Deputy Director, Medical College of Wisconsin Cancer Center
Deputy Director, Medical College of Wisconsin Cancer Center
Medical College of Wisconsin
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
The Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW) invites applications and nominations for the position of Deputy Director of the Medical College of Wisconsin Cancer Center (MCWCC or Cancer Center). This is an opportunity to join a cancer center at a defining moment in its trajectory. The next Deputy Director will step into a pivotal leadership position that will shape MCWCC’s priorities and what the Cancer Center will become over the next decade and beyond.
The Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW), based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, with additional campuses in Green Bay and Central Wisconsin, has staked its place as a national leader in cancer care and research. Beginning in 2020, with the arrival of Dr. Gustavo Leone and his open-minded, optimistic leadership, members of the Cancer Center have transformed this campus from one known primarily for superlative clinical care and stem-cell transplantation to one where cutting edge, innovative and clinically impactful research is being done for every kind of tumor and across the continuum of cancer care. With the recent appointments of a new President and CEO and Dean & EVP of the Medical School, MCW is entering an exciting new chapter marked by momentum, energy, and a strong commitment to advancing its mission across Wisconsin and beyond.
Even amid a difficult national financial climate, MCW remains stable and strong. MCW enrolls more than 1,677 students across the School of Medicine, the School of Pharmacy, and the School of Graduate Studies and employs more than 6,297 total faculty, staff, and graduate trainees, making it one of Wisconsin's largest private employers. Forbes recognized MCW as a Best-In-State Employer for the fifth consecutive year and ranks in the top 3.2% of all U.S. employers with 500 or more employees.
The Cancer Center’s vision is to eradicate cancer in its catchment area and beyond through innovative science, clinical excellence, and meaningful community partnerships. Over the last decade, MCWCC has become a major academic cancer enterprise serving a catchment area of 3.4 million people across Wisconsin and beyond, including many of the state's most medically underserved communities, and treats more than 7,000 new cancer patients annually. Today, the Cancer Center is backed by a transformational institutional commitment, a newly constructed state-of-the-art cancer research facility, a rapidly expanding clinical network, and a clear pathway toward National Cancer Institute (NCI) designation. Rooted in Midwestern values yet national in impact, MCWCC combines world-class research, exceptional clinical care, and a spirit of innovation that places it among the country's premier academic medical centers.
The Cancer Center brings together the scientific, educational, and clinical strengths of MCW and its key partners, including Froedtert ThedaCare Health, Children's Wisconsin, the Clement J. Zablocki Veterans Affairs Medical Center, and Versiti. In addition, MCW is the geographic home of the Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research (CIBMTR) and the Versiti Blood Research Institute, both historic national pillars of hematologic and blood disorder research. Together, these organizations have created a dynamic and highly collaborative ecosystem that supports exceptional patient care, innovative translational research, nationally recognized community engagement initiatives, and more than 220 active cancer clinical trials. MCWCC's strengths span cancer biology, cancer control, and discovery and developmental therapeutics, with particular distinction in precision oncology, immuno-oncology, cellular therapies, structural biology, and cancer disparities research.
MCWCC is comprised of more than 345 cancer researchers and physicians from 34 departments at MCW and its partner organizations, accounting for 17% and 23% of MCW’s total and NIH funding, respectively. As such, cancer has been established as one of MCW's three major institutional priorities, fueling unprecedented investment in research, clinical programs, and infrastructure. MCWCC has approximately $95 million in total center funding projected for FY26, with $40.3 million provided by peer-reviewed funding.
Reporting to the Director of the MCWCC, the Deputy Director will join a stellar team to help lead the Cancer Center to the next level of prominence and possibility. They will serve as a strategic and operational partner to the Cancer Center Director, helping refine and expand the center’s scientific vision, research growth, and institutional collaborations. The next Deputy Director will step into an impactful leadership position that will shape MCWCC’s priorities and what the Center will become over the next decade.
The successful candidate will be an accomplished MD or MD/PhD clinician-scientist with preferred experience within an NCI-designated cancer center environment. Candidates from medical oncology, radiation oncology, surgical oncology, or related oncology disciplines will be considered. MCWCC is particularly interested in leaders who can advance solid tumor oncology, strengthen the bridge between clinical care and research, support strategic faculty recruitment, and help develop the next generation of high-impact cancer programs. Equally important are leadership qualities needed to navigate complex organizational relationships, build consensus amongst chairs, division chiefs, and hospital leaders, and inspiring teams toward a shared vision for cancer care and discovery.
MCW has retained Isaacson, Miller, a national executive search firm, to assist with this search. Inquiries, nominations, and applications (CVs with cover letters) should be sent via the Isaacson, Miller website for the search here: https://www.imsearch.com/open-searches/medical-college-wisconsin-cancer-center/deputy-director
The Medical College of Wisconsin is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate in hiring or employment on the basis of age, sex, race, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability, or sexual orientation.
