Executive Director, Viral Vector Process Development (Cell and Gene Therapy)

Location: On-site in Santa Monica or Oceanside, California, United States

Salary: $255,425–$330,550 per year, plus potential discretionary bonus, stock-based long-term incentives, paid time off, and benefits.

Company

hirify.global is a biopharmaceutical company developing CAR and T-cell receptor engineered cell therapies for cancer immunotherapy.

What you will do

• Lead end-to-end viral vector development from construct design through clinical and commercial manufacturing support.
• Set technical strategy for lentiviral vector platforms, including construct architecture, promoter selection, transgene optimization, upstream production, downstream purification, and recovery.
• Drive process scale-up, technology transfer, external manufacturing partnerships, lifecycle management, and manufacturing readiness.
• Advance vector productivity, robustness, cost of goods, in vivo vector development, and emerging delivery technologies.
• Partner with Research, Product Teams, T-cell Process Development, Analytical Development, Technical Operations, and Regulatory functions.
• Build and lead a high-performing viral vector development organization, including laboratories and GMP-adjacent environments.

Requirements

• PhD in Biochemical Engineering, Molecular Biology, Virology, or a related field with 15+ years of experience, or MS with 18+ years.
• Extensive viral vector development and manufacturing support experience in cell and/or gene therapy.
• Expertise in lentiviral and/or retroviral vector systems, analytical characterization, manufacturing, and technology transfer.
• End-to-end experience from early development through commercialization, including cell therapy programs such as CAR-T.
• Strong working knowledge of cGMP regulations, compliance systems, inspection readiness, regulatory filings, and health authority interactions.
• Proven ability to lead large organizations and influence strategic decisions in highly matrixed, cross-functional environments.

Nice to have

• Exposure to in vivo gene delivery platforms.
• Knowledge of retroviral vector development and CMC.

Culture & Benefits

• Mission-driven work focused on developing cancer immunotherapies.
• Emphasis on scientific rigor, accountability, ownership, execution, collaboration, and transparency.
• Medical, dental, vision, and life insurance plans.
• Paid time off and potential discretionary annual bonus and stock-based long-term incentives.