Job Opportunities at Alcor
Job Opportunities at Alcor
ALCOR CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER - Announcement of Position
Position: Chief Executive Officer, Alcor Life Extension Foundation
Qualifications and Responsibilities: See below
Salary: $125,000 per year plus the benefits described below
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 CEOs 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 doesnt 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: or, if by mail, to Jennifer Chapman, Executive Director, 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 todays methods of cryopreservation cannot be reversed by todays technology and because todays 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.
TECHNICAL COORDINATOR
The Alcor Life Extension Foundation, a 501(c)3 non-profit scientific and research organization, currently has an immediate opening for a Technical Coordinator at our Scottsdale, Arizona, facility. The Technical Coordinator is responsible for maintaining and operating equipment necessary to perform cryopreservation of humans in the field of cryonics. Cryonics is the experimental practice of using ultra-cold temperatures to preserve human life in a state that may be recoverable by future medicine. For four decades Alcor has developed and implemented innovative techniques in the field of cryonics. These techniques involve a combination of experimental interventions and conventional medical skills.
At Alcor, we believe that intelligence, memories, and personality are determined primarily by the structure and chemistry of the human brain. Our aim is to preserve the brain and the unique identity within it so that advanced future medical technology might be able to restore the individual to good health. For more information about cryonics and Alcor please see our website at www.alcor.org.
Job Description:
The Technical Coordinator will be responsible for the development, operation, and maintenance of equipment and infrastructure required to perform human cryopreservation and related research at Alcor's cryopreservation facility in Scottsdale, Arizona. Specialized and custom-built equipment used by Alcor includes:
- Cardiopulmonary and cryoprotectant perfusion systems.
- Temperature-controlled vapor circulation systems.
- Automated data acquisition and process control systems.
- Cryogenic dewars and liquid nitrogen handling systems.
- Chemical handling and mixing equipment.
The Technical Coordinator will work with Alcor’s Research Fellow, Equipment Fabricator, and external Research and Development Committee to maintain and improve existing procedures and equipment, and to design, construct, test, and validate new equipment and procedures. The Technical Coordinator will report to Alcor’s Executive Director.
The person we are looking for will be innovative, self-motivating, and creative with excellent communication skills. The Technical Coordinator must be able to rapidly learn essential aspects of a highly complex and challenging field, with limited supervision during the learning period. The Technical Coordinator must be comfortable functioning in a medical/surgical environment, and with handling of cryonics patients at ambient and cryogenic temperatures. Most of all, the individual must share our vision that cryonics patients require the same conscientious dedication to patient welfare as conventional medicine, even though cryonics procedures are still experimental.
This is an exciting opportunity to participate at the frontiers of current scientific knowledge in the hope that cryopreservation of human beings will enable future resuscitation by radically advanced medicine. You will be part of one of the most difficult and ambitious technological endeavors ever pursued.
Principal Responsibilities:
- Maintain, specify, procure or construct equipment as necessary for cryopreservation and long-term storage of cryonics patients.
- Operate equipment used during cryonics cases, and eventually train others to do so.
- Mix and package chemical solutions used during cryonics cases.
- Identify and evaluate new engineering developments and gauge applicability to existing processes.
- Maintain current working knowledge of perfusion engineering, data acquisition systems, and cryogenic engineering as applicable to Alcor's needs.
- Participate with management, technical staff, and external advisors in planning short and long-term technology strategies.
- Ensure compliance with all regulatory agencies, including but not limited to OSHA, EPA, DEA, USDA, DEQ and the local Fire Marshal.
Job Qualifications:
- Good communication skills.
- Degree in science or engineering.
- Basic electronics knowledge, basic knowledge of chemistry and workshop skills are essential.
- Prior interest and knowledge of cryonics is desirable.
- Knowledge of computer data acquisition and control systems is desirable.
- Knowledge of organ perfusion systems or cardiopulmonary bypass is desirable.
- Experience in biomedical research or engineering is a plus.
Alcor recognizes that the ideal skill set and background knowledge sought for this position may be impossible to find in a single individual, and will therefore be flexible in considering applicants who may lack some of the above qualifications.
Alcor offers a comprehensive benefits package. Employees must reside in the greater Phoenix area, or be willing to relocate to Phoenix (we may assist with relocation expenses). Qualified applicants should email their resume, salary requirements, and a cover letter describing their interest and attitude toward cryonics to .
READINESS COORDINATOR
The Alcor Life Extension Foundation, a 501(c)3 non-profit scientific and research organization, currently has an immediate opening for a Readiness Coordinator at our Scottsdale, Arizona, facility. The Readiness Coordinator is responsible for assisting with the stabilization and transport phases of cryonics, and for maintaining logistical readiness for cryonics cases. Cryonics is the experimental practice of using ultra-cold temperatures to preserve human life in a state that may be recoverable by future medicine. For four decades Alcor has developed and implemented innovative techniques in the field of cryonics. These techniques involve a combination of experimental interventions and conventional medical skills.
