The Need

1Day Sooner advocates for people who want to participate in high-risk, high-reward medical studies. We are looking for someone to oversee efforts to establish a controlled human infection model to test a hepatitis C vaccine within the next two years. (Hep C is a growing threat to global public health and human challenge trials will be critical in the development of a vaccine.) Given the regulatory, ethical, and scientific complexity, we expect that in the absence of a very focused effort to accelerate the safe implementation of the model, it will take 2-4 years from now to complete the characterization study. Having someone capable whose job is to keep things moving forward could shave off a significant chunk of that time. If successful, this effort would have a major impact on global health: if accelerating the use of the Hep C challenge model by a year would buy 10% of a projected 2040 year of disease burden, that would equating to saving 1.8 million years of human life.

The Hep C Director would serve as a project manager for the different initiatives composing the effort to establish a human challenge model, coordinate between the different organizations involved, assist with drafting academic articles to advance adoption of the model, and identify and resolve delays in model development and adoption.

This position would be a great fit for someone looking to make a major impact in a short period of time. The initiative is time limited, with the goal of the first hep C challenge studies launching in about two years. However, a high performing candidate would be well positioned to move into another role at 1Day Sooner at the end of the initiative .

To learn more about hep c vaccine development and the benefits of employing a human challenge model, please see these collected links.

About 1Day Sooner

Founded in April 2020, 1Day Sooner was born in the COVID-19 pandemic to represent challenge volunteers who wanted to rapidly accelerate the deployment of the most effective COVID-19 vaccines possible. Nearly 40,000 people signed up with us as potential challenge trial volunteers. 1Day Sooner built a robust volunteer community and drew significant global public attention to the potential of human challenge trials, with the altruism of volunteers at the forefront of stories. Now, with COVID-19 challenge studies in progress, 1Day Sooner is expanding to support other types of challenge studies and projects on issues such as pandemic preparedness and vaccine equity. We aim to save a million lives through better vaccine development by 2040.
 

1Day Sooner does not have an office or physical headquarters - employees work remotely throughout the US and in several other countries, including the UK and Zambia. In-person events are planned and executed according to public health guidelines. 

Position Responsibilities 

Project management and execution of key initiatives relating to establishing and using a hep C challenge model, working closely with various academic and clinical researchers. These would likely include:

1. Publishing a journal supplement on the challenge model
2. Setting up and preparing for a pre-IND meeting with the FDA
3. Planning for inoculum selection and testing
4. Developing a draft protocol for the characterization study
5. Clearly specifying the benefits case for hep C CHIM
6. Clearly specifying the risk of participating in a hep C CHIM and risks of particular choices around its design
7. Developing a fundraising plan to support the characterization study

It is expected that most of this work can be performed from whatever location is most convenient, however, travel to locations such as Toronto, Washington DC and other collaborating sites may be required several times a year.

What We’re Looking For

The ideal candidate will have the following traits and abilities:

• Mission-driven: You are motivated about 1Day’s mission, vision, and values, and are eager to have a positive impact on humanity. Your colleagues can count on you to do your best work for 1Day Sooner. You are willing to work long hours to save people’s lives, even if the results won’t happen right away.
• Relevant experience (each desirable but not strictly necessary): 
  • Knowledge of biology, virology, or hep c
  • Experience at a startup and/or in an executive role
  • Relevant experience in a clinical setting
  • Familiarity with academic publication
• Operational focus and ability to envision and manage multiple projects simultaneously.
• Self-directed: You can develop campaigns and execute on them on your own, based on given objectives.
• Strong orientation to making difficult decisions and devising creative solutions
• Highly organized and detail-oriented

If this sounds like you, please apply now! 

Compensation and Trial Period

• Depending on background and experience, we generally expect the salary for a US hire will fall into a range of $70,000-80,000, but could be higher for exceptional candidates. The salary for an international hire may differ depending on the local cost of living.
• Highly competitive benefits package
• For US employees 401(k) match, vacation, sick and parental leave and individual coverage HRA

We utilize professional employment services to establish Employers of Record for international employees. In those instances, benefit details are dependent on the Country and the Employer of Record.

We expect that anyone hired for the position would start with a trial period of  four months and be compensated for that time at 1.25x their normal salary. We would hopefully be in the position to make a long-term commitment at the two month mark, and if a long-term commitment is made at that point, compensation would revert to the standard long-term salary.

To Apply

The review of applications is underway and will continue until the position is filled.

Please send a resume and  a brief cover letter to our operations team, Julia Murdza and Tiara Kam, at operations@1daysooner.org using “Hep C Director” as your subject line. Selected candidates will be contacted for an interview with 1Day President Josh Morrison, to be followed by a second interview with several other staff members. The process may also involve the offer of a paid trial task.

Consistent with federal, state, and local law, we are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, Veteran status, or other protected category.