Director, Therapeutics Translational Research

Role Summary

Director, Therapeutics Translational Research – Lead a focused research team to envision, develop and implement integrated approaches to precision patient profiling, focusing on stage-appropriate CDx, biomarkers for disease monitoring, patient stratification, and assay development to enable efficient translation from preclinical to clinical development.

Responsibilities

• Develop and validate cutting-edge methodologies, including ctDNA, MRD, and protein-based assays, to monitor disease progression and therapeutic efficacy across clinical settings.
• Lead the development of stage-appropriate CDx assays to enable precision patient profiling and inform strategies for therapeutic intervention.
• Manage the implementation of flow cytometry and other advanced profiling techniques to characterize and/or stratify patient populations.
• Collaborate with Preclinical Program teams, Translational Medicine and Clinical Biomarker teams to define and implement translational strategies from concept to clinic.
• Stay at the forefront of scientific and technological advancements in precision targeting and companion diagnostics.
• Contribute to the broader translational research team strategy, fostering innovation and excellence.
• Oversee relationships with CROs and internal labs to ensure timely completion of assay development, qualification, and validation studies, delivering high-quality data for translational projects.
• Mentor and develop junior scientists, fostering scientific excellence and continuous learning.
• Act as a scientific liaison for internal and external collaborators, including development and regulatory colleagues, academic institutions, and industry partners in oncology.
• Contribute to regulatory submissions, scientific publications, and presentations, effectively communicating translational research outcomes.

Qualifications

• Education: Ph.D. in a relevant scientific discipline (e.g., oncology, immunology, cancer biology, immune-oncology) with a minimum of 10 years of translational research experience in pharmaceutical/biotechnology, preferably in immune-oncology or autoimmune areas.
• Experience: Understanding of therapeutic development strategies; strong background in developing flow cytometry, ctDNA sequencing, MRD methodologies, and protein-based assays to inform clinical development.
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills; experience working in cross-functional teams.
• Results-driven mindset; able to thrive in a fast-paced, innovative environment.
• Passion for advancing precision medicine and improving patient outcomes.
• Ability to innovate translational approaches for novel therapies (ideally including cell therapy and cancer vaccine platforms).
• Experience with regulatory submissions and interactions with health authorities is desirable.
• Proven track record in developing and integrating companion diagnostics and disease monitoring tools into clinical development.
• Strong project management and organizational skills; ability to manage multiple cancer vaccine projects.
• Leadership and interpersonal skills; ability to influence and lead cross-functional teams.
• Experience managing and developing direct reports; excellent written and verbal communication of complex scientific concepts.
• Preferred publication record in peer-reviewed journals, particularly in cancer immunotherapy or autoimmunity.
• In-office expectation: 70% in-office with up to 30% remote work.

Skills

• Flow cytometry, ctDNA sequencing, MRD methodologies
• Protein-based assay development
• Companion diagnostics development and disease monitoring
• Translational strategy development
• Cross-functional collaboration
• Scientific leadership and mentorship
• Regulatory submissions and scientific communication

Education

• Ph.D. in a relevant scientific discipline (oncology, immunology, cancer biology, immune-oncology) with at least 10 years of translational research experience.

Additional Requirements

• Role involves in-office presence (70%) with flexibility for 30% remote work.