Pioneering Medicines: Director / Sr. Director, Immunology Drug Discovery and Translational Research

The Director/Sr. Director of Immunology Drug Discovery and Translational Research at Flagship Pioneering leads drug discovery projects, ensuring asset progression from early stages through clinical trials. This role involves managing cross-functional teams, contributing to building the immunology portfolio, mentoring staff, and fostering strategic external partnerships to enhance translational sciences capabilities.

Candidates must hold a Ph.D. with at least 6 years of industry experience in drug discovery and translational research. A deep understanding of translational research methodologies, experience with biomarker discovery, and the ability to lead a diverse research team are essential. Experience in immunology is highly advantageous for this role.

In the Director/Sr. Director position at Flagship Pioneering, you will represent the translational sciences function on project teams, play a vital role in identifying and validating new therapeutic targets, and directly support the progression of drug candidates into clinical development, ultimately aiming to benefit patients with novel therapies.

Flagship Pioneering offers a dynamic work environment that emphasizes collaboration, innovation, and scientific rigor. The role is designed to foster an entrepreneurial spirit among team members while providing opportunities for professional growth through cross-functional projects and partnerships.

Flagship Pioneering offers comprehensive benefits including competitive healthcare coverage, paid time off, a 401k retirement plan, and a robust mental health program, among others. The company also prioritizes professional development, ensuring that team members have opportunities to learn and grow within an interdisciplinary framework.

In your response, you should detail your specific experiences in drug discovery, focusing on any roles in translational research and your contributions to the progress of therapeutic candidates. Highlight any leadership roles you've held and how they contribute to the expectations for the Director/Sr. Director position.

Discuss how you foster professional growth within your team by creating a supportive environment for collaboration. You might mention specific mentoring techniques, feedback processes, and how you encourage innovation and problem-solving among team members.

Provide a concrete example that illustrates your leadership and collaborative skills. Include details about the team composition, your role, and how your contributions helped the project succeed and meet regulatory deadlines.

Explain your strategies for identifying potential partners and initiating collaborations, emphasizing your experience working with pharmaceutical companies. Highlight any successful partnerships you've established and the impact they've had on research outcomes.

Articulate your understanding of the significance of biomarkers in guiding drug development, particularly in immunology. You should reference any relevant projects wherein you utilized biomarkers to inform dose predictions or support clinical development.

Discuss the importance of ethics in research and describe how you instill these values in your team. Mention specific practices you uphold to ensure that scientific integrity is never compromised.

Share examples of creative methods or technologies you’ve introduced to accelerate drug discovery processes or enhance cross-functional collaboration. Discuss the outcomes and any measurable impacts these innovations had.

Describe how translational bioinformatics can enhance the understanding of complex biological data and aid in therapeutic target validation. Give examples of how you've previously applied these concepts in your research.

Talk about your management style. Discuss how you set clear expectations, encourage open communication, and recognize the hard work of your team members to maintain high morale and alignment with project objectives.

Provide insights into current trends and obstacles in the immunology space, such as regulatory hurdles or scientific uncertainties. Offer ideas on how your expertise can help overcome these challenges while steering the company’s projects toward successful outcomes.