VP of Product - Oncology – Liquid Biopsy

Company: Tempus AI
Location: Chicago
Posted on: April 2, 2026

Job Description:

Passionate about precision medicine and advancing the healthcare industry? Recent advancements in underlying technology have finally made it possible for AI to impact clinical care in a meaningful way. Tempus' proprietary platform connects an entire ecosystem of real-world evidence to deliver real-time, actionable insights to physicians, providing critical information about the right treatments for the right patients, at the right time. The VP of Product, Oncology – Liquid Biopsy, is a visionary executive and commercial powerhouse responsible for the strategic direction, development, and market success of the company’s liquid biopsy portfolio. This role oversees the entire product lifecycle—from initial concept and R&D coordination through phase-gated development to large-scale commercial launch and P&L management. As a dual-threat leader, you will balance technical excellence in NGS-based blood-based assays (ctDNA) with aggressive commercial strategies to drive clinical adoption. You will ensure our "liquid-first" or "complementary-to-tissue" solutions address critical unmet needs in early detection, therapy selection , and minimal residual disease (MRD) monitoring. The ideal candidate is an entrepreneurial leader with a proven track record of bringing high-complexity oncology LDTs or IVDs to market while scaling commercial revenue. Responsibilities: Liquid Biopsy Portfolio Roadmap: Define and execute a high-growth roadmap for liquid biopsy products, prioritizing applications such as therapy selection and treatment monitoring. Commercial Strategy & Market Creation: Lead the "Go-to-Market" engine. Develop high-impact positioning, pricing strategies, and evidence-generation plans to drive physician adoption and overcome the barriers to blood-based testing. Phase-Gated Product Development (PDP): Implement and oversee a disciplined PDP, ensuring all liquid biopsy assays move efficiently from feasibility to clinical validation and commercialization. Market & Competitive Intelligence: Maintain a "battle-ready" understanding of the liquid biopsy landscape (e.g., Guardant Health, Natera, Grail) to differentiate our platform through superior sensitivity, turnaround time, or clinical utility. P&L & Business Growth: Full accountability for the liquid biopsy business unit’s P&L. Monitor revenue, margins, and market share, making data-driven pivots to resource allocation to maximize ROI. Reimbursement & Market Access: Partner with Market Access teams to secure favorable coverage (LCDs/NCDs). Ensure the product value proposition aligns with the requirements of private payers and Medicare. KOL & Clinical Engagement: Act as the face of the product line with top-tier oncologists and clinical investigators to catalyze the adoption of liquid biopsy in standard-of-care guidelines. Required Skills: Strategic Commercial Leadership: Ability to transform technical assay specs into a "Value Story" that resonates with payers, health systems, and community oncologists. Product Development Process (PDP) Mastery: Proven ability to lead multidisciplinary teams through formal phase-gate processes, ensuring products are "Built to Scale" and "Built to Sell." Clinical & Scientific Fluency: Ability to engage as a peer with R&D and Medical Affairs to define clinically meaningful performance specifications (e.g., Limit of Detection, Sensitivity/Specificity). Data-Driven Decision Making: Proficiency in using market analytics, CRM data, and diagnostic volume trends to forecast demand and optimize the commercial funnel. Health Economics and Outcomes Research (HEOR): Understanding of how to leverage clinical trial data to build economic models that justify the cost-offset of liquid biopsy over traditional tissue biopsy. Required Education & Experience: Required Education: Bachelor’s degree in Molecular Biology, Genetics, or a related Life Science field. Preferred Education: MBA combined with a PhD or MD is highly preferred to bridge the gap between complex genomic science and commercial execution. Specialized Knowledge: Expert-level understanding of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA), cell-free DNA (cfDNA) biology, NGS technologies, and the clinical utility of liquid biopsy across the cancer continuum Commercial Knowledge: Extensive knowledge of market demands, technology trends, and the regulatory environment for oncology molecular diagnostics. Preferred Experience: Leadership Tenure: Minimum of 10 years in the molecular diagnostics or biotech industry, with at least 5 years in a senior leadership role focused on Liquid Biopsy . Launch Success: A documented track record of successfully launching at least two major oncology diagnostic products, preferably liquid-based assays, with measurable market share gains. Commercial Oversight: Experience managing a significant P&L ($50M) and leading cross-functional teams in a matrixed environment. Ecosystem Navigation: Demonstrated success in navigating the complex interplay between diagnostic providers, biopharma partners, and third-party payers. This role works with Personal Health Information (PHI) on a regular basis both in paper and electronic form, and therefore training relating to HIPAA/PHI privacy, General Policies and Procedure Compliance training and security training will be required upon hire. Salary Range: 250,000- 350,000 USD The expected salary range above is applicable if the role is performed from Illinois and may vary for other locations (California, Colorado, New York). Actual salary may vary based on qualifications and experience. Tempus offers a full range of benefits, which may include incentive compensation, restricted stock units, medical and other benefits depending on the position. We are an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.

Keywords: Tempus AI, Chicago , VP of Product - Oncology – Liquid Biopsy, Science, Research & Development , Chicago, Illinois