Executive Director, Institute for Protein Design

Company: University of Washington
Location: Seattle
Posted on: May 4, 2025

Job Description:

If you are using a screen reader and experience any difficulty accessing our web pages, please call 206-543-2544 or email UWHires and we will be happy to assist you. jump to contentReq #: 245709Department: BIOCHEMISTRY/IPDJob Location: Seattle CampusPosting Date: 04/30/2025Closing Info: Open Until FilledOther Compensation:Shift: First ShiftBenefits: As a UW employee, you will enjoy generous benefits and work/life programs. For a complete description of our benefits for this position, please visit our website, click here.As a UW employee, you have a unique opportunity to change lives on our campuses, in our state and around the world. UW employees offer their boundless energy, creative problem-solving skills, and dedication to build stronger minds and a healthier world.

UW faculty and staff also enjoy outstanding benefits, professional growth opportunities and unique resources in an environment noted for diversity, intellectual excitement, artistic pursuits, and natural beauty.

POSITION PURPOSE
The Executive Director of the Institute for Protein Design (IPD) at the University of Washington (UW) School of Medicine serves as the senior executive management staff position at the institute. This external-facing leadership position with a focus on strategy, partnerships, and fundraising will work alongside and in collaboration with an internal-facing Assistant Director of Administration who is focused on day-to-day administration and operations.

About the Institute for Protein Design:
The IPD drives innovation in protein science to address critical challenges in medicine, technology, and sustainability. Based in the Department of Biochemistry at the UW School of Medicine, the IPD was founded in 2012 by HHMI Investigator and UW Medicine biochemistry professor David Baker who was awarded the 2024 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for computational protein design. Today, the IPD comprises over 260 members and contains four faculty labs (Baker, Bhardwaj, DiMaio, King), specialized core research teams, an experienced operations team, and a translational research program that has produced 10 Seattle-area spinout companies to date. Located within one of the largest and most innovative public research universities, the IPD is the world's leading protein design center and a destination for scientists eager to join the protein design revolution. Researchers at the IPD are pioneering artificial intelligence (AI) tools for biomolecular design and applying them to create new medicines, vaccines, nanomaterials, enzymes, and more. The institute is supported by diversified sources of funding including grants from private foundations, federal and industry sponsored research grants, philanthropic gifts, and the State of Washington. Learn more at ipd.uw.edu.

Position Complexities:
The Executive Director (ED) will make strategic and operational decisions and implement policies and procedures within the IPD, including for situations that have a high level of complexity and where precedent may not exist. This will require the ED to draw on knowledge of policies, practices, funding sources, and other past experiences. The ED must resourcefully manage various partners within and outside of the university and will be required to apply new approaches, methods, and techniques learned from prior leadership experience or created based on the IPD's strategic goals.

Position Dimensions and Impact to the University:
This role effectively leads and manages all strategic funding, external business development, finance, operations, and related activities for the IPD, comprising over $40M in annual expenditures and over 260 people, including four UW faculty members, staff scientists, professional staff, postdoctoral scholars, graduate students, and undergraduate employees and trainees. Decisions made by the Executive Director have a significant impact on the successful operations of the IPD, and as such is a key position for the Department, School, and University.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
The Executive Director is responsible for the following major areas of IPD management:

1. Planning, directing, and controlling the strategic business development and fundraising activities of the IPD - 40% effort.

2. Development of strategic research plans, oversight and implementation, to ensure continued performance of the institute - 30% effort.

3. With administrative management support from an Assistant Director of IPD Administration, and in collaboration with the Department of Biochemistry, the Executive Director is additionally responsible for overseeing multi-million-dollar funding streams from sponsored projects and donations - 30% effort.

Job Responsibilities Detail:
The Executive Director will be a full participant in the continued development and evolution of the Institute for Protein Design. Representative elements of the Executive Director's duties and responsibilities include the following:

1) Plan, develop, and direct strategic plans and initiatives for the Institute; set milestones and oversee implementation of strategy in line with the IPD's mission.

2) Develop and maintain relationships with key funders and collaborators, working closely with UW Advancement, IPD External Advisory Board, and the IPD Founding Director. Maintain regular communication with potential collaborators and exploration of mutually beneficial opportunities.

3) Plan and develop new projects and funding streams. Direct new project initiatives and grant development. Responsible for obtaining multi-million dollar funding for the Institute from federal funding agencies, industry, and private sponsors. Plan and direct submission of applications for new funding and liaise with sponsors, funders, and collaborators.

