Chief, Psychiatry Service, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences | Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

About Us:

The people of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) are united by a singular mission: ending cancer for life. Our specialized care teams provide personalized, compassionate, expert care to patients of all ages. Informed by basic research done at our Sloan Kettering Institute, scientists across MSK collaborate to conduct innovative translational and clinical research that is driving a revolution in our understanding of cancer as a disease and improving the ability to prevent, diagnose, and treat it.

MSK is dedicated to training the next generation of scientists and clinicians, who go on to pursue our mission at MSK and around the globe.

The Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) invites applications for Chief of the Psychiatry Service. MSK seeks an experienced leader to advance the Psychiatry Service as a national and international model for developing, delivering, and disseminating cutting-edge evidence-based psychiatric and psychological care for individuals with cancer.

Founded in 1979, the Psychiatry Service at MSK was the first ever service dedicated to mental health care for individuals with cancer. The Psychiatry Service is a multidisciplinary team of psychiatrists, psychologists, and advanced practice providers providing comprehensive psychiatric assessment and management across MSK’s Manhattan and regional locations.

With approximately 2,000 inpatient consultations and over 7,000 new ambulatory referrals annually, the Psychiatry Service is foundational to providing high-quality, patient-centered cancer care at MSK.

The next Chief will serve as a catalyst for innovation, setting a bold agenda as MSK expands its services in its regional campuses and opens a new inpatient hospital. The selected leader will be expected to:

Champion novel clinical approaches that define the future of mental health care in oncology.

Support clinical research and drive translation of novel scientific advances into direct patient benefit, ensuring MSK remains an epicenter for innovative discovery and implementation.

Shape a high-performing, collaborative team poised to lead, teach, and mentor at the highest level in the era of rapidly evolving healthcare landscape.

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Provide oversight for clinical training programs, including an ACGME-accredited consultation-liaison psychiatry fellowship.

Reporting to the Chair of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences ( William Pirl, MD, MPH ), the Chief will have strategic, research, clinical, and operational oversight for all aspects of the Psychiatry Service. This includes defining priorities for clinical excellence, rapid integration of breakthroughs, research portfolio development, talent acquisition, and faculty mentorship. The Chief will lead close collaborations across other clinical and research programs at MSK.

The ideal candidate will:

Be internationally recognized as an innovator and thought leader in psychosocial oncology with a demonstrated commitment to clinical excellence and scholarship.

Have a successful track record of at least five years of experience leading at least a moderate-sized service of ten or more faculty.

Demonstrate sustained mentorship, scholarship, and team leadership in academic psychosocial oncology.

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Be board-certified in Consult-Liaison Psychiatry.

Interested individuals should submit a brief statement of experience and scholarly interests along with their CV to William Pirl, MD, MPH ( pirlw@mskcc.org ), and copy Valentina Salkow, MBA , Associate Director, Academic Recruitment ( salkowv@mskcc.org ).

Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK), founded in 1884, is one of the world’s premier cancer centers committed to exceptional patient care, leading-edge research, and extraordinary educational programs. MSK includes three services in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences: Psychiatry, Behavioral Sciences, and Immigrant Health and Cancer Disparities.

Salary Range: $400,000 - $505,000

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Physician compensation is based on multiple variables. This range represents annual salary only and does not include supplemental performance-based pay or any one-time payments that eligible candidates may be offered at the time of hire.

Pay Range: $0.00 - $10,000,000.00

FSLA Status: Exempt

Closing :

At MSK, we believe in fair, competitive pay that reflects your job, experience, and skills.

MSK is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer committed to diversity and inclusion in all aspects of recruiting and employment. All qualified individuals are encouraged to apply and will receive consideration without regard to race, color, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, age, religion, creed, disability, veteran status or any other factor which cannot lawfully be used as a basis for an employment decision.

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