Associate Director, Analytical Development and Vendor Management

Sana Biotechnology • Cambridge, MA

2h • Hybrid

About The Position

Sana Biotechnology is growing, and we are hiring new team members who believe in the potential of engineered cells as medicines, who are passionate about delivering the possible to patients, and who lead with the desire to work on novel ideas. As Associate Director, Analytical Development and Vendor Management, you will report into Translational Sciences within the Research organization and play a critical role in bridging discovery‑stage science with downstream development needs. This role combines hands‑on analytical assay development with scientific leadership of outsourced analytical activities, ensuring assays are fit‑for‑purpose, interpretable, and ready to support translational decision‑making and program advancement. You will spend approximately 40% of your time developing and executing assays in the lab, with the remainder focused on leading external CRO‑based assay development and integration of internal and external data across research and translational programs.

Requirements

• PhD with 5+ yrs, Bachelor's or MS with 8+yrs or equivalent combination of education and work experience
• 4+ years of experience in analytical development within biotech or pharmaceutical research organizations, ideally supporting biologics and/or cell and gene therapy programs.
• Proven extensive hands-on experience in various molecular and biochemical methodologies. (ddPCR, MSD, ELISA, Flow, NGS etc)
• Experience in designing and executing Assay development, qualification, and validation.
• Experience working in a GCP compliant environment
• Proven experience managing outsourced analytical work at CROs, including technical oversight and integration with internal research efforts.
• Strong understanding of assay fitness‑for‑purpose, data quality, and comparability in support of translational decision‑making.
• Ability to operate effectively as both an individual contributor and a scientific leader across internal and external teams.
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to translate analytical data into actionable insights for cross‑functional stakeholders.
• Ability to proactively engage groups with diverse functions within a highly matrixed organization.

Nice To Haves

• Industry experience, including working in regulatory BioA environment is a plus (GCP, GLP)
• Experience working with Clinical development and site management
• Experience with fast-paced and dynamic working environment and ability to adapt is a plus
• Experience with various molecular and cellular methods
• Experience with assay validation and qualification
• Ability to communicate, mentor, and lead

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, optimize, and execute analytical assays in the laboratory to support research and translational studies across cell and gene therapy programs (hands‑on lab work, ~30-40%).
• Lead outsourced analytical development at CRO partners, serving as the internal scientific owner for external assay development, qualification, and data delivery.
• Define analytical approaches and success criteria to support translational questions, program milestones, and handoff to downstream development functions.
• Author and manage CRO scopes of work, technical plans, timelines, and budgets; actively manage performance, risks, and dependencies.
• Serve as the primary scientific interface with CROs, providing clear technical direction, troubleshooting guidance, and decision‑making leadership.
• Ensure alignment and comparability between internally developed assays and externally executed methods to enable robust data interpretation and future tech transfer.
• Review, interpret, and approve analytical data generated internally and externally, ensuring scientific rigor, consistency, and appropriate documentation.
• Partner closely with Research, Process Development, Translational Sciences, and early CMC stakeholders to align analytical outputs with program needs and readiness.
• Contribute to analytical strategy development that supports translational insight generation, program prioritization, and progression toward IND‑enabling activities.
• Drive continuous improvement in assay robustness, experimental design, CRO engagement, and data quality across the research portfolio.

Benefits

• Health insurance
• Paid time off (various paid time off benefits, such as holidays, vacation, sick time, and parental leave)
• Short- and long-term disability
• Employer paid basic life insurance
• Additional voluntary life insurance protection
• Financial wellness programs including financial planning resources
• 401(k) Plan with an immediately vested employer match
• Tuition Reimbursement and Student Loan Repayment
• Employee Stock Purchase Plan
• Commuter subsidy
• Variety of wellness offerings

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree