Working at the interface of computation, engineering, and biology, AbCellera is redefining how drugs are discovered. We’ve developed an AI-powered technology stack to discover antibodies and deliver large pools of curated candidates to our partners. And, we’re not stopping there. We’re expanding our capabilities to include early development, from candidate selection through to IND and potentially further. We aim to bring therapies from idea to patients, faster.

As the Senior Director, Early Development Oncology, you will be responsible for leading our efforts in a portfolio of oncology programs as they progress from selection of candidates through to clinical testing. Working cross-functionally with Discovery, Translational and Clinical leads, you will provide strategic direction and oversight to the portfolio. You have extensive experience leading teams of experts in the fields of translational medicine, pre-clinical development, safety and regulatory, and clinical study design and execution. Keeping the end goal in mind, you will develop this team to move at lightning speed to create a legacy in our industry. 

We’re offering a generous compensation package including an equity stake in AbCellera’s success, and the opportunity to lead a dynamic and innovative team, whether at our facility in the heart of Vancouver, Canada or remotely. 

How you might spend your days:

• Leading the translation and early development of a portfolio of oncology assets from candidate selection through Phase 1 clinical trials, while accounting for clinical, scientific, and operational considerations
• Managing the portfolio of projects using good governance practices, including defining clear go / no go points, opportunities for acceleration and frameworks to support data-driven decision-making
• Building and supporting the multi-disciplinary project teams to ensure engagement and alignment across the oncology pipeline, from discovery of candidates through CMC and manufacturing, to pre-clinical testing. 
• Providing leadership and oversight of the portfolio of projects with a view towards efficiency, adoption of new technology, risk identification and management, compliance with policy, and external partnering.
• Leading and facilitating progress through the project plan, aligning resources, and adapting the plan as needed in response to changes in the regulatory, clinical or commercial landscape.  
• Representing AbCellera and engaging with scientific and medical communities, physicians and clinical trial sites to generate insights and ensure strategic alignment.
• Working closely with AbCellera leadership peers to develop and continuously improve our approach to the discovery, development, and manufacturing of antibody therapeutics, while meeting regulatory requirements.

We’d love to hear from you if:

• You are an innovator and ready to help develop new approaches to the discovery and development of therapeutics
• You are strongly self-motivated and are able to identify project needs and follow that up with building and implementing solutions
• You are passionate about building dynamic new teams and capabilities that accomplish important goals
• You are enthusiastic about applying your expertise in early development to revolutionize therapeutic development
• You are an outstanding communicator and teammate 

Required qualifications and experience:

• 10+ years’ experience managing and leading therapeutic research teams and have a PhD or MD/PhD in Immunology, Oncology, or similar field
• Experience leading drug discovery and early development through IND and phase 1. Have sufficient knowledge in translational medicine, clinical development and regulatory requirements to be able to provide strategic direction to functional leaders. 
• Well proven leadership skills with the ability to think and plan strategically, and to execute on those plans while working collaboratively as a member of a cross-functional team
• Experience engaging with external stakeholders such as physicians and clinical trial sites, and integrating their requirements into a product development plan
• Experience in managing and mentoring a productive team of scientists and engineers
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including public presentation of complex data

About AbCellera:

At AbCellera, we find the next generation of therapeutic antibodies. To succeed, we create innovative solutions for our partners - combining custom antigen preparation and immunizations, microfluidics, high-throughput imaging, genomics, computation, machine learning and laboratory automation - leaving no stone unturned and revolutionizing how scientists can explore natural antibody diversity and the scale at which they can do it. You’ll join a diverse and multi-disciplinary team of biologists, biochemists, engineers, bioinformaticians, computer scientists and physicists - all working together to bring better therapies to patients. This is life-changing research and you could be a part of it.

We’re a growing company with state-of-the-art discovery tools and the drive to be the best in the industry. This isn’t just about having the best technology. We know we need a world-class team of innovators working together to solve the toughest problems. We look for people with drive and energy. Idealists. People we love and people we trust. This may be unconventional, but it is the key to our success. We’re looking for someone like you to support, organize and innovate on our efforts along the way.