Chief of Staff

Are you ready to join a team committed to making a meaningful impact on cancer treatment through the discovery and development of precision medicines? At Kura Oncology, you have an opportunity to be a part of something bigger, with a lasting impact that you can be proud of.

At Kura Oncology, we are working to change the paradigm and improve the science of cancer treatment. As an organization, we strive to cultivate a diverse and talented professional culture driven to develop precision medicine therapeutics.

As we continue to build a leading biotech organization with a strong culture, a patient-focused mindset and a team focused on relentless execution, we are looking for innovative, passionate professionals to join us and make our vision a reality.

To succeed at Kura, you will need to have a demonstrated ability for excellence in drug discovery and development and a roll-up your sleeves attitude. The ideal candidate will possess a values-driven work style where integrity and grit drive all behaviors, decisions, and actions.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:

The Chief of Staff (COS) to the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) enables the CMO to work most effectively with internal and external stakeholders, drive strategic priorities, and ensure alignment across teams. This is a highly strategic and facilitative role that requires a combination of focus and flexibility, as well as a willingness to play an active, behind-the-scenes role.

As the CMO’s trusted counsel, the COS must be a highly resourceful individual with strong emotional intelligence, self-motivation, and excellent analytical and communication skills. The role is ideal for someone who thrives in complex environments, connects the dots quickly, and is energized by helping a team deliver results through thoughtful planning, coordination, and execution.

• Provide timely strategic advice and support CMO through collaboration with the Clinical Development Leadership Team and key stakeholders
• Partner with the Chief Medical Officer to prioritize initiatives, manage complexity, and ensure follow-through on strategic goals
• Lead cross-functional initiatives that improve organizational performance and support execution of clinical development strategy, bringing together diverse perspectives and fostering a culture of trust, transparency, and innovation.
• Drive clarity, accountability, and alignment across stakeholders—connecting teams to strategy and supporting collaboration
• Play a key role in defining Clinical Development’s strategic direction and translating goals into operational plans
• Drive implementation of strategic initiatives, ensuring follow-through, accountability, and timely reporting for decision-making
• Identify and initiate new concepts or approaches that improve cross-functional alignment, delivery, and organizational agility
• Facilitate strategic planning, headcount tracking, and budget oversight in partnership with finance, HR, and department leads
• Collaborate with Finance and HR to set organizational objectives during annual planning and evaluate performance throughout the year
• Coordinate Clinical Development leadership team meetings and offsites, including agendas, facilitation, and action tracking
• Support goal-setting processes across Clinical Development and ensure quantitative follow-up on progress toward objectives
• Prepare and support executive-level communications including presentations, talking points, and messaging for internal and external audiences
• Act as a liaison between the CMO and internal teams to support communication, transparency, and alignment
• Support decision-making by surfacing critical issues, aligning on next steps, and ensuring actions are carried through
• Serve as a trusted advisor to the CMO on organizational structure, resourcing, and talent-related considerations
• Foster team cohesion and alignment by connecting people to shared objectives and supporting leadership development efforts
• Collaborate closely with functions such as Clinical Operations, Commercial, Program Management, HR, and Finance to ensure aligned execution of strategic priorities
• Coordinate engagement with external stakeholders such as CROs, consultants, and external partners as needed
• Prepare and present updates and insights to the Clinical Development leadership team to support decision-making and communication across the organization

JOB SPECIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree (PhD or MD) strongly preferred
• 5–10 years in the pharmaceutical or biotechnology industry, with broad experience in strategic roles and a strong understanding of clinical development
• Deep understanding of clinical development processes, including operations, governance, and execution
• Proven experience leading cross-functional strategic and organizational initiatives in a global, matrixed environment
• Demonstrated success in driving organizational development, change management, and performance improvement initiatives
• Strong project management and prioritization skills with the ability to manage multiple workstreams across stakeholders
• Excellent communication skills—written, verbal, and visual—with experience developing materials for senior and executive audiences
• High emotional intelligence, cultural awareness, and the ability to build trusted relationships across teams and geographies
• Strong leadership presence and the ability to influence without formal authority
• Comfortable navigating ambiguity, complexity, and high-stakes environments
• Willingness to travel up to 20% as needed

The base range for this role is $283,250 - $326,875 per year. Individual pay may vary based on additional factors, including, and without limitation, job-related skills, experience, work location, and relevant education or training. Kura's compensation package also includes generous benefits, equity, and participation in an annual target bonus.

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Kura’s Values that are used for candidate selection and performance assessments:

• We work as one for patients
• We are goal-focused and deliver with excellence
• We are science-driven courageous innovators
• We strive to bring out the best in each other and ourselves

The Kura Package

• Career advancement/ development opportunities
• Competitive comp package
• Bonus
• 401K + Employer contributions
• Generous stock options
• ESPP Plan
• 20 days of PTO to start
• 18 Holidays  (Including Summer & Winter Break)
• Generous Benefits Package with a variety of plans available with a substantial employer match
• Paid Paternity/Maternity Leave
• In-Office Catered lunches
• Home Office Setup
• Lifestyle Spending Stipend
• Commuter Stipend (Boston Office)
• Regular employee social activities, including happy hours, monthly birthday celebrations, Kura Koffee Talks, and much more!

Kura Oncology is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company discovering and developing personalized therapeutics for the treatment of blood cancers and solid tumors. The company’s diverse pipeline consists of small molecules that target cancer signaling pathways where there is a strong scientific and clinical rationale to improve outcomes by identifying those patients most likely to benefit from treatment. Kura Oncology’s approach to drug development is focused on rapidly translating novel science into life-saving medicines. Our goal is to help patients with cancer lead better, longer lives. Kura Oncology has offices in San Diego, California, and Boston, Massachusetts.

Kura’s pipeline consists of three investigational drug candidates: ziftomenib, tipifarnib and KO-2806. Ziftomenib, a once-daily, oral drug candidate targeting the menin-KMT2A protein-protein interaction, has received Breakthrough Therapy Designation for the treatment of R/R NPM1-mutant acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Kura has completed enrollment in a Phase 2 registration-directed trial of ziftomenib in R/R NPM1-mutant AML (KOMET-001). The Company is also conducting a series of clinical trials to evaluate ziftomenib in combination with current standards of care in newly diagnosed and R/R NPM1-mutant and KMT2A-rearranged AML. Tipifarnib, a potent and selective farnesyl transferase inhibitor (FTI), is currently in a Phase 1/2 trial in combination with alpelisib for patients with PIK3CA-dependent head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (KURRENT-HN). Kura is also evaluating KO-2806, a next-generation FTI, in a Phase 1 dose-escalation trial as a monotherapy and in combination with targeted therapies (FIT-001). For additional information, please visit Kura’s website at www.kuraoncology.com and follow us on X and LinkedIn.

Kura Oncology is committed to creating a diverse environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status.