Director, Field Translational Science - Oncology

Natera is shifting disease management worldwide through unprecedented molecular innovation. As the Director of Field Translational Science, you will build, scale, and lead a specialized team of field-facing translational scientists within our Oncology Business Unit. This high-autonomy leadership role is designed for a strategic builder who can run a sophisticated regional team while serving as the executive authority for advanced Natera tests - including, but not limited to, cell-free DNA (cfDNA) and minimal residual disease (MRD) assays - and their associated data analysis frameworks across elite academic medical centers. This position requires up to 50-70% regional travel to engage with institutional leadership and audit high-priority research partnerships. You will eliminate the standard boundaries between field data generation and internal pipeline design. Distinct from traditional, education-focused Medical Affairs teams (MSLs), your organization owns the structural integrity, statistical validation, and scientific output of investigator-led data collaborations.

Responsibilities

Build, scale, and lead a specialized team of field-facing translational scientists within our Oncology Business Unit; Hire, develop, and manage a premier field organization of translational scientists, establishing clear performance metrics tied to regional data velocity, scientific rigor, and publication quality; Author and execute the regional data engagement strategy, guiding how field scientists partner with oncologists, pathologists, and biometricians to unlock complex ctDNA and real-world datasets; Oversee the secure regional tracking architecture and data ingestion pipelines that individual Field Translational Scientists operate within; Command the interface between field operations and internal Oncology Translational Medicine & Scientific Communications, Medical Affairs, Life Cycle, R&D and Product Development leadership; Oversee the lifecycle of all regional investigator-initiated trials (IITs) and institutional registries; Secure, scale, and manage institutional data-sharing models, biobanking governance, and EMR data-integration initiatives with core comprehensive cancer networks; Represent Natera as a senior scientific authority at major oncology congresses, ensuring all field data-handling methods maintain absolute alignment with HIPAA, CAP/CLIA, PHI data protocols, FDA regulations, and PhRMA codes of interaction

Requirements

PhD or MD in Cancer Biology, Genomics, Bioinformatics, or a related complex molecular science discipline; 6+ years of total experience within basic or translational oncology research, including a minimum of 2+ years of explicit people management experience leading high-performing scientific or clinical teams within the diagnostics, biotechnology or pharmaceutical sectors; Exceptional command of cancer biology and genetics, liquid biopsy modalities and clinical utilities, next-generation sequencing (NGS) and ctDNA workflows and data interpretation, and statistical methods; Documented success managing complex genomic datasets, institutional electronic medical record (EMR) integrations, or complex clinical data registries; Proven ability to manage teams through high ambiguity, prioritizing structured logic and rapid, high-judgment decision-making over consensus-driven delays; Ability and willingness to travel domestically up to 50-70% to support team execution, site audits, and principal investigator collaborations

Benefits

Comprehensive medical, dental, vision, life and disability plans for eligible employees and their dependents; Free testing for Natera employees and their immediate families; Fertility care benefits; Pregnancy and baby bonding leave; 401k benefits; Commuter benefits; Employee referral program