Associate Director, Immuno-Oncology Research

ModernaTX • Cambridge, MA

1d • $142,500 - $256,500 • Onsite

About The Position

Moderna’s Research and Early Development team is seeking an experienced Associate Director to lead Immuno-Oncology Research programs focused on emerging T cell engager (TCE) and in vivo cell therapy programs. The role provides scientific and organizational leadership for scientist-level research leads advancing therapeutic concepts from target and modality strategy through candidate selection and preclinical development. It emphasizes T cell and tumor biology, translational relevance, and rigorous experimental decision-making, and requires expertise in immuno-oncology, immune cell-directed therapeutics, functional assays, and in vivo models.

The Associate Director will lead 1–2 research leads and multidisciplinary programs, partnering closely with internal research, platform, nonclinical, manufacturing, development, and regulatory teams, as well as external partners. The position is 100% onsite. The work environment is smoke-free, alcohol-free, and drug-free.

The salary range is $142,500–$256,500. The successful candidate may also be eligible for an annual discretionary bonus, other incentive compensation, or an equity award, subject to plan eligibility and individual performance. Benefits include competitive healthcare and voluntary benefits, fitness, mindfulness and mental health resources, family-planning support, paid time off, savings and investment programs, and location-specific perks.

Requirements

• PhD in immunology, oncology, or a related biological sciences discipline.
• At least 7 years of relevant post-PhD experience; biotechnology or pharmaceutical experience is preferred.
• Deep expertise in immuno-oncology and immune cell biology.
• Substantial experience advancing immune cell-directed therapeutic programs, such as T cell engagers, CAR-T, TCR-based therapies, CAR-M, or closely related modalities.
• Experience managing scientists or research associates in a dynamic environment.
• Ability to set priorities, execute multiple research workstreams in parallel, and develop talent.

Nice To Haves

• Experience designing, leading, and interpreting hypothesis-driven research programs integrating functional assays, mechanistic studies, in vivo PKPD and efficacy models, and translational data to support candidate decisions.
• Strong understanding of TCE, CAR-T, and CAR-M biology, including target selection, immune synapse formation, immune cell activation and cytotoxicity, activation thresholds, exhaustion or dysfunction, trafficking, persistence, resistance, and safety.
• Experience assessing therapeutic index and modality-specific liabilities, including target expression and normal-tissue biology, cytokine release, off-tumor activity, and immune cell fitness.
• Experience collaborating across multidisciplinary discovery and development teams, including protein or cell engineering, computational biology, translational research, nonclinical sciences, CMC, clinical biomarker, clinical development, and external partners.
• Demonstrated ability to lead complex, matrixed therapeutic research programs with internal and external dependencies, set scientific priorities, and drive data-based decisions across teams on accelerated timelines.
• Contributions to high-impact publications, patents, conference presentations, development candidates, or platform technologies in immunology, oncology, cell therapy, or related fields.
• Excellent written, presentation, and interpersonal communication skills, including the ability to influence and align multidisciplinary teams and interface with senior leadership.
• Scientific curiosity and creativity, independence in execution, and adaptability and persistence in developing novel immuno-oncology therapeutics.
• Desire to make an impact at a high-growth, transformational company.

Responsibilities

• Provide scientific and people leadership for 1–2 scientist-level research leads on emerging TCE and in vivo cell therapy programs, setting priorities, experimental strategies, and decision points.
• Lead programs from conceptualization and target assessment through mechanism-of-action studies, lead optimization, candidate selection, and preclinical development readiness.
• Develop and evaluate therapeutic hypotheses, target-product concepts, and program strategies using tumor and immune cell biology, translational evidence, modality attributes and liabilities, and patient-selection considerations.
• Guide the design and interpretation of in vitro and in vivo studies assessing potency, selectivity, mechanism of action, resistance, durability, and safety-related biology.
• Partner with antibody engineering to optimize therapeutic design, including architecture, binding properties, valency, avidity, and activation thresholds.
• Anticipate efficacy and safety risks and guide studies of on-target/off-tumor activity, cytokine biology, immune cell dysfunction or exhaustion, and other modality-related liabilities.
• Establish stage-appropriate research plans, success criteria, and data packages to advance programs into formal preclinical and development activities.
• Lead cross-functional research teams and program reviews, ensuring key scientific questions are addressed and findings inform clear program decisions and next steps.
• Identify and evaluate new immuno-oncology targets, combination strategies, and therapeutic concepts to expand the portfolio and address limitations of existing approaches.
• Collaborate across computational biology, protein engineering, cell engineering, mRNA and delivery sciences, nonclinical safety, translational medicine, CMC, clinical development, and external partners.

Benefits

• Competitive healthcare and voluntary benefit programs.
• Fitness, mindfulness, and mental health support.
• Family-planning benefits, including fertility, adoption, and surrogacy support.
• Generous paid time off, including vacation, volunteer days, sabbatical, global recharge days, and a discretionary year-end shutdown.
• Savings and investment programs.
• Location-specific perks and extras.
• Potential eligibility for an annual discretionary bonus, other incentive compensation, or an equity award, subject to plan eligibility criteria and individual performance.

What This Job Offers

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