Director Vector Engineering

AstraZeneca • Cambridge, MA

1d • Hybrid

About The Position

Are you ready to dive into the world of transformative therapies and make a significant impact? At EsoBiotec, now part of AstraZeneca, we are setting new benchmarks for biotechnological research. Our collaboration combines AstraZeneca’s global influence and scientific innovation with EsoBiotec’ s unique culture of creativity and breakthroughs in cell-based therapies and immunology. Here, your scientific passion will drive real-world impact as you contribute to life-changing treatments. We are looking for an inspiring Director of Vector Engineering to drive innovation and development of our pioneering lentiviral vector therapeutic platform. In this role you will set the platform strategy across multiple programs and teams, own budgets and resource allocation, accountable for portfolio outcomes, and represent the function in governance and external venues. Join us in shaping the future of cell and gene therapy with your expertise in viral vector engineering, gene editing, CAR and TCR T cell engineering or myeloid immunobiology in cancer. When we put unexpected teams in the same room, we fuel bold thinking with the power to inspire life-changing medicines. In-person working gives us the platform we need to connect, work at pace and challenge perceptions. That’s why we work, on average, a minimum of three days per week from the office. But that doesn't mean we’re not flexible. We balance the expectation of being in the office while respecting individual flexibility. Join us in our unique and daring world.

Requirements

• PhD in molecular biology, virology, bioengineering, or related field (or equivalent experience), with postdoctoral or advanced industry training required.
• 12+ years of industry experience.
• Demonstrated track record designing, building, and optimizing viral vectors with expertise in LVV or complementary experience in AAV or other systems.
• Clear history of driving discovery decisions toward therapeutic product needs, linking design choices to clinical requirements and manufacturability.
• Proven collaboration with CMC and process development, including upstream/downstream production, release testing, and scalability considerations.
• Experience managing small to medium teams of discovery scientists and leading matrixed, cross-functional initiatives to timely outcomes.
• Evidence of innovation through publications, patents, or internal inventions and facility with FTO analyses and IP strategy.
• Fluency with statistical design and analysis, data visualization, and partnership with computational teams, including DoE and high-throughput screening.
• Product-focused, decisive, and rigorous mindset with comfort operating in ambiguity while maintaining quality, compliance, and speed.

Responsibilities

• Support and refine the discovery strategy for novel lentiviral vectors aligned to target product profiles, manufacturability, and clinical use cases.
• Lead hypothesis-driven vector engineering from concept to preclinical candidate selection, including envelope/pseudotype, regulatory element, payload design, and transduction specificity.
• Source and prioritize innovative concepts from literature, IP, conferences, and prior internal experiences, and establish rapid triage and proof-of-concept workflows.
• Build and scale in vitro and in vivo screening platforms and assays to characterize potency and safety, with robust data workflows.
• Translate indication or product requirements into vector design criteria by collaborating with biological engineering, CAR/TCR discovery nonclinical teams as well as safety and clinical teams to de-risk translation.
• Integrate developability and CMC considerations early by collaborating with process development and analytics to ensure scalability, yield, purity, and stability.
• Establish experimental rigor, statistical standards, and clear go/no-go criteria to drive high-quality decision-making and reproducibility.
• Identify, negotiate, and manage external collaborations, CROs and assess business development and licensing opportunities for vector technologies.
• Drive invention disclosures and freedom-to-operate assessments and contribute to patent drafting and defense for vector innovations.
• Recruit, mentor, and develop discovery scientists while building a culture of scientific excellence, product focus, urgency, and accountability.
• Manage budgets, resources, and timelines across programs and platforms, ensuring transparent portfolio reporting and prioritization.
• Ensure compliance with biosafety policies and ethical research standards.
• Represent the function in technical reviews, governance meetings, and external forums as needed, escalating risks and securing decisions.

Benefits

• Benefits offered included a qualified retirement program [401(k) plan]; paid vacation and holidays; paid leaves; and, health benefits including medical, prescription drug, dental, and vision coverage in accordance with the terms and conditions of the applicable plans.

What This Job Offers

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