Senior Director Clinical Biomarkers, BioPharma Business Development

Natera • San Francisco, CA

6d • Remote

About The Position

The Senior Director Clinical Biomarkers, BioPharma Business Development will provide strategic, scientific, and organizational leadership across a broad oncology diagnostics portfolio. This executive will be responsible for defining and advancing biomarker and translational medicine strategies across early- and late-stage BioPharma collaborations in support of Natera’s strategic goals eg TOMR and surrogacy in collaboration with Natera’s lifecycle and clinical development teams. The ideal candidate will bring deep expertise in oncology drug development, biomarker strategy, and translational research, with experience spanning Phase 1–3 studies and multiple therapeutic modalities, including immunotherapy, targeted therapy, and antibody-drug conjugates.

Requirements

• Advanced degree in a relevant scientific discipline; PhD, MD, DVM, or equivalent strongly preferred.
• 15+ years of relevant experience in translational medicine, clinical biomarker development, oncology drug development, or related fields.
• Significant experience in biomarker-driven clinical development and medical affairs across early- and late-stage oncology programs.
• Demonstrated success in building external scientific relationships and representing organizations in high-profile external settings.
• Strong record of scientific leadership, cross-functional collaboration, and strategic execution.

Responsibilities

• Lead translational medicine and clinical biomarker strategy across oncology programs within and beyond the BioPharma BD portfolio.
• Define and oversee biomarker plans supporting late-stage development in solid tumors within the BioPharma space (Pharma Lab Services, BD partnerships) including assay strategy, translational endpoints, data generation, data interpretation, publication planning, and regulatory filing support.
• Partner closely with clinical development, bioinformatics, medical affairs, regulatory, diagnostics, and commercial teams to ensure assay development portfolio and biomarker strategies are aligned with overall BioPharma BD needs.
• Work with external partners on their Natera-supported translational research efforts to help them leverage Natera capabilities to optimize the value of their projects: these may include identifying novel targets, characterizing resistance mechanisms, developing novel predictive biomarkers and next-generation clinical tools, including blood-based biomarkers, digital pathology, radiomics, and AI/ML-enabled approaches.
• Support development and lifecycle strategies that enable successful product differentiation, launch readiness, reimbursement, and broader clinical adoption.
• Contribute to study design and evidence-generation plans that support our BioPharma efforts across BD, Pharma Lab Services, and internal R&D.
• Work with the RWD, AI, and bioinformatics teams to develop use cases for existing data and build out new concepts for new data types as they are created.
• Apply translational insights to inform patient selection, development decisions, and clinical differentiation strategies for our customers.
• Establish and lead strategic collaborations with BioPharma partners, academic institutions, cooperative groups, scientific consortia, and key opinion leaders.
• Represent the company in external scientific and clinical initiatives that shape the future of biomarker-enabled oncology development.
• Build productive external partnerships that accelerate innovation, evidence generation, and adoption of novel translational approaches.
• Serve as a visible scientific leader through publications, invited presentations, advisory participation, and broader thought leadership in oncology and precision medicine.
• Maintain strong credibility in the external scientific community, with the ability to engage effectively with academic leaders, consortia, and industry partners.
• Contribute to the company’s scientific reputation through high-impact external presence and publication strategy.

Benefits

• Annual performance incentive bonus
• Long-term equity awards
• Comprehensive health benefits (medical, dental, vision)
• 401(k) with company match
• Generous paid time off and company holidays
• Additional wellness and work-life benefits
• Comprehensive medical, dental, vision, life and disability plans for eligible employees and their dependents.
• Free testing for employees and their immediate families
• Fertility care benefits
• Pregnancy and baby bonding leave
• 401k benefits
• Commuter benefits

What This Job Offers

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