The Alcor Life Extension Foundation (Alcor) invites applications for the position of Chief Executive Officer (CEO).
Alcor is a non-profit, tax-exempt membership organization in Scottsdale, Arizona, that is the world leader in cryonics, cryonics research, and cryonics technology. The Alcor CEO will be in charge of all operations including the management of Alcor’s staff, which currently consists of 10 people in Scottsdale and consultants in other areas. This includes management of administrative activities, research and development projects, cryopreservation cases, and long-term patient care operations. The position will likely require periodic travel.
Qualifications for the CEO Position
It is preferred that candidates for the CEO position have the following qualifications:
1. Experience in successfully managing small or medium-sized companies that offer scientific and/or medical products and services. CEO candidates should possess an effective management approach that is consistent with Alcor’s mission statement and includes strategic planning, the development of a structured organizational system, setting and enforcing project deadlines, and effective tactics for conflict resolution. Those who only have experience in managing companies that do not offer technical products and services can also apply if they have a strong interest in and commitment to cryonics;
2. A good working knowledge of cryonics, cryonics practice, and the scientific evidence in support of cryonics. This includes some knowledge of the equipment, medications, and supplies used in the practice of cryonics, such as the portable ice bath (PIB), the air transportable perfusion system (ATP), anti-ischemia medications, portable cardiac compression devices, vitrification circuits, and the cryogenic dewars used to care for cryopreserved patients. Extensive knowledge of cryonics and cryonics practice is not a mandatory qualification for the position, however it is critically important that CEO candidates be strongly committed to the long-term care of Alcor patients who have been cryopreserved and the ongoing improvement of the methods by which new Alcor patients are cryopreserved;
3. The ability to work well and manage others well under ordinary circumstances and under pressure. Alcor performs cryopreservations about 2-8 times a year. These can involve rapid decisions with health, emotional, financial, organizational, and legal ramifications, especially when the patient and family have not made prior arrangements for the patient to be cryopreserved and are seeking to do so under considerable time pressure. The CEO will need to interact diplomatically with and educate patients, relatives, medical personnel, hospital administrators, and government officials. The CEO will need to know the legal basis for cryonics and be able to explain both the promise and limitations of cryonics in a credible manner. The CEO will need to have a commanding presence during emergencies and when coping with the everyday pressures of running the organization;
4. The ability to work well with the Alcor Board of Directors, which will be overseeing the CEO’s performance and the progress of the organization as a whole, and to work well with the other members of the Alcor management team;
5. Strong communication skills to help facilitate a positive public perception of Alcor and cryonics and to help increase Alcor’s rate of membership growth. This includes the ability and willingness to speak effectively in public, be interviewed by the media, offer tours of the Alcor facility to the public, and write articles for Alcor’s publications;
6. Fiscal management skills, including the ability to oversee Alcor’s budget, oversee annual accounting reviews, implement controls, communicate financial affairs to the board and membership, foresee and deal with cash flow challenges, and implement fundraising ideas to obtain both unrestricted and restricted donations and bequests to improve Alcor’s financial status on an ongoing basis.
Salary and Benefits
The salary for the CEO position will be $125,000 per year plus health insurance,
paid sick leave, paid vacation time, and other benefits as specified in Alcor’s policies or otherwise negotiated. Alcor will pay all the costs of relocation for any successful candidate
who doesn’t already reside in the Scottsdale area.
Applying for the CEO Position
In order to apply for the CEO position, please send a resume and a cover letter describing your interest in and qualifications for the CEO position to Jennifer Chapman at the following email address: Jennifer@alcor.org or, if by mail, to Jennifer Chapman, Chief Operating Officer, Alcor Life Extension Foundation, 7895 East Acoma Drive, Suite 110, Scottsdale, Arizona 85260.
Cryonics
The cryopreservation of patients for possible future revival is known as cryonics. It is based upon the fact that cells, tissues, organs, and entire organisms maintained at very low (cryogenic) temperatures will not suffer any significant further damage for centuries; and the premises that advances in cryobiology make it possible today to preserve the brains of patients well enough to enable future scientists to restore individual identity; and that future advances in fields such as gerontology, genetic engineering, regenerative medicine, and nanotechnology may someday make it possible to restore cryopreserved patients to life, health, and youthful vigor.
The practice of cryonics is controversial because today’s methods of cryopreservation cannot be reversed by today’s technology and because today’s laws require that patients be cryopreserved after they are legally “dead.” As a result, Alcor has to deal with and counter skepticism at times. The CEO should have the knowledge and presence to deal effectively with negative attitudes towards Alcor and the practice of cryonics.
For more information about Alcor and cryonics please see our website at http://www.alcor.org
