Overview
Job Summary (Primary function)
The Associate Director, Translational Sciences is a senior, lab-embedded translational scientist who leads the design and execution of strategies that bridge preclinical discovery and early clinical development. This role is responsible for converting patient-derived, multi-omic data generated internally and through external collaborations into actionable assays, biomarkers, and translational insights that support therapeutic target discovery, preclinical de-risking, and dose prediction and optimization.
The Associate Director provides scientific and technical leadership by integrating multi-omic analyses (e.g., transcriptomic, proteomic, and cellular profiling) with advanced assay development to define mechanism-aligned biomarkers and pharmacodynamic readouts that inform target selection, exposure-response understanding, and early clinical strategy. The role partners closely with Discovery, Bioinformatics, Biomarker, Clinical, and other development functions to ensure mechanistic hypotheses and patient-relevant data are fully integrated into program decisions.
This position is intentionally designed as a scientist-first role, emphasizing hands-on laboratory engagement, technology implementation, and data interpretation. The Principal Investigator/Associate Director will primarily operate as a senior individual contributor, with the potential to oversee a small team of laboratory scientists or matrixed contributors over time, while remaining actively involved in experimental design, assay execution, and cross-functional program support.
Essential Functions of the Job (Key responsibilities)
• Lead the design, development, and implementation of state-of-the-art translational assays and platforms, including molecular, cellular, and multi-omic technologies.
• Drive biomarker discovery and validation from exploratory research through fit-for-purpose assay development for preclinical and early clinical use.
• Apply advanced technologies (e.g., transcriptomics, proteomics, spatial biology, and single-cell approaches) to address key translational and mechanistic questions.
• Integrate patient-derived multi-omic datasets to support therapeutic target discovery, prioritization, and validation across oncology and inflammation/autoimmune programs.
• Collaborate with bioinformatics and data science partners to translate complex multi-omic data into biologically and translationally actionable insights.
• Provide translational input to preclinical development programs, including mechanism-of-action confirmation, exposure-response evaluation, and dose optimization strategy.
• Contribute to early toxicology assessment and de-risking, including identification of safety-relevant biomarkers and translational readouts.
• Design and utilize in vivo, ex vivo, and human-relevant model systems, including patient-derived samples, organoids, primary cells, and PBMC-based platforms.
• Ensure scientific rigor, reproducibility, and high-quality data interpretation across all assays and experimental approaches.
• Provide technical leadership and mentorship within the Translational Biomarker Discovery Lab, including hands-on experimental guidance and oversight of external collaborations or CROs as needed.
Qualifications (Minimal acceptable level of education, work experience, and competency)
• PhD with post doc (or equivalent) in Oncology, Molecular Biology, Systems Biology, Immunology, or a related life sciences discipline
• 3-10 years of experience in translational research within pharma, biotech, or a comparable research environment
• Strong, demonstrable expertise in assay development, optimization, and implementation
• Hands on experience with advanced molecular and cellular technologies and multi omic platforms
• Proven ability to integrate biological data across multiple modalities to inform discovery and translational decisions
• Experience working with human samples and clinically relevant model systems
• Strong scientific communication skills and ability to collaborate effectively in matrixed teams
Preferred
• Experience supporting biomarker strategies for early clinical programs
• Familiarity with oncology and/or inflammatory/autoimmune disease biology
• Experience interacting with toxicology, DMB, or CQP functions
• Comfort working in a role that combines scientific independence with focused team oversight, rather than large scale management
Disclaimer: The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work performed by employees assigned to this job. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities, and qualifications. Management reserves the right to change or modify such duties as required.
