Senior Scientist

Job Description

This position will support in vivo CAR programs, in which the lentiviral vector is delivered directly to the patient rather than used to manufacture an ex vivo cell product. The scientific focus is on vector engineering, targeted delivery, and transduction of T cells in situ, where therapeutic goals, experimental design, and success criteria differ from conventional ex vivo CART development.

Key Characteristics of This In Vivo Focus

• Emphasis on vector-intrinsic properties targeting specificity, transduction efficiency in resting T cells, and payload design rather than cell-product attributes
• Engineering envelope/pseudotype and surface modifications to direct tropism to T cells and limit off-target transduction
• Transduction of resting, unstimulated primary T cells, where permissiveness and activation state drive outcomes
• Vector potency, purity, and identity as the critical quality attributes, placing heavier weight on analytical and QC strategy
• Experience or background exclusively in ex vivo CART is welcomed, but candidates must demonstrate the ability to adapt vector and T cell engineering strategies to in vivo delivery constraints and therapeutic objectives

The Senior Scientist operates with scientific independence, owning experimental strategy, driving innovation in vector engineering and in vivo delivery platforms, and making technical decisions with minimal oversight.

Key Responsibilities

• Generate and characterize stable producer cell lines, including clone screening, selection, and banking
• Design, prioritize, and execute complex vector engineering and validation strategies for in vivo CAR delivery
• Lead end-to-end lentiviral vector platform execution, including production, troubleshooting, optimization, and QC strategy
• Own functional assessment strategy for vector potency and transduction, selecting appropriate assays and defining success criteria
• Develop and execute flow cytometry-based assays to quantify transduction, target-cell specificity, and CART phenotype and function
• Ensure GMP grade like documentation standards, data traceability, and readiness for internal review or audit
• Make independent technical decisions that impact project direction and experimental prioritization
• Identify knowledge gaps and proactively propose new approaches or technology improvements
• Communicate complex findings clearly and persuasively to cross-functional stakeholders

Required Qualifications

• PhD or MS with industry experience in Cell Therapy, Virology, Immunology, Bioengineering, or related discipline
• Extensive hands-on experience in CART cell therapy development, ex vivo or in vivo
• Deep expertise in lentiviral vector engineering, production, and QC
• Advanced knowledge of primary T cell biology and functional assay development
• Hands-on proficiency in mammalian cell culture, including cancer cell lines and primary T cells
• Advanced multicolor flow cytometry, including panel design, acquisition, analysis, and interpretation of transduction, phenotype, and function readouts
• Proven ability to maintain exceptional documentation standards and scientific communication