Research Music Therapist

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 pursueour missionat MSK and around the globe.

Exciting Opportunity at MSK: We are seeking a Research Music Therapist to join our team and support innovative research focused on the role of music therapy in oncology. As a Research Music Therapist, you will provide therapeutic music interventions to patients while collaborating with clinical and research teams to develop, implement, and evaluate music therapy interventions. This position combines approximately 60% direct clinical care and 40% research activities, offering the opportunity to integrate clinical expertise with research to advance evidence-based approaches to supporting patients throughout the cancer experience.

Role Overview:

• Provide individualized music therapy services to support pain and symptom management, stress reduction, coping, and overall well-being.
• Develop and implement music therapy interventions, establish therapeutic goals and treatment plans, and document patient progress in collaboration with patients, physicians, and interdisciplinary care teams.
• Serve as an active member of interdisciplinary care teams to support comprehensive patient-centered care.
• Participate in clinical research activities, including patient recruitment, informed consent, intervention delivery, data collection, study documentation, and study team meetings.
• Deliver music therapy interventions in accordance with standardized research protocols while maintaining patient safety, intervention fidelity, protocol integrity, and regulatory compliance.
• Collaborate with clinical and research teams to support research studies, provide education and training, mentor students and trainees, host clinical observers, and contribute to scholarly and professional activities.

Key Qualifications:

• Master's degree in Music Therapy from an accredited program
• Board Certified Music Therapist (MT-BC) and Licensed Creative Arts Therapist (LCAT)
• Clinical music therapy experience preferred
• Experience working with patients in a healthcare setting
• Experience participating in clinical research, research protocols, or data collection activities preferred

Core Skills:

• Strong clinical skills and ability to establish therapeutic relationships with patients.
• Ability to develop and adapt music therapy interventions based on patient needs, clinical goals, and research protocols.
• Excellent attention to detail, documentation, organizational, time management, and problem-solving skills.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills with the ability to effectively collaborate within multidisciplinary clinical and research teams.
• Emotional maturity, resilience, and sound judgment, including the ability to leverage team resources and appropriately escalate concerns when needed.
• Comfort with music technology, digital music platforms, recording tools, and emerging technologies, including AI-enabled applications.

Is This Role a Great Fit for You?

The strongest candidates for this role are clinically skilled music therapists who are passionate about oncology, research, education, and advancing patient-centered care through evidence-based music therapy.

Before you apply, make sure your resume highlights examples of:

• Providing music therapy interventions in a healthcare setting.
• Working with patients with cancer or other complex medical conditions.
• Developing and implementing individualized therapeutic interventions.
• Delivering interventions within structured clinical or research protocols.
• Participating in clinical research, research protocols, or data collection.
• Collaborating with interdisciplinary clinical and research teams.
• Mentoring students, hosting clinical observers, or providing education to staff and professional audiences.

Additional Information:

• Schedule: Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm ET
• Location/Work Arrangement: Joy Building, Memorial Hospital / mostly onsite

Helpful Links:

• Compensation Philosophy
• Benefits

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.

Federal law requires employers to provide reasonable accommodation to qualified individuals with disabilities. Please tell us if you require a reasonable accommodation to apply for a job or to perform your job. Examples of reasonable accommodation include making a change to the application process or work procedures, providing documents in an alternate format, using a sign language interpreter, or using specialized equipment.