Principal Research Scientist-Director, Translational Research Institute (Doha)

Background Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) occupies a central position within Qatar’s rapidly expanding biomedical and clinical research ecosystem. As the nation’s leading public healthcare provider, HMC carries a dual mandate: to deliver exemplary patient care and to advance scientific innovation that shapes the future of health in Qatar. Over the past decade, HMC has cultivated one of the region’s most comprehensive research environments, an ecosystem intentionally designed to promote discovery, foster collaboration, and accelerate the translation of scientific advances into clinical practice. At the core of this environment is the Medical Research Center (MRC), which provides institutional research governance, promotes adherence to ethical standards, and supports skill development across all HMC facilities. Through its dedicated research units, biostatistical support structures, clinical-trial frameworks, and internal funding programs, the MRC empowers investigators, physicians, nurses, scientists, and allied health professionals to conduct rigorous, patient-centered research that addresses national and global health priorities. Summary We seek an accomplished scientific leader to serve as Director of TRI. The Director will set and execute the Institute’s vision; build high-performing, diverse teams; and deliver a robust pipeline of translational programs through preclinical development and into early clinical evaluation. The Director reports to the Chief of Scientific, Academic and Faculty Affairs and serves as the primary ambassador to government entities, healthcare systems, universities, and industry partners. Key Responsibilities Strategy & Governance Develop and deliver a multi‑year scientific and translational strategy aligned to national health priorities and international best practice. Oversee research governance, research integrity, biosafety, and compliance frameworks. Lead annual planning, portfolio reviews, and transparent KPIs. Research Portfolio & Cores Build and manage an agile portfolio spanning target discovery, biomarker platforms, preclinical models, and early‑phase clinical translation. Oversee shared research cores (e.g., preclinical models, genomics/proteomics/metabolomics, bioinformatics, biobanking, imaging) with service-level metrics. Clinical & Industry Translation Contribute to establishing pipeline routes from discovery to IND/IDE-enabling studies and early clinical trials in partnership with Clinical Trial Unit. Drive robust biomarker and patient‑stratification strategies; champion reproducibility and data standards. Foster industry collaborations, licensing, sponsored research, and venture creation with technology transfer partners (patents, licensing, industry collaboration). People & Culture Recruit, mentor, and retain best investigators and professional staff; embed inclusive, collaborative, and high-performance culture. Advance training programs in translational methods, GxP awareness, and clinical research. Funding & Partnerships Secure diversified funding (government, competitive grants and industry). Build strategic partnerships across Doha and internationally with ability to align TRI strategy and outputs with Qatar’s national health and research priorities; represent TRI in national and global consortia Operations & Infrastructure Ensure efficient operations, budget stewardship, and risk management across labs, cores, and clinical interfaces. Champion modern informatics (FAIR data, LIMS/ELN, secure compute, and responsible AI) and open, ethical data‑sharing. Candidate Profile Doctoral degree (PhD, MD, or MD/PhD) in a relevant biomedical field. Internationally recognized record of translational research leadership and impact (e.g., advancing assets to IND/first‑in‑human, pivotal biomarkers, or clinical proof‑of‑concept). Experience leading multidisciplinary teams and shared research facilities; demonstrated ability to scale programs and deliver measurable outcomes. Deep familiarity with preclinical translation, experimental medicine, clinical trial interfaces, and GxP expectations (GLP/GCP/GMP awareness). Evidence of successful partnerships with clinicians, healthcare systems, regulators, and industry; track record in securing significant funding. Commitment to research integrity, diversity and inclusion, and talent development. Excellent communication, stakeholder engagement, and change-management skills. Experience in clinical trial interfaces, patient-stratification, and translation of biomarkers into clinical protocols

Job Location: Doha Qatar