As a project leader you will develop drug development pathways for rare diseases to support researchers who aim to develop a novel drug therapy (ATMP) or repurpose an existing drug. These drug development pathways will be made together with and available for Radboudumc researchers and integrated with care pathways, where relevant. Will you join our ambitious team?

Radboud university medical center (Radboudumc) aims to accelerate the development of therapies for rare diseases by filling the gap between preclinical and clinical science. The 'Sectorplan Medical Sciences' provides funding for 13 structural positions to foster research and education in this field.

The project leader ‘therapy development paths’ develops and implements drug therapy research pathways for rare diseases, specifically ATMPs and drug repurposing..The project leader will also set up and organize internal (and where needed external) expert advice by selecting relevant experts, organizing meetings and developing and maintaining the structure for the advice procedure. You will also contribute to the rare disease learning community on the topic of drug development. Within the clinical drug development team, you will closely collaborate with two pharmacists, one study design methodologist, and a clinical research coordinators, as well as with preclinical scientist positions in the sectorplan.

Tasks and responsibilities

• Develop and implement drug therapy pathways for rare diseases, specifically ATMPs and drug repurposing.
• Develop and implement drug development expert advice service.
• Set-up and coordinate the clinical drug development team within the sectorplan.
• Actively contribute to building a Radboudumc community on rare disease therapies and drug repurposing.
• Contribute to educational activities to ensure translation of innovative science into teaching programs (students/professionals/patients).
• Contribute to regular evaluation cycles as requested by the Sectorplannen funding scheme.

To ensure broad commitment at the Radboudumc campus for this overarching goal to develop rare disease drug therapy, a specific attitude is required for all positions: You will be appointed at the Department of Pharmacy, but are expected to work in a multidisciplinary team with members from, for example, Radboud Technology Center Clinical Studies and Biostatistics. The Department of Pharmacy's research activities focus on the following research areas: pharmacology of antimicrobial agents (antiretrovirals, antifungals, antibiotics, and tuberculosis drugs) and oncology drugs, as well as special populations: Pediatrics and Obstetrics. Furthermore, the department houses a state-of-the-art bioanalytical laboratory, a preclinical laboratory focused on drug transport and toxicity, and the Radboud Applied Pharmacometrics group for research support. We have strong national and international collaborations to unravel translational pharmacological research questions.

Please upload a motivation letter, your curriculum vitae and the sectorplan application form that applies to your position. This form will guide you through some questions that are relevant for the selection.

We are looking for a dynamic professional with a (Bio) Medical master's degree and experience in clinical drug development, preferably within academia and industry. You have a proven track record in complex project management and possess leadership capabilities, especially in non-hierarchical situations. You are eager to contribute to the establishment of a new drug development office for rare diseases within Radboudumc and excel in collaborating within a multidisciplinary team.

Fixed-term contract: 1 year with a prospect to a permanent contract.

Working at Radboud university medical center means that you are ahead of the curve and working together on the healthcare of the future. And there is more. Our secondary terms of employment are impressive. These are fully tailored to you thanks to our Employment Conditions Selection Model. At Radboud university medical center, you will be given trust, and you will take the responsibility to handle everything together.

• A gross monthly salary between € 5.249 and € 6.717 (scale 12) based on full-time employment.
• From 1 November 2023 the wages will increase by 4%.
• An annual vacation allowance of 8% and an end-of-year bonus of 8.3%.
• If you work irregular hours, you will receive an allowance.
• As a full-time employee (36 hours per week), you are entitled to approximately 168 vacation hours (over 23 days) per year.
• Radboud university medical center pays 70% of the pension premium. You pay the rest of the premium with your gross salary.
• You get a discount on health insurance as well: you can take advantage of two group health insurance plans. UMC Zorgverzekering and CZ collectief.
• We provide annual courses, both professional and personal.

In addition to our terms of employment, we also offer employees various other attractive facilities, such as childcare and sports facilities. Want to learn more? Take a look at the CAO UMC.

Radboudumc

As part of the team that will implement the goals of the 'National Sectorplan Medical Sciences' you contribute directly to attaining the strategic research goals of Radboudumc. The sectorplan is structural funding from the Ministry of Education, Culture, and Science (OCW) to enhance research and education in medical and health sciences, including attractive working conditions (such as permanent contracts and reduced work pressure) and enhancing collaboration and profiling of the university medical centers. The sectorplan focuses on three main themes: Prevention, Data-driven innovation, and Disease mechanisms & new therapies. The theme "Disease mechanisms & new therapies" will focus on accelerating therapy development for rare diseases. This will be done by improving preclinical and clinical infrastructure.

Radboudumc has a strong track record in curiosity-driven research with translational impact. Academic patient care is integrated with innovative research and education with a person-centered focus. A prototypic example of personalized medicine within the care domain involves the strong development and positioning of Radboudumc Centers of Expertise for rare diseases. The highly specialized and complex care of rare disease patients is an essential and intrinsic part of our university medical center given our central position in society and the care landscape. Given the fact that ~6% of the population is suffering from a rare disease, the vast majority of which lacks a causative treatment, the development and implementation of novel therapies is an important academic responsibility as well. Innovations in genomic technologies have drastically increased the number of diagnosed patients with rare genetic diseases, allowing the rational design of novel treatments based on the underlying molecular mechanisms. Moreover, improved patient stratification offers novel possibilities for targeted and individualized treatments for example by use of cell-based therapies in rare hemato-oncological diseases.

Radboudumc
Radboud university medical center is a university medical center for patient care, scientific research, and education in Nijmegen. Radboud university medical center strives to be at the forefront of shaping the healthcare of the future. We do this in a person-centered and innovative way, and in close collaboration with our network. We want to have a significant impact on health and healthcare. We want to improve with each passing day, continuously working towards better healthcare, research, and education. And gaining a better understanding of how diseases arise and how we can prevent, treat, and cure them, day in and day out. This way, every patient always receives the best healthcare, now and in the future. Because that is why we do what we do.

Read more about our strategy and what working at Radboud university medical center means. Our colleagues would be happy to tell you about it. #weareradboudumc