Would you like the opportunity to join a well-funded west coast company in the rapidly evolving mRNA therapeutic industry? You will have the chance to lead a team, develop internal strategies, and play a hands-on role in establishing and growing the platform. Our client is looking for a Director (Associate Director or Director or Senior Director) who can build a vision and group to apply modern mRNA therapeutic approaches to cell therapy and cancer vaccines. This is a new role and new focus with strong financial commitment from the parent company. Initial hands-on work would be needed as team and program grows. The labs are already well established so starting the company from scratch is not necessary, but if you like building and shaping cutting-edge scientific programs, small entrepreneurial-style companies with big company financial security, and are open to working on site near San Jose, CA, this could be that rare opportunity for you. The ideal candidate will have experience in both RNA biology and either cell therapy or vaccines, including designing and driving experiments initially to generate proof-of-concept for ex vivo, then in vivo, T and NK cell reprograming technology. This may include optimization of self-amplifying and circular mRNAs expression construct designs, in vivo cell modification, and in vivo cell specific LNP (Lipid Nano Particle) delivery technologies.
Responsibilities
- Expand and lead your team in developing circular and self-amplifying mRNA based CAR-T, -NK, and cancer vaccines for oncology applications by applying your technical knowledge and expertise and providing input to strategy and pipeline.
- Evaluate and optimize various CAR-T and -NK designs for their in vivo expression and function.
- Design mRNA expression vectors to enhance antigen expression and control immunogenicity.
- Collaborate closely with protein design, discovery biology, and analytical technology groups to advance the mRNA platform and projects.
- Head internal development efforts on in vivo cell-specific LNP delivery of mRNAs.
- Establish and manage external partner collaborations.
- Manage resources and provide scientific guidance to research associates and scientists.
- Interface with senior management regarding project requirements, status review, and key strategic decisions.
- Develop novel functional assays to support the development of technology and research programs
Requirements
- PhD in Molecular/Cellular Biology, Cancer Biology, Immunology, or related scientific discipline
- 5-12 years of industry experience (after post-Doc) with a minimum of 4 years of experience managing a team (title can be Associate Director, Director, or Sr. Director depending on qualifications and experience).
- Strong foundation in RNA biology and mRNA design
- Hands-on experience in in vitro synthesis and purification of mRNA
- Hands-on experience with the using in vitro and cell-based assays to characterize mRNA products
- Thought leader who can formulate and integrate functional strategies to translate them into actionable deliverables that produce results and demonstrate innovation
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Plus Factors:
- Experience in RNA secondary structure, RNA folding characterization and mRNA stability analysis
- Experience with CAR-T or TCR-T cell therapy is desired
- Experience with LNP formulation of nucleic acids is desired but not required
To apply for this position, confidentially email us here.