4) The Executive Director is expected to develop sponsored research relationships and facilitate negotiation of sponsored research agreements, including helping to define intellectual property management terms, and shall be directly involved in preparing research proposals for numerous agencies (government, private donors, foundations, and biopharma companies).

5) The Executive Director will organize IPD Governance Board and External Advisory Board meetings and will work with IPD faculty members to develop and execute short- and long-term strategic initiatives at the IPD so that it remains a premier research unit at the forefront of research in protein design and the many research fields it can transform.

7) Where appropriate, the Executive Director may serve as a co-investigator on awarded sponsored research grants and contracts.

8) Plan, develop, and direct strategic plans and collaborations in the area of translational research. This includes identification of opportunities for strategic collaboration, working with the IPD Director of Translation, Institute staff, members of the IPD Governance and External Advisory Boards, CoMotion, and other key stakeholders to formulate target product profiles and commercialization plans for protein design intellectual property.

9) Work with the IPD Director of Communications and Policy to ensure strong communication across different topical areas, including direction and development of the Institute media outreach and public relations, and oversight of the institute's website and social media.

10) Contribute to recruiting key personnel for the Institute by acting as a senior member of the interview team for Institute staff. Articulate strategic plan in conjunction with other key members of the staff. Oversee key academic and industry collaborations.

11) Facilitate strategic review sessions with scientific, administrative and cores teams at the Institute to set objectives, monitor and evaluate progress, and understand resource needs. Help devise plans that meet resource needs, weighing potential impact across the Institute.

12) Oversee development of background research, strategic progress reports, and other key metrics to be presented to key IPD stakeholders.

13) Ensure that strategic goals, research, and management are aligned and facilitate communication between the various IPD teams accordingly. Create and facilitate execution of management plans that ensure timely deliverables, appropriate staffing, ample connections with the right dissemination channels, and the inclusion of key individuals and organizations.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS
Ph. D. in Biochemistry or related field, or M.D. or a Master's Degree in Business Administration and ten years of management-level experience in biotechnology, a foundation or an institution of higher learning.

A combination of education and experience may substitute for the stated requirements. Postdoctoral research experience is preferable.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS

• Demonstrated experience in scientific and strategic planning, business planning, development, and project management.
  
• Demonstrated experience in managing basic and/or translational research and fostering the development of business plans for focused research organizations.
  
• Supervisory and management experience in either corporate, foundation, or academic settings.
  
• Demonstrated experience working in large, diverse environments.
  
• Strong communication skills (written and verbal). Ability to communicate in an amiable, yet effective manner. Skilled in appropriate use of diplomacy when communicating with Deans, Chairs or other faculty, and members of the UW and broader research community.
  
• General understanding of research administration and the grant application process.
  
• Demonstrated ability to maintain harmonious working relationships and effectively address complex and sensitive issues throughout a spectrum of constituents.
  
• Ability to work independently with a high degree of reliability, accuracy and productivity.
  
• Demonstrated scientific initiative.
  
  DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS
  
• Experience in both academic and biopharma environments is preferred.
  
  CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT
  
• The responsibilities of this position require that the incumbent maintain a flexible work schedule and be available to work early mornings through late in the evening.
  
• Meetings and time-sensitive projects may require the incumbent to work well past six or seven in the evening and might include weekends and holidays.
  
• Stringent deadlines are imposed by outside entities when reports and grants need to be filed with little or no opportunity to extend deadlines. The work-load will be consistently high and might be severely affected by grant deadlines, end of year closing, budget cycles, and other institutional and external factors.
  
  Application Process: The application process may include completion of a variety of online assessments to obtain additional information that will be used in the evaluation process. These assessments may include Work Authorization, Cover Letter and/or others. Any assessments that you need to complete will appear on your screen as soon as you select "Apply to this position". Once you begin an assessment, it must be completed at that time; if you do not complete the assessment, you will be prompted to do so the next time you access your "My Jobs" page. If you select to take it later, it will appear on your "My Jobs" page to take when you are access ready. Please note that your application will not be reviewed, and you will not be considered for this position until all required assessments have been completed.Committed to attracting and retaining a diverse staff, the University of Washington will honor your experiences, perspectives and unique identity. Together, our community strives to create and maintain working and learning environments that are inclusive, equitable and welcoming.To request disability accommodation in the application process, contact the Disability Services Office at 206-543-6450 or dso@uw.edu .Applicants considered for this position will be required to disclose if they are the subject of any substantiated findings or current investigations related to sexual misconduct at their current employment and past employment. Disclosure is required under Washington state law .
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Keywords: University of Washington, Kirkland , Executive Director, Institute for Protein Design, Executive , Seattle, Washington