About this role
Director / Sr. Director – Immuno-Oncology and Program Lead
Watertown, MA
The Director / Senior Director of Immuno-Oncology and Program Lead will serve as a critical scientific and operational leader within the Research & Development organization, reporting directly to the Chief Scientific Officer. This role is responsible for leading and integrating activities across a variety of oncology therapeutic programs, spanning early-stage discovery, preclinical evaluation, and IND-enabling studies, with a primary focus on advancing programs through Development Candidate (DC) selection. The Director / Sr Director will bring deep expertise in tumor biology and the translational oncology landscape to shape scientific strategy, ensuring programs are designed and executed with a clear line of sight to clinical relevance and patient benefit.
Serving as the central scientific and programmatic leader across research teams, this position will liaise closely with platform development, in vitro screening, molecular biology, preclinical, translational, and CMC functions to align scientific strategy, timelines, resources, and deliverables, and ensure seamless program execution from target identification through DC selection.
Duties and Responsibilities
Provide scientific leadership and strategic direction for oncology programs, ensuring preclinical models and study designs reflect clinically relevant tumor biology
Lead programs from early discovery through Development Candidate (DC) selection, driving decision-making and go/no-go criteria at key stage gates
Serve as the primary scientific liaison across US & Israel sites with platform development, in vitro screening, molecular biology, preclinical, translational, and CMC teams, ensuring alignment on program strategy, data generation, and timelines
Direct cross-functional activities supporting in vivo studies across research teams, including oversight of teams executing in vivo pharmacology and screening assays
Develop and maintain integrated project plans, timelines, budgets, and risk registers; track and communicate progress against key milestones
Facilitate communication and decision-making across scientific teams, senior leadership, and third-party vendors, including preparation of program status updates and governance materials
Establish translational strategies that connect preclinical findings to clinically relevant hypotheses, including biomarker, pharmacodynamic, and patient-selection considerations where appropriate.
Anticipate scientific and execution risks, develop mitigation strategies, and provide clear recommendations to senior leadership at critical program decision points.
Mentor and develop program team members, fostering a culture of scientific rigor, accountability, collaboration, and effective decision-making.
Qualifications and Experience
PhD in Biology or a related discipline required
Deep expertise in tumor biology, tumor microenvironment, and translational models required
Proven track record of leading cell therapy or in vivo CAR programs through Development Candidate selection required
Experience leading in vivo/pharmacology teams, with a preference for tumor applications
Experience with lipid nanoparticle (LNP) delivery systems and RNA payload technologies a significant plus
Drug development experience required, including significant experience in a program or project leadership role supporting cross-functional teams
Experience leading and collaborating with geographically distributed, cross-functional teams across multiple time zones is strongly preferred
Proficiency with project management tools such as Smartsheet, SharePoint, or equivalent platforms
Exceptional organizational skills, with a demonstrated ability to manage complex, detail-intensive workflows across multiple concurrent programs
Strong interpersonal and communication skills, with a proven ability to collaborate effectively within multidisciplinary, multinational teams
Proactive and self-motivated, with equal strength in strategic planning and hands-on execution
Comfortable operating in a fast-paced, start-up environment with evolving priorities
Work Structure
Position is based at our Watertown, MA office and laboratory facility
Flexibility in working hours required to accommodate meetings across multiple time zones
Annual Salary Range
$189,000 – $285,000.
The stated salary range represents Averna’s good-faith estimate for this role. Actual compensation will be determined based on a number of factors, including but not limited to individual qualifications, years of relevant experience, internal compensation alignment, and external market data.
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