Associate Director, T Cell Engineering & Translation

About the role

Responsible for leading the engineering, process development, and translational advancement of TCR engineered T cell therapies from candidate nomination through clinical readiness. The Associate Director drives vector design, cell engineering, and preclinical development of next-generation TCR-T cell therapies and provides cross-functional scientific leadership across research, manufacturing, quality, and clinical translation activities.

Responsibilities

• Develop effective vivo T cell engineering strategies and delivery vectors.
• Lead optimization of viral and non-viral vector designs for in vivo and ex vivo generation of armored TCR-T cells.
• Provide scientific leadership for translational development activities supporting clinical readiness and IND-enabling programs.
• Collaborate with Vector Production, Quality, and Manufacturing leadership to transition preclinical products into scalable clinical processes.
• Evaluate TCR constructs for stability, reactivity, safety, and manufacturability.
• Oversee development and optimization of ex vivo TCR-T manufacturing processes.
• Conduct and direct IND-enabling studies integrating pharmacology, safety, potency, and mechanism-of-action data.
• Serve as the scientific liaison between discovery, translational, and manufacturing teams.
• Drive process improvements and strategic enhancements in cell therapy manufacturing and development.
• Ensure documentation standards support future regulatory submissions and clinical translation

Requirements

• Education: Master's Degree or Ph.D. in an appropriate field. Equivalent work experience will be considered.
• Experience: 10+ years in T cell engineering, cell therapy, or gene therapy development; approximately 3+ years of experience leading translational or IND-enabling development programs in academic, biotechnology, or pharmaceutical settings; demonstrated cross-functional leadership of scientific teams and complex development initiatives.

Qualifications

• Expert knowledge of TCR-T cell biology, receptor engineering, and gene modification platforms.
• Knowledge of vector design, optimization, and safety-switch technologies.
• Understanding of translational development pathways from preclinical research through early-phase clinical trials.
• Knowledge of regulatory expectations and compliance standards supporting clinical translation.
• Ability to provide strategic scientific leadership across multidisciplinary teams.

Pay

Salary Range: $203,700.00 - $236,500.00 (as required under NYC Human Rights Law Int 1208-2018 for NYC offices).

Schedule

Work Days Weekly Hours: 35.00. Ability to work flexible hours, evenings and weekends, when requested for special projects.