientific Integration Committee of the HCEMM Project

He or She will establish a Research Group in the field of Molecular Medicine, with special focus on the translational aspects, including the management of a research team (approximately 50% of the work time):

• conducting research and other scientific work with international recognition;
• planning, organizing, conducting and assessing researchers and publishing their results in international journals;
• continuous participation in domestic and international conferences and other scientific events;
• continuous participation in the domestic and international scientific life;
• continuing the existing and operational cooperation projects, domestic and international collaborations, establishing new collaborations;
• professional management of Hungarian (e.g. NRDIO, Hungarian Structural Funds) and international (e.g. Horizon Europe); tenders, awarding new tenders;
• establishment and development of industrial relationships (collaborations, contractual R&D activity);
• participation in the training, educational and upskilling work; participation in the graduate and postgraduate training (conducting lectures, practices and seminars), and announcement and management of PhD courses related to HCEMM;
• leading TDK and PhD students, degree thesis, counselling;
• participation in the outreach to the General Public via media outlets and social Internet channels.

Work full time at the HCEMM headquarters, Incubator House, Budapesti ut 9, 6728 Szeged

Please submit your application (consisting of a CV and covering letter) to career@hcemm.eu