Associate Director, Translational Science
Legend Biotech
August 11, 2026
On-site
Somerset, NJ
Clinical Research and Development
Role Overview
The Associate Director of Translational Science will bridge the gap between early-stage discovery research and clinical development, designing and executing translational strategies, identifying biomarkers, and leveraging large-scale multi-omic datasets to provide actionable insights into mechanism of action (MoA), patient stratification, and drug resistance in autoimmune and oncology.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead the development and execution of program-specific translational plans from lead optimization through Phase II clinical trials.
- Oversee analysis of high-dimensional datasets (e.g., scRNA-seq, CITE-seq, flow cytometry, spatial transcriptomics) to identify pharmacodynamic markers and predictive signatures and interpret biological mechanisms.
- Partner with Clinical Development and Clinical Operations to implement biomarker assays in clinical protocols and ensure high-quality data collection.
- Manage relationships with CROs and academic collaborators for specialized assay development and advanced data processing.
- Represent Translational Science on program teams, providing expert input on disease biology, target engagement, and competitive landscape.
- Author technical reports and regulatory documents (IND/IB/NDA); contribute to publications and presentations.
Requirements
- PhD or MD/PhD in Immunology, Bioinformatics, Computational Biology, or related field.
- 5+ years in biopharma industry or equivalent academic translational leadership experience.
- Deep knowledge of human autoimmune disease and oncology (immuno-oncology, autoimmune, or cell therapy such as CAR-T/TCR-T).
- Demonstrated genomic data analysis experience and ability to guide data integration across multiple datasets.
- Track record developing/validating/clinically implementing complex biomarkers.
- Strong understanding of regulatory requirements for biomarker-driven clinical trials.
- Excellent project management; ability to lead multiple programs fast-paced; high scientific curiosity.
Benefits (as stated)
- Medical, dental, vision; 401(k) match; 8 weeks paid parental leave after 3 months; paid time off including vacation, personal time, sick time, floating holidays, and 11 company holidays.
- Additional voluntary benefits: flexible spending/HSAs, life/AD&D, disability, legal assistance, supplemental insurance, commuter benefits, family planning/care resources, well-being initiatives, peer-to-peer recognition.
Work authorization
Applicants must be authorized to work in the United States; employment eligibility verified via E-Verify (Form I-9).
The Associate Director of Translational Science will bridge the gap between early-stage discovery research and clinical development, designing and executing translational strategies, identifying biomarkers, and leveraging large-scale multi-omic datasets to provide actionable insights into mechanism of action (MoA), patient stratification, and drug resistance in autoimmune and oncology.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead the development and execution of program-specific translational plans from lead optimization through Phase II clinical trials.
- Oversee analysis of high-dimensional datasets (e.g., scRNA-seq, CITE-seq, flow cytometry, spatial transcriptomics) to identify pharmacodynamic markers and predictive signatures and interpret biological mechanisms.
- Partner with Clinical Development and Clinical Operations to implement biomarker assays in clinical protocols and ensure high-quality data collection.
- Manage relationships with CROs and academic collaborators for specialized assay development and advanced data processing.
- Represent Translational Science on program teams, providing expert input on disease biology, target engagement, and competitive landscape.
- Author technical reports and regulatory documents (IND/IB/NDA); contribute to publications and presentations.
Requirements
- PhD or MD/PhD in Immunology, Bioinformatics, Computational Biology, or related field.
- 5+ years in biopharma industry or equivalent academic translational leadership experience.
- Deep knowledge of human autoimmune disease and oncology (immuno-oncology, autoimmune, or cell therapy such as CAR-T/TCR-T).
- Demonstrated genomic data analysis experience and ability to guide data integration across multiple datasets.
- Track record developing/validating/clinically implementing complex biomarkers.
- Strong understanding of regulatory requirements for biomarker-driven clinical trials.
- Excellent project management; ability to lead multiple programs fast-paced; high scientific curiosity.
Benefits (as stated)
- Medical, dental, vision; 401(k) match; 8 weeks paid parental leave after 3 months; paid time off including vacation, personal time, sick time, floating holidays, and 11 company holidays.
- Additional voluntary benefits: flexible spending/HSAs, life/AD&D, disability, legal assistance, supplemental insurance, commuter benefits, family planning/care resources, well-being initiatives, peer-to-peer recognition.
Work authorization
Applicants must be authorized to work in the United States; employment eligibility verified via E-Verify (Form I-9).