Alimentiv

Runs clinical trials for digestive disease treatments

Director of Translational Sciences - Translational Sciences

Translational Research & Bench BiologyConfirmed live in the last 24 hours

Full-timeSan Diego, CA, USA$160k - $200k /yrIn-person

About the Job

Requirements

A Ph.D. or M.Sc. in pathology, cell biology, molecular biology, bioinformatics, biomedical engineering, or a related scientific discipline.
At least 10 years of experience in assay development, digital pathology or image analysis, and/or bioinformatics within a CRO, biopharma, or regulated research environment.
Proven scientific and strategic leadership experience, with a track record of translating vision into innovative, scalable solutions and business impact.
Deep technical expertise in one or more of immunostaining or IHC, multiplex IF, ISH, spatial biology, digital image analysis, and bioinformatics, with the ability to remain hands-on in complex scientific work.
Experience building, leading, and developing scientific or technical teams in a fast-paced, growth-oriented environment.
Client-facing ability to communicate complex scientific concepts to technical and non-technical stakeholders and build trusted partnerships.
Working knowledge of assay validation requirements and regulatory frameworks, including GxP and clinical research standards.
Ability to lead cross-functional initiatives and collaborate across scientific, laboratory, operational, and commercial teams.

Responsibilities

Maintain oversight of scientific operations for assay development, digital image analysis, and bioinformatics commercial and R&D programs, ensuring alignment with organizational strategies and client needs.
Lead the design, development, optimization, and validation of immunostaining, including multiplex IHC/IF, ISH, and spatial biology assays, image analysis pipelines, and computational and bioinformatics tools.
Drive innovation initiatives to expand and differentiate the scientific service portfolio.
Ensure scientific rigor, reproducibility, and regulatory alignment, including GxP and CAP/CLIA, across commercial project and R&D activities.
Perform hands-on assay development, including designing, optimizing, and validating IHC, multiplex IF, ISH, and spatial biology assays, particularly for novel or high-complexity projects.
Directly develop and validate image analysis algorithms and pipelines for priority programs while maintaining technical depth alongside oversight of the broader team's development work.
Serve as the assigned lead scientist on select sponsor projects, taking direct technical ownership of assay and image analysis deliverables as required.
Build, lead, and mentor a team of scientists and technical staff supporting assay development, image analysis, and bioinformatics.
Manage staffing, resource planning, performance management, and professional development for direct reports.
Foster collaboration between Scientific Operations and Laboratory, Project Operations, and Business Development teams to ensure delivery of scientific services.
Promote a high-performing, collaborative scientific culture as a role model and mentor.
Foster high-quality client relationships throughout the project life cycle.
Serve as the senior scientific point of contact for sponsors, act as an escalation point, and support staff in troubleshooting and issue resolution.
Represent the organization's scientific capabilities at client meetings, industry conferences, and scientific forums as required.
Support business development through RFP responses, scientific proposal development, and bid defense activities.
Review and approve analysis plans, validation reports, study reports, and technical and scientific documentation.
Participate in departmental and organizational strategic planning as a member of the leadership team.
Develop and manage the Scientific Operations budget in coordination with the Executive Team.
Monitor industry trends, the competitive landscape, and emerging technologies to inform capability development.
Ensure compliance with quality systems, SOPs, and regulatory requirements across scientific deliverables.

Salary Range: 160000 to 200000 (Currency: USD) (Pay period: per-year-salary)

We're looking for a Director of Translational Sciences to join our exciting AcelaBio team! As a key member of the expanded leadership team, this role blends scientific leadership and oversight for AcelaBio’s Scientific Operations function, encompassing assay development, digital image analysis, and bioinformatics in support of global clinical study and R&D activities.

Aligned with AcelaBio’s vision, you'll develop and executes strategies to expand scientific service offerings and enhance service delivery quality through the design, development, validation, and operationalization of novel assays, image analysis pipelines, and computational tools that continuously advance AcelaBio’s scientific capabilities. You'll take on the challenge of ensuring scientific rigor, reproducibility, and overall quality of deliverables are achieved in a financially sustainable manner. This leadership role involves oversight of the Scientific Operations team’s day-to-day technical activities, including managing scientific staff and ensuring compliance with regulatory standards. As a recognized subject matter expert, you'll still be directly engaged in complex technical work.

You'll own department leadership accountabilities, specifically scientific policy and process development, quality and compliance monitoring, staff resource planning, development and performance management, and providing scientific support and expertise to project and unit teams with sponsors/clients throughout the project life cycle.

