Associate Director, Translational Medicine

Position Overview

The Associate Director-Director of Translational Medicine at Bicara Therapeutics will play a critical role in advancing the company’s mission to develop innovative tumor targeting molecules for the treatment of cancer. In partnership with our research and clinical teams, this individual will execute the translational biomarker strategy of the company and will be responsible for investigating various aspects of the biomarker strategy to inform future clinical development opportunities.

The individual will leverage state-of-the-art technologies to interrogate biomarkers of response and resistance as well as evaluate pharmacodynamic markers to reveal insights into Bicara’s mechanism of action. The ideal candidate will thrive in a collaborative and team-oriented environment and help foster a culture of scientific excellence, innovation, and teamwork. This person will report to the Senior Director of Translational Medicine.

This role is based in our Boston office and follows a hybrid schedule, with three in-office days each week.

Responsibilities

• Support the development and operational implementation of global clinical biomarker strategies for our lead clinical oncology program ficerafusp alfa and any further pipeline assets.
• Collaborate with clinical team to ensure biomarker strategy supports the clinical development strategy.
• Analyze biomarker data and present summaries to internal stakeholders, external partners, and regulatory authorities to support clinical decision-making.
• Manage contract research organizations, and other partners in the field of translational research and biomarkers.
• Work closely with the research team to design pre-clinical studies and evaluate biomarkers that could be leveraged in clinical decision making.
• Planning and execution of timelines to align with the publication strategy or key data deliverables.
• Scientific writing support for relevant sections of regulatory documents.
• Manage budget for translational research.
• Oversight of biomarker operations and sample management.

Qualifications

• MS/PhD in cancer biology, immunology or a related field, with a minimum of 5 years working in the biotechnology or pharmaceutical industry. Experience in oncology/immuno-oncology solid tumor preferred.
• Strong knowledge of biomarker discovery and development in clinical trials, including assay development, validation, and data analysis.
• Understanding of fundamental statistics and ability to apply statistical models to large datasets and draw conclusions.
• Proficiency with data visualization tools (GraphPad, Spotfire, etc).
• Experience in designing pre-clinical studies to elucidate signals and identify potential opportunities for clinical development.
• Managerial skills related to vendor oversight, ensuring data integrity and quality.
• Self-directed with strong organization and communication skills, capable of leading various aspects of development programs in a fast-paced, results-oriented environment.
• Strong attention to detail and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to leverage public databases and tools (TCGA, GSEA).
• Manage budget for translational research.
• Proficiency with bioinformatics tools (R, DESeq) a plus.

Company Overview

Bicara Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company committed to bringing transformative bifunctional therapies to patients with solid tumors. Bicara’s lead program, ficerafusp alfa, is a bifunctional antibody that combines two clinically validated targets, an epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) directed monoclonal antibody with a domain that binds to human transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β). Through this dual-targeting mechanism, ficerafusp alfa has the potential to exert potent anti-tumor activity by simultaneously blocking both cancer cell-intrinsic EGFR survival and proliferation, as well as the immunosuppressive TGF-β signaling within the tumor microenvironment. Ficerafusp alfa is being developed in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, where there remains a significant unmet need, as well as other solid tumor types. For more information, please visit www.bicara.com or follow us on LinkedIn or X.

Diversity and Inclusion

Here at Bicara, we believe in building diverse teams and cultivating a culture where all voices are included. We encourage people from all backgrounds to apply.

Bicara Therapeutics is an equal opportunity employer and will not discriminate against any employee or applicant on the basis of age, color, disability, gender, national origin, race, religion, sexual orientation, veteran status, or any classification protected by federal, state, or local law.