Principal Scientist, Vector Biology (Biotech)

TL;DR

Principal Scientist, Vector Biology (Biotech): Leading early-stage process development and the establishment of a manufacturable lentiviral vector (LVV) platform for in-vivo CAR-T programs with an accent on molecular construct design and scalable bioreactor manufacturing. Focus on bridging construct-level design with upstream process outcomes to ensure end-to-end process coherence and readiness for technology transfer.

Location: Must be based in Philadelphia, PA (Onsite)

Company

hirify.global is a global biotechnology company developing advanced cell therapies, including CAR-T and TCR-T immunotherapies, to treat life-threatening diseases.

What you will do

• Establish and optimize early-stage seed train strategies and foundational process parameters for a scalable LVV platform.
• Apply molecular biology expertise to evaluate and optimize LVV constructs, including plasmid architecture and transgene configuration.
• Design and optimize production workflows, including transient transfection and stable producer cell lines, to improve vector yield and quality.
• Conduct media optimization and bioreactor process control development to support scale-up to 40-L and beyond.
• Partner with Downstream, Analytical, and Technical Development teams to ensure integrated, end-to-end process manufacturability.
• Author technical reports and stage-gate presentations to communicate scientific progress and development risk assessments.

Requirements

• MS with 10+ years or PhD with 5-8+ years of progressive industry experience in Bioengineering, Cell Biology, or Chemical Engineering.
• Demonstrated hands-on expertise in viral vector production and upstream process development.
• Substantial experience in mammalian suspension cell culture and bioreactor operations.
• Proficiency in molecular biology techniques relevant to viral vector construct engineering.
• Strong analytical acumen with experience in Design of Experiments (DoE) and risk-based decision frameworks.
• Must be able to work onsite in Philadelphia, PA.

Culture & Benefits

• Comprehensive benefits package offered exclusively to permanent full-time employees.
• Opportunity to work on cutting-edge cell therapy platforms in a global R&D environment.
• Collaborative partnership with Janssen (Johnson & Johnson) to advance immunotherapy treatments.
• Commitment to scientific rigor, data integrity, and professional development.