Director of Translational Oncology

Sonder Research X•North Brunswick, NJ

1d•Onsite

About The Position

Sonder Research X is an early-stage biotechnology company developing cancer diagnostics that integrate pathology, advanced imaging, artificial intelligence, and complementary biological data. The Director of Translational Oncology will lead oncology research and translational science programs, including a focused wet-lab team, tumor biology investigations, retrospective biomarker validation, and biomarker study design. The role also serves as the Lead Scientific and Biomarker Advisor to clinical development teams and external Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs), connecting preclinical mechanistic insights with prospective clinical trial strategy. Based onsite in North Brunswick, New Jersey, the Director works hands-on with Ph.D. scientists and oversees laboratory research operations, human biospecimen studies, biomarker validation, clinical trial scientific guidance, academic collaborations, and scientific publications. The position leads manuscript development and publication activities, including journal submissions and peer-review responses, and contributes to conference abstracts, posters, and presentations.

Requirements

PhD in Cancer Biology, Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, Immunology, Biochemistry, or a closely related discipline.
At least 8 years of relevant research experience in cancer biology or a related field.
Experience independently leading an oncology research laboratory or research program in academia or industry.
Strong background in solid tumor biology, experimental design, and translational cancer research.
Hands-on experience with tissue processing, histology, immunohistochemistry/immunofluorescence (IHC/IF), and microscopy.
Experience with 3D cell culture systems, organoids, or patient-derived tissue models.
Experience designing and interpreting retrospective biomarker studies, including clinical sample analysis and biomarker validation.
Established record of peer-reviewed publications, including senior authorship and manuscript leadership.
Experience collaborating with academic researchers, clinical investigators, or external scientific partners.

Nice To Haves

Experience in wet-lab biological validation and clinical scientific advisory.
Familiarity with whole-slide imaging, quantitative digital pathology, spatial transcriptomics, mass spectrometry, or automated research platforms.
Familiarity with patent disclosures, IP strategy, and nonclinical pharmacology sections of regulatory filings.

Responsibilities

Lead, direct, and work hands-on alongside a wet-lab team of Ph.D. scientists.
Drive basic studies to elucidate tumor biomarkers.
Design, optimize, and supervise workflows for 3D cell culture systems, patient-derived organoids, tissue explants, patient biospecimen processing, multiplex IHC/IF, confocal imaging, and digital spatial profiling.
Lead retrospective clinical biomarker studies on archival patient cohorts to establish clinical validity.
Maintain laboratory compliance, material transfer agreements, and applicable research-exempt or non-interventional laboratory IRB protocols for human biospecimen studies.
Maintain and review standard operating procedures, ensure BSL-2 biosafety compliance, and uphold electronic lab notebook data integrity aligned with good laboratory practices.
Advise clinical development teams on ongoing and prospective oncology trials, including protocol biology, mechanism of action, and biologically driven patient stratification.
Guide biomarker sampling strategies for prospective clinical studies evaluating treatment response and disease progression kinetics, and interpret clinical trial correlative readouts from a biological perspective.
Partner with clinical teams to draft translational biomarker sections for regulatory filings and trial protocols.
Serve as a scientific liaison to oncology KOLs, academic investigators, and clinical collaborators.
Manage scientific collaborations, sponsored research agreements, and biospecimen partnerships, and support Scientific Advisory Board activities.
Lead and coordinate end-to-end scientific writing and publication for basic and translational research studies.
Collaborate with internal scientists, clinical investigators, and external KOLs to structure, draft, edit, and finalize manuscripts as a co-author, contributing author, or senior author, as appropriate.
Manage journal submissions, peer-review responses, and revisions across biomarker studies, retrospective clinical cohorts, and basic tumor biology research.
Co-author conference abstracts, posters, and presentations for major oncology congresses.