At Alcor, we believe that intelligence, memories, and personality are determined primarily by the structure and chemistry of the human brain. Our aim is to preserve the brain and the unique identity within it so that advanced future medical technology might be able to restore the individual to good health. For more information about cryonics and Alcor please see our website at www.alcor.org.
Job Description:
The Readiness Coordinator will work with Alcor’s Transport Coordinator in arranging and performing standbys, postmortem stabilization, and transport of Alcor patients to Alcor's cryopreservation facility in Scottsdale, Arizona. The Readiness Coordinator will also be responsible for purchasing, inventorying, and otherwise maintaining supplies and equipment necessary for cryonics procedures at remote locations and at Alcor’s Scottsdale facility. Additionally the Readiness Coordinator will participate in training and outfitting of regional groups in the United States and other countries who assist with stabilization and transport of Alcor patients.
Specification of procedures and equipment are determined in consultation with Alcor’s technical staff, including Transport Coordinator, Technical Coordinator, Research Fellow, and external physicians, scientists, and consultants. Supplies and equipment include:
- Heart-lung resuscitators.
- Patient ice baths.
- Patient cooling systems.
- I.V. medications and administration supplies.
- Tubing packs and cardiopulmonary perfusion equipment.
- Sensors, data logging, and recording equipment.
- Personal protective equipment.
The Readiness Coordinator will report to Alcor’s Transport Coordinator, and perform the specific tasks below. All tasks except the first two are shared with the Transport Coordinator under the direction of the Transport Coordinator.
Premortem Responsibilities:
- Ensure supplies and equipment required for cryonics cases are maintained and ready for emergency deployment in Alcor’s Scottsdale facility and at remote locations.
- Develop Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) documentation for tasks related to readiness.
- Develop, document, and execute training programs for field cryonics procedures.
- Communicate with and maintain awareness of the medical status of Alcor members at risk.
- Establish contact with Alcor member's physician or medical facility upon terminal diagnosis.
- Track and assess a member's condition without participating in treatment. Tracking may continue on an intermittent basis, in person or by phone.
- Convey information about the member’s condition to Alcor’s Deployment Committee.
- Organize and maintain a Standby, often in a remote location, in which cryonics transport technicians wait to perform postmortem stabilization procedures.
- Establish contact with local funeral homes to assist in transport preparations.
- Interact with patients, their family and local medical personnel to ensure the timely application of Alcor’s protocol after pronouncement of legal death.
Postmortem Responsibilities:
- Ensure the timely application of Alcor’s stabilization protocol, which includes surface cooling, medication administration, cardiopulmonary support, airway management, and blood replacement. If present at Alcor’s Scottsdale facility when the case begins, then ensure readiness of Alcor’s operating room to receive the patient.
- Ensure the transport of the patient to Alcor’s facility in Scottsdale, Arizona. If at Alcor’s facility when the case begins, then assist in the operating room and oversee cleanup and reconstitution for the next case.
- Assist with the timely preparation of detailed technical reports on the care provided to each patient, once each transport is concluded.
The Readiness Coordinator is to be on call on a 24-hour basis for emergencies. This position requires frequent out of town travel, approximately 10-15 times per year, including overnight and weekend work, for emergency deployments and scheduled training programs. Otherwise, normal business working hours are required.
The person we are looking for will be organized, self-motivating, and creative with good communication skills. The Readiness Coordinator must be able to learn essential aspects of a complex and challenging field, with limited supervision during the learning period. The Readiness Coordinator must be comfortable functioning in a medical/surgical environment. Most of all, the individual must share our vision that cryonics patients require the same conscientious dedication to patient welfare as conventional medicine, even though cryonics procedures are still experimental.
This is an exciting opportunity to participate at the frontiers of current scientific knowledge in the hope that cryopreservation of human beings will enable future resuscitation by radically advanced medicine. You will be part of one of the most difficult and ambitious technological endeavors ever pursued.
Job Qualifications:
- Paramedic, CCP, RN, NP, PA, or EMT-B.
- Equivalent experience in a health field will be considered.
- Experience in an emergency room or critical care setting is highly desirable.
- Experience in cryonics is desirable but not essential.
- Experience in tissue recovery is a plus.
- Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written, are required.
Alcor offers a comprehensive benefits package. Employees must reside in the greater Phoenix area, or be willing to relocate to Phoenix (we may assist with relocation expenses). Qualified applicants should email their resume, salary requirements, and a cover letter describing their interest and attitude toward cryonics to .
PARAMEDICS/EMTs
We have an ongoing need for licensed paramedics and emergency medical technicians to
join our network of Regional Transport Teams. Currently, our need is in
California, Arizona, Florida, and Texas. Your participation would be on a
contract basis. If selected, you will be given cryonics training that will
enable you to participate in our rescue and patient transport cases.
Licensed professionals do not have to be members to work with us. We
welcome your expertise and interest. Applicants should email their resume to .
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