THE ROLEWe are seeking an experienced
Senior Director of Lipid Nanoparticle (LNP) Formulation & Process Development to lead the company's LNP formulation, process development, and small-scale production organization supporting partner and internal research and preclinical programs.
The Senior Director will provide scientific and operational leadership across multiple programs, establish LNP development and production strategies, and build scalable, reproducible capabilities to support a growing portfolio. This individual will lead and develop a team of scientists, serve as a senior technical interface with clients and partners, and collaborate closely with Analytical Development, Translational Biology, Project Management, and other functions.
The successful candidate will combine deep expertise in LNP formulation and processing with strong organizational leadership, program execution, and client-facing skills.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES- Lead the LNP formulation, process development, and small-scale production function supporting partner and internal programs.
- Establish technical strategy and best practices for LNP formulation, process development, characterization, and production across multiple payloads and applications.
- Provide senior technical leadership across multiple programs, including development strategy, experimental planning, data review, risk mitigation, and technical recommendations.
- Serve as a senior technical interface with clients and partners and support proposals, project scopes, presentations, and business development activities.
- Oversee non-GMP production of LNP formulations for in vitro, in vivo, and preclinical studies.
- Drive technical troubleshooting, process optimization, technology transfer, and continuous improvement of LNP production for mRNA, siRNA, gene-editing components, and other nucleic acid payloads.
- Establish workflows, documentation, and operational practices that improve quality, reproducibility, efficiency, and scalability.
- Lead, mentor, and develop the LNP team while managing priorities, resources, capacity, and organizational growth.
- Collaborate cross-functionally to align LNP development and production with broader program and company objectives.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE & QUALIFICATIONSRequired- Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chemical Engineering, Bioengineering, Chemistry, Biochemistry, or related field with 12+ years of relevant industry experience; M.S. with 14+ years; or B.S. with 16+ years.
- Extensive hands-on experience in LNP formulation and process development.
- Deep understanding of LNP composition, formation, purification, characterization, and the relationships between process parameters and product attributes.
- Demonstrated ability to lead complex technical programs, interpret data, troubleshoot problems, and establish development strategies.
- Proven experience leading and developing scientific teams and managing multiple concurrent programs and resources.
- Strong written, verbal, presentation, and client-facing communication skills.
Preferred- Experience in a CMO, CDMO, CRO, or other client-service organization.
- Experience developing LNPs across multiple payloads and therapeutic applications.
- Experience building or scaling LNP formulation, process development, and production capabilities.
- Experience with technology transfer or transitioning development processes toward larger-scale or GMP manufacturing.
- Experience supporting technical proposals, scopes of work, and business development activities.
Leadership ProfileThe ideal candidate is a
hands-on scientific and organizational leader who can move between technical problem-solving, portfolio strategy, team leadership, operational planning, and client engagement. The Senior Director will be accountable for leading a high-performing LNP organization and ensuring the reliable delivery of high-quality formulations and development programs that enable partner and internal programs to advance.
The salary range for this role is $213,000 - $280,500. Compensation for the role will depend on a number of factors, including a candidate's qualifications, skills, competencies, and experience. Mirai Bio currently offers healthcare coverage, annual incentive program, retirement benefits and a broad range of other benefits. Compensation and benefits information is based on Mirai Bio's good faith estimate as of the date of publication and may be modified in the future.
