Senior Director, Translational Research

Verastem•Needham, MA

About The Position

At Verastem Oncology, we address urgent needs of patients living with cancers driven by RAS/MAPK pathway mutations, a key driver of tumor growth and treatment resistance. FDA approval of AVMAPKI FAKZYNJA CO-PACK delivered the first therapy for women living with recurrent KRAS-mutated low-grade serous ovarian cancer, a rare cancer with significant unmet need. We’ve launched this novel/novel combination therapy in the U.S. and are exploring pathways for Europe and Japan. We continue to advance our pipeline of drugs to help block cancer cell survival, inhibit tumor growth, and overcome treatment resistance. This is an exciting opportunity to shape the future of cancer care and make a meaningful impact in the lives of patients. We are seeking a highly motivated and technically skilled Senior Director of Translational Research with experience in oncology, translational research, and biological data analysis to join our Translational Medicine team. This individual will lead to the development and execution of biomarker and pharmacodynamic strategies supporting Verastem’s clinical programs. The Translational Research Scientist will lead clinical biomarker activities across the lifecycle of clinical studies, including biospecimen management, vendor oversight, biomarker data analysis and interpretation, and scientific reporting. The role will also contribute to preclinical translational studies designed to inform indication selection, pharmacodynamic biomarkers, patient-selection strategies, and rational therapeutic combinations. The successful candidate will be a detail-oriented and collaborative scientist