Director of the University of Wisconsin Carbone Cancer Center

The University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health seeks a visionary and distinguished academic leader to serve as Director of the University of Wisconsin Carbone Cancer Center (UWCCC), Wisconsin’s only National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center. This is an exceptional opportunity for an innovative director to coalesce an internationally recognized group of scientists and clinicians around a new and bold strategic plan.

With roots dating to the 1930s and awarding of its first National Cancer Center (NCI) grant in 1946, UWCCC was established in 1973 as one of the original NCI-designated centers. The center is a premier hub for cancer research, education, community engagement, and clinical care. The center unites more than 244 researchers across 38 academic departments and 9 schools and colleges at UW–Madison. Each year, UWCCC serves more than 33,000 patients and oversees patient accrual to over 250 clinical trials, underscoring its profound commitment to translating scientific discovery into impactful, patient-centered care.

This leadership opportunity is situated within one of the nation’s leading public universities, home to more than $1.7 billion in annual research expenditures and a long-standing commitment to the Wisconsin Idea—the principle that the university should improve lives throughout the state and beyond. The center’s statewide and national impact is further amplified through its partnership with UW Health and the Wisconsin Community Advisory Board, as well as its role in the Big Ten Cancer Research Consortium, and as part of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network.

The new Director will join a nationally respected academic medical center and lead a multidisciplinary enterprise with a strong tradition of innovation in cancer prevention, detection, diagnosis, treatment, and survivorship. UWCCC’s scientific mission spans six key research areas and encompasses the full translational continuum including basic science to population health, and clinical science. Major initiatives include advanced diagnostic imaging, theranostics, precision oncology, biomarker-driven clinical interventions, oncogenesis, survivorship, and immunotherapy. The Director will lead an outstanding team of associate directors, faculty, and staff to advance the center's mission and ensure continued success in its core pillars of research, clinical care, education and community partnership.

Reporting to Dr. Nita Ahuja, MD, MBA, the Dean of the School of Medicine and Public Health and Vice Chancellor for Medical Affairs at UW–Madison, the Director will oversee UWCCC’s strategic vision and operations, fostering cross-disciplinary collaboration across the UW–Madison campus and beyond. The Director will sit on the Dean's senior leadership team. There is a strong relationship between the School of Medicine and Public Health and UW Health. Both envision the UWCCC as a major area of excellence, as a regional and national destination center, and one where there is a symbiosis of excellence in clinical care and research. As such, the Director will have a dotted line reporting relationship and open access to UWHealth CEO Alan Kaplan, MD, demonstrating a strongly shared vision for excellence in cancer prevention, care and research in partnership with the Director.

The successful candidate will be a nationally recognized physician-scientist or investigator with a strong record of NCI-funded research, academic achievement, and collaborative leadership. Applicants must hold an MD, MD/PhD, DO, PhD or equivalent degree and possess qualifications for a tenured faculty appointment at the rank of full professor.

This is a defining moment to lead a well-established, mission-driven cancer center into its next era of growth and impact. The next Director will have the opportunity to build on UWCCC’s rich legacy and further elevate its standing as a national leader in cancer research and care.

Key Job Responsibilities:

• Oversees operational infrastructure, resource allocation, and financial health of UWCCC, ensuring compliance with institutional, state, and federal requirements.
• Works in partnership with School of Medicine and Public Health and UW Health leadership to secure institutional investment, philanthropic support, and strategic external funding.
• Utilizes data and metrics to evaluate performance, inform decision-making, and drive continuous improvement across the cancer center’s missions.
• Establishes goals and to drive continuous improvement across all domains of the UWCCC.
• Fosters a culture of excellence, transparency, and collaboration across all UWCCC programs, departments, and affiliated entities.
• Builds and supports multidisciplinary teams across the university, School of Medicine and Public Health, and broader campus partners.
• Develops future leaders in oncology through mentorship, faculty development, and robust training programs.
• Collaborates closely with UW Health and affiliated systems to expand access to high-quality, research-driven cancer care across Wisconsin.
• Encourages the development and adoption of innovative clinical trials, therapies, and models of care that distinguish UWCCC regionally and nationally.
• Ensures that clinical operations reflect the latest evidence-based practices and are integrated with academic and research goals.
• Promotes cutting-edge, interdisciplinary research across basic, translational, clinical, and population sciences, leveraging the university’s broad scientific ecosystem.
• Drives recruitment and retention of premier investigators and clinician-scientists across UW–Madison to expand the cancer center's research portfolio.
• Guides preparation and submission of the NCI Cancer Center Support Grant (CCSG) and ensures the center maintains its Comprehensive status with exemplary peer review outcomes.
• Articulating the overarching vision, mission and strategy for the UWCCC.
• Advancing the visibility of the UWCCC as a national leader in cancer research and patient care.
• Focusing on the needs of Wisconsin communities and beyond.
• Leading efforts to launch new cancer initiatives in education, research, and clinical care.
• Creating synergies among the UWCCC and the UW campus.
• Expanding the level and impact of basic, translational, clinical, and population-based cancer research, including research responsive to the priorities of Wisconsin communities.
• Fostering growth in NCI funding and collaborative peer-reviewed awards.
• Enhancing bidirectional communication with communities in the center’s catchment areas.
• Enriching clinical research accrual.
• Assisting in the recruitment of new faculty members.
• Increasing educational initiatives.
• Implementing innovative clinical programs, evaluating and improving clinical outcomes, and establishing value-based oncology services in partnership with UW Health.
• Oversight of all oncology research initiatives.
• Leadership of all cancer related fundraising activities.
• Accountability for the development, management, and adherence of the center’s finances.
• Participation in professional, public, and university service appropriate to the faculty rank.
• Strengthens UWCCC’s role as a statewide resource, engaging with community members, health systems, public health leaders, and policymakers to improve cancer outcomes across Wisconsin.
• Champions access to care and broad participation in research across all populations.
• Expands outreach and education programs to support cancer prevention, early detection, and survivorship initiatives throughout the state.
• Leads the overarching strategic vision and execution for UWCCC, aligning cancer research, education, and clinical programs with institutional priorities.
• Advances the mission of UWCCC as a statewide and national leader in cancer care and scientific discovery, integrating academic, clinical, and population health strategies.
• Strengthens the center’s national profile and influence, especially within the National Cancer Institute (NCI) network and other peer institutions.
• Strategically expand UWCCC's research infrastructure prioritizing investments in cutting edge technologies and core services essential for modern cancer research.

Department:

School of Medicine and Public Health

The University of Wisconsin Carbone Cancer Center serves as the state’s leading institution for cancer research and care, functioning as a central component of the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, UW Health, and numerous statewide initiatives. Established in 1973 as the first and only National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center in Wisconsin, UWCCC has continuously maintained this prestigious designation for over five decades. With a successive peer review rating of “outstanding,” it ranks amongst the top of the 73 NCI-designated cancer centers nationwide, a testament to its excellence in science, patient care, and community outreach. The core grant will be up for renewal in 2029.

[... Additional details on UWCCC's structure, research, and initiatives ...]

Compensation:

Negotiable, 12-month

Required Qualifications:

• Board certified and eligible for Wisconsin medical license for practicing physicians.
• Meet criteria for a tenure appointment at the full professor rank at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health.

Preferred Qualifications:

[List of preferred qualifications as detailed in the text]

Education:

MD, MD/PhD, DO, PhD or equivalent degree.

How to Apply:

Please direct all applications, nominations and inquiries to the WittKieffer consultants, Jeff Schroetlin, Andrew Bean, PhD, Megan Welch and Imran Ali assisting University of Wisconsin Carbone Cancer Center with this recruitment, preferably via e-mail, to UWCarboneCCDir@wittkieffer.com. All applications, nominations and inquiries are invited. Applications should include, as separate documents, a CV/resume and a letter of interest. The deadline for assuring full consideration is September 30, 2025; however, the position will remain open and applications may be considered until the position is filled.