Associate Director, Immunology

Deerfield Management Companies•New York, NY

3d•$160,000 - $190,000•Onsite

About The Position

About Us: Anvia Therapeutics is a dynamic and innovative biotech company dedicated to developing small molecule inhibitors targeted at treating inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. We foster a collaborative environment where scientific excellence and creativity drive our mission to develop impactful medicines. Role: We are seeking an experienced immunologist to lead and build internal immunology research capabilities supporting discovery and preclinical development in inflammation, autoimmunity, and immune-mediated disease. This is a laboratory-based leadership role requiring a strong on-site presence to oversee day-to-day scientific execution, mentor scientists, and help build a rigorous and collaborative research environment. The role will be responsible for establishing and managing internal immunology workflows, developing mechanistically informative assay systems, and driving generation of high-quality data to advance therapeutic programs. The ideal candidate will bring deep expertise in immune cell biology, cytokine and receptor signaling, cellular pharmacology, and disease-relevant model systems, with a strong track record of leading laboratory teams in biotech or pharmaceutical research

Requirements

PhD in Immunology, Cell Biology, Pharmacology, or a related discipline, with at least 6 years of drug discovery experience in inflammation and autoimmunity.
Strong scientific background in inflammation, autoimmunity, cytokine biology, receptor pharmacology, and immune cell signaling.
Extensive experience developing and troubleshooting cellular and molecular assays for small molecule and/or biologic discovery programs.
Expertise in primary human cell assays, whole blood or PBMC-based systems, and immune cell functional readouts.
Strong hands-on and scientific expertise in flow cytometry, immune phenotyping, cytokine analysis, and mechanistic assay development.
Solid understanding of translational immunology, including target engagement, pharmacodynamic biomarkers, and PK/PD relationships.
Proven ability to lead laboratory teams, manage scientific priorities, and deliver clear, high-quality experimental data.
Strong communication, scientific reasoning, and problem-solving skills.

Nice To Haves

Experience in TNF superfamily biology or cytokine receptor signaling.
Experience working in a startup or fast-paced research environment with significant hands-on involvement in lab build-out and assay establishment.
Familiarity with translational biomarker development and integration of in vitro and ex vivo immunology data.

Responsibilities

Lead the design, development, optimization, and execution of in vitro and ex vivo immunology assays to characterize mechanism of action, potency, target engagement, and functional activity of candidate molecules.
Build and manage internal immunology laboratory capabilities, including assay workflows, experimental standards, data quality practices, and day-to-day scientific execution.
Maintain a strong on-site presence in the laboratory to support experimental planning, troubleshoot assays, review data, and provide direct scientific mentorship to team members.
Develop disease-relevant cellular assay systems using primary human immune cells, PBMCs, whole blood, co-culture systems, and non-immune stromal or epithelial cell models where relevant.
Establish and apply functional assays to evaluate cytokine biology, receptor signaling, immune cell activation, differentiation, proliferation, cytotoxicity, apoptosis, and inflammatory mediator production.
Lead immune profiling and mechanistic studies using flow cytometry, multiplex cytokine analysis, ELISA, qPCR, western blotting, and other cell and molecular biology approaches.
Design and interpret studies to define pharmacology in relevant immune and tissue contexts, including pathway modulation, dose response and biomarker changes.
Generate mechanistic and translational data packages that support lead optimization, candidate nomination, and preclinical development.
Work closely with chemistry, DMPK, and translational teams to connect molecular properties with cellular activity, pathway modulation, and biomarker readouts.
Recruit, mentor, and manage scientists and research associates, and foster a rigorous, collaborative, and technically strong laboratory environment.