Research Director

The Role: KCA is seeking a Research Director to work directly with Dr. Knight and our advisory team on research that is clinically executable - translating the latest science into insight that informs real patient decisions. This is a hands-on leadership role in a small, growing practice, with the opportunity to build and scale our research function, including the AI-enabled tools that support it. Key Responsibilities●      Conduct case-specific research on diagnoses, treatment options, and emerging evidence, and deliver clear written briefs to the advisory team.●      Monitor relevant clinical trials and literature developments across cancer types.●      Draft client-facing research summaries for advisor review.●      Develop and refine AI-assisted research tools and workflows, with appropriate quality and data-privacy safeguards.●      Build and lead the research team as it grows, including onboarding, training, and quality oversight.●      Partner closely with physician and clinician advisors, taking direction on research priorities and escalating clinical judgment calls. Qualifications●      PhD preferred in a relevant field, such as molecular and cellular biology, cancer biology, genetics, bioinformatics, computational biology, or immuno-oncology.●      Experience with, or familiarity with, oncology drug development or clinical trial structure preferred.●      Exceptional written and verbal communication, with the ability to translate complex findings into concise, client-ready language.●      Direct, hands-on experience using AI/LLM tools for research, including retrieval-augmented systems.●      Working understanding of the difference between using AI tools and training or fine-tuning models, and the HIPAA and data-privacy considerations of each.●      Experience building simple research automation (prompt templates, retrieval tools, lightweight agents) is a strong plus.●      Self-starter who can manage multiple research questions at once, beginning with bounded tasks and progressing to complex case work.●      Comfortable working under clinical direction, with final treatment recommendations resting with the supervising advisor.