Director, Clinical Imaging

Who We Are:

Calico (Calico Life Sciences LLC) is an Alphabet-founded research and development company whose mission is to harness advanced technologies and model systems to increase our understanding of the biology that controls human aging. Calico will use that knowledge to devise interventions that enable people to lead longer and healthier lives. Calico’s highly innovative technology labs, its commitment to curiosity-driven discovery science, academic and industry partners, and vibrant drug-development pipeline, together create an inspiring and exciting place to catalyze and enable medical breakthroughs. 

Position Description:

We are looking for an experienced and innovative Director of Clinical Imaging to lead the strategic planning, development, and execution of imaging biomarker programs to ensure alignment with our diverse therapeutic pipeline targeting aging and age-related diseases. This role will oversee the strategy, implementation, and resource allocation for all clinical imaging science activities, ensuring the successful delivery and interpretation of imaging biomarkers for the evaluation of novel therapeutic drug candidates. 

The ideal candidate will have a deep understanding of drug discovery and development, experience with various imaging modalities, and a track record of managing internal teams and external partners in the integration of quantitative human imaging into the clinical portfolio across all phases. Calico provides a stimulating and collaborative working environment focused on fundamental discovery research and a commitment to translate scientific advances to realize their therapeutic potential.

Responsibilities:

• Imaging Strategy and Execution: 
• Design tailored imaging plans for early-to-late-phase clinical trials by leveraging your understanding of clinical imaging technology, image processing techniques, and disease pathology
• Effectively communicate strategies and key decisions to internal and external stakeholders and corporate governing bodies
• Oversee and/or execute brain MRI processing and data analysis for clinical trial data and clinical research databases to develop and validate imaging biomarkers

• Cross-functional Collaboration: 
• Serve as the functional lead responsible for cross-functional alignment with other departments, including Research, Clinical Science, Clinical Operations, Biomarkers, Biometrics, and Regulatory Affairs
• Manage resources to ensure seamless program execution across the portfolio
• Collaborate with Preclinical and Translational Imaging teams to translate insights into clinical programs

• Team Leadership: 
• Provide scientific and strategic leadership as needed for clinical imaging, including oversight of relevant internal teams and external partners such as vendors and collaborators

• Regulatory and Clinical Documentation: 
• Contribute to the development and standardization of imaging-related documentation, including clinical protocols, regulatory documents, imaging manuals, and image analysis charters

• Research Partnerships: 
• Identify, establish, and manage collaborations with academic institutions and internal research and computing groups to explore novel imaging databases and methodologies

Position Requirements:

• Ph.D. degree in Physics, Biomedical Engineering, Computer Science, or related field
• A minimum of 10 years of experience in drug development with a focus on human imaging biomarker development
• In-depth knowledge of at least one, and preferably multiple imaging modalities (e.g., PET, SPECT, MRI, CT, Ultrasound) and their application in drug development
• Technical and regulatory fluency in clinical imaging, coupled with demonstrable experience translating technical data into clear, strategic development recommendations
• Proven expertise in human brain MRI data handling and processing across diverse clinical scanner platforms, utilizing neuroimaging processing software and libraries (e.g., FreeSurfer, FSL, SPM, ANTs, MRtrix3, AFNI)
• Scientific understanding of therapeutic areas relevant to Calico (neuroscience, nephrology, oncology, rheumatology) is preferred
• Experience in managing imaging vendors and CROs and management of associated budgets
• Self-motivated and flexible with a “can-do” attitude
• Strong communication and presentation skills
• Must be willing to work onsite four days a week

Nice to Have:

• Demonstrated track record implementing and validating AI/ML frameworks applied to brain MRI tasks such as automated lesion segmentation, regional parcellation, pattern classification, or image reconstruction
• Proficiency in scientific programming languages and familiarity with neuroimaging standards (DICOM, NIfTI)
• Experience with cloud computing platforms and containerization (Docker, Singularity)

The estimated base salary range for this role is $280,000 - $285,000. Actual pay will be based on a number of factors including experience and qualifications. This position is also eligible for two annual cash bonuses.