AcelaBio is executing a planned restructuring with the build out of corporate operations independence from its sister organization, Alimentiv. We are looking for experienced talent who have navigated corporate transitions, restructuring, or startup scaling. If you have thrived during carve-outs, separations, or moments when an organization reset its processes and identity, we want to hear from you. This is an opportunity to shape how a profitable, growing business operates independently—from systems and compliance to culture and strategy.

About the Role

Scientific & R&D Leadership

Maintain oversight of scientific operations for assay development, digital image analysis, and bioinformatics commercial and R&D programs, ensuring alignment with organizational strategies and client needs.

Lead the design, development, optimization, and validation of immunostaining including multiplex IHC/IF, ISH, and spatial biology assays, image analysis pipelines, and computational/bioinformatics tools.

Drive innovation initiatives to expand and differentiate AcelaBio’s scientific service portfolio.

Ensure scientific rigor, reproducibility, and regulatory alignment (GxP, CAP/CLIA) across all commercial project and R&D activities.

Perform hands-on assay development work, including designing, optimizing, and validating IHC, multiplex IF, ISH, and spatial biology assays particularly for novel or high-complexity projects.

Directly develop and validate image analysis algorithms and pipelines for priority programs, maintaining technical depth alongside oversight of the broader team’s development work.

Serve as the assigned lead scientist on select sponsor projects, taking direct technical ownership of assay and image analysis deliverables as required.

Team Leadership & Development

Build, lead, and mentor a team of scientists and technical staff supporting assay development, image analysis, and bioinformatics.

Manage staffing, resource planning, performance management, and professional development for direct reports.

Foster close collaboration between the Scientific Operations team and the Laboratory, Project Operations, and Business Development team to ensure seamless delivery of scientific services.

Serve as a role model and mentor, promoting a high-performing, collaborative scientific culture.

Client & Scientific Engagement

Foster high quality, well-functioning client relationships throughout the project life cycle.

Serve as the senior scientific point of contact for sponsors, act as a point of escalation as required and support staff in troubleshooting and issue resolution.

Represent AcelaBio’s scientific capabilities at client meetings, industry conferences, and scientific forums as required.

Support business development through RFP responses, scientific proposal development, and bid defense activities.

Review and approve analysis plans, validation reports, study reports, and technical/scientific documentation.

Operational & Strategic Contributions

Participate as a member of the leadership team in departmental and organizational strategic planning.

Develop and manage the Scientific Operations budget in coordination with the Executive Team.

Maintain awareness of industry trends, competitive landscape, and emerging technologies to inform capability development.

Ensure compliance with quality systems, SOPs, and regulatory requirements across all scientific deliverables.

What we're looking for

Ph.D. or M.Sc. in pathology, cell biology, molecular biology, bioinformatics, biomedical engineering, or a related scientific discipline.

10+ years of experience in assay development, digital pathology/image analysis, and/or bioinformatics within a CRO, biopharma, or regulated research environment.

Proven scientific and strategic leadership experience, with a track record of translating vision into innovative, scalable solutions and business impact.

Deep technical expertise in one or more of the following areas: immunostaining/IHC, multiplex IF, ISH, spatial biology, digital image analysis, and bioinformatics, with a demonstrated ability to remain hands-on in complex scientific work.

Experience building, leading, and developing high-performing scientific or technical teams in a fast-paced, growth-oriented environment.

Strong client-facing skills, including the ability to communicate complex scientific concepts to a range of technical and non-technical stakeholders and build trusted partnerships.

Working knowledge of assay validation requirements and regulatory frameworks, including GxP and clinical research standards.

Proven ability to lead cross-functional initiatives and collaborate effectively across scientific, laboratory, operational, and commercial teams to deliver impactful results.

About the Company

Alimentiv

Runs clinical trials for digestive disease treatments

Alimentiv runs clinical trials for pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies developing treatments for gastrointestinal diseases. Its contract research services cover study design, site monitoring and regulatory submissions, with medical imaging used to measure how patients respond to treatment. The company combines central image reading with tissue analysis and biomarker testing through sister laboratory AcelaBio. Sponsors pay for trial execution, scientific consulting and statistical services that support drug development from early studies through regulatory review. Founded in 1986, Alimentiv is headquartered in London, Ontario, and operates internationally.

Company size: 501-1,000
Company stage: Not listed
Total funding: Not listed
Headquarters: London, Canada
Founded: 1986

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