Senior Officer, Drug Discovery (Gene Therapy)

Location: Seattle, Washington, United States. The role requires up to 20% domestic and international travel.

Salary: $254,700–$394,700 USD annually for the Seattle and Washington, D.C. market. A general range of $233,600–$362,200 USD applies to other locations.

Company

A global nonprofit foundation advancing health, equity, and poverty reduction through philanthropy, science, technology, and partnerships.

What you will do

• Own and guide a portfolio of grantees and investment partners developing biologics and gene therapy candidates for HIV and sickle cell disease.
• Provide technical leadership across discovery, CMC, preclinical IND-enabling studies, regulatory planning, and first-in-human trial design.
• Lead portfolio reviews, governance meetings, site visits, milestone assessments, funding recommendations, and investment analyses.
• Advise partners on process and analytical development, formulation, manufacturing scale-up, technology transfer, and CDMO capabilities.
• Develop scientific strategies, target product profiles, go/no-go frameworks, and integrated product development plans.
• Represent the foundation with pharmaceutical companies, biotechnology firms, academic centers, regulators, investigators, and global health organizations.

Requirements

• PhD in pharmaceutical sciences, biochemistry, molecular biology, chemical engineering, immunology, chemistry, or a closely related field; MD/PhD or equivalent clinical-scientific training is welcome.
• 12–15 years of preclinical drug development experience in pharmaceutical, biotechnology, or CDMO environments, with products advanced toward IND and first-in-human studies.
• Hands-on or supervisory CMC experience with biologics, gene therapy viral vectors, LNP-based delivery, mRNA therapeutics, recombinant proteins, or monoclonal antibodies.
• Experience designing IND-enabling studies, including GLP toxicology, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, biodistribution, and integrated safety packages.
• Experience with FDA regulatory strategy for biologics and advanced therapies, including IND, BLA, and pre-submission meetings.
• Experience with external partnerships, scientific and commercial due diligence, in vivo gene therapy delivery, HIV biology, hematopoiesis or immunology, and work relevant to low- and middle-income countries.

Nice to have

• Experience with philanthropic, product development partnership, or global health R&D organizations.
• Familiarity with venture philanthropy, equity investment structures, LMIC cost-of-goods modeling, technology transfer, or WHO prequalification.
• Experience with LNP delivery, HSC targeting, genome editing, or other advanced cell and gene therapy technologies.

Culture & Benefits

• Mission-driven environment focused on equitable global health impact.
• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage with no premiums.
• Generous paid time off, paid family leave, foundation-paid retirement contributions, and regional holidays.
• Inclusive workplace with employee communities and opportunities for professional and personal development.
• Employment is contingent on successful completion of a background check.