Principal Scientist, Viral Downstream Process Development

Our purpose at Dispatch is to help create a world where all cancer patients can be cured. We’re humbled by the opportunity to work together as a team on some of the most pressing medical challenges of our time.

To achieve our purpose, we are dedicated to engineering a universal treatment across solid tumors. We’re committed to the development of novel therapies, leveraging first-in-class technologies in viral vectors, universal targets, and novel cytokine biology. Our therapeutic approach has the potential to enable us to treat significant numbers of cancer patients and make a real and lasting impact on the world.

Our company was founded on pioneering work carried out in the laboratories of Dr. Carl June (University of Pennsylvania), Dr. Kole Roybal (University of California, San Francisco), Dr. Christopher Garcia (Stanford University) and Dr. Andy Minn (Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center).

At our company, you would become one of our early team members— not only playing a role in meeting our ambitious mission but also building our thriving culture. We are determined to deliver with urgency to discover new solutions and we always stay dedicated to scientific rigor; we have an ownership mindset because each and every one of us is integral to our success. Collaboration is core for us because we believe that by bringing people together with diverse perspectives, we make a stronger whole. And, we show we care about our work and each other by sharing feedback - ultimately in service of our vision to empower people to continue forward with their lives – cancer free.

The Principal Scientist will serve as the downstream processing expert working closely with CDMOs to generate lentivirus and adenovirus products. Reporting into the Senior Director of Process Development, this individual will also be responsible for building out the internal downstream purification capabilities within process development to support scale up and scale down.

Oversee planning and execution of tech transfers, development and scale up of viral products being manufactured at CDMOs

Serve as the downstream subject matter expert on both internal and external (CDMO, equipment suppliers, etc.) teams

Build out internal downstream capabilities by identifying/procuring scale down models for process development

Design and execute studies to identify critical process parameters and optimize process setpoints across the clarification, Tangential Flow Filtration (TFF), chromatography and sterile filtration steps

Responsibility for execution, data review, analysis, and maintaining accurate and detailed lab notebooks

Author and review technical documents, including but not limited batch records, SOPs and development reports and process-specific sections of regulatory documents.

Represent the company externally at meetings (professional associations, with regulatory bodies, etc.)

Work cross-functionally with analytical development, research and development, program management to advance clinical programs

Required experience & skills:

MS or Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering, Bioengineering or related discipline

Minimum of 10 years of experience with downstream purification process development in the biopharma industry

Experience directly managing a team

Technical experience with downstream unit operations including clarification, TFF, chromatography, sterile filtration and formulation

Experience with scale up and scale down of purification processes

An understanding of cGMP and regulatory requirements for biopharmaceuticals

Strong organizational & problem-solving skills, with the proven ability to collaborate in a dynamic team environment

Strong scientific reasoning, problem-solving, and applied statistics skills, including the ability to break down complex problems into manageable hypotheses

Proficiency in using Microsoft Word, Excel, Power Point and data analysis/presentation software such as JMP and/or GraphPad

Excellent interpersonal, verbal and written communication skills.

Excellent organizational and planning skills, strong work ethic and the desire to work in a flexible and fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment

Preferred experience & skills:

Experience with Quality by Design (QbD) approach to drug development including risk assessments, Design of Experiments (DoE) and statistical methods

Experience drafting CMC sections for INDs

Experience with technology transfers to external manufacturing facilities

Our values guide everything we do. While capabilities and skills are vital, understanding how a potential new colleague would embody our values is central to our hiring decisions.

By working with focus and passion, we can provide patients with the solutions they need.

We can reach new heights when we stay centered on our shared success.

When we band together, our work is better.

Constructive and authentic positive feedback may be difficult to master but it is vital to our success.

We offer a highly competitive compensation package with meaningful ownership through equity

Excellent coverage for medical, vision, and dental

401(k) with generous contribution

Life insurance

Flexible PTO policy

Additional substantial benefits

We are an equal opportunity employer.

We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, disability status, national origin, or any characteristic protected under applicable law.