Associate Director, LNP Manufacturing

Flagship Pioneering•Cambridge, MA

1d•$154,000 - $203,500•Onsite

About The Position

Serif Biomedicines is seeking an Associate Director to lead a team of scientists and engineers in developing and scaling lipid nanoparticle (LNP) manufacturing for gene therapy and programmable medicines. The role focuses on scaling LNP formulations from small research and development batches to non-human primate (NHP) scale in support of a development candidate, advancing upstream and downstream processes, and integrating analytical methods into process development. The Associate Director will collaborate across functions to support in vivo studies and platform advancement in a dynamic, fast-paced entrepreneurial environment. The successful candidate will bring scientific leadership, strong LNP manufacturing and scale-up expertise, attention to detail, intellectual curiosity, and a commitment to mentoring a diverse team. The position is based in person in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The salary range is $154,000–$203,500, with compensation dependent on qualifications, skills, competencies, and experience. Serif Biomedicines offers healthcare coverage, an annual incentive program, retirement benefits, and other benefits.

Requirements

Ph.D. in chemistry, chemical engineering, biochemistry, or biomedical engineering, plus relevant industry experience.
Hands-on experience scaling nucleic acid LNP formulations across upstream, downstream, and analytics.
Working knowledge of mixing platforms (T-mix, impingement, and microfluidics) and TFF.
Familiarity with LNP analytical methods, including DLS, HPLC/CAD, LC-MS, and encapsulation assays.
Solid understanding of lipid and LNP design principles, stability, and their impact on critical product attributes.
General understanding of molecular biology and nucleic acid therapeutics.
Experience managing and mentoring research associates and junior scientists.
Strong communication skills and comfort working in and contributing to a dynamic, cross-functional team environment.

Nice To Haves

Experience scaling in a GMP environment and managing CDMOs.
Experience taking LNPs to the clinic, including agency interactions.
Experience with tLNP conjugation at scale.
Lipid synthesis, purification, and compositional analysis.
Entrepreneurial spirit and a drive to innovate.

Responsibilities

Lead LNP scale-up from small R&D formulations to NHP scale in support of a development candidate.
Drive upstream and downstream process development, including mixing platforms such as T-mix and impingement, tangential flow filtration (TFF), and freeze/storage buffer optimization.
Scale targeted LNPs (tLNPs), including conjugation, purification, and associated analytics.
Run micro- to mid-scale formulation on microfluidics platforms, such as NanoAssemblr, to support platform advancement with cross-functional partners.
Integrate QC profiling and method development—including DLS, HPLC/CAD, LC-MS, and encapsulation distribution assays—into process development.
Lead and mentor a team of scientists and engineers, and partner across departments to deliver for in vivo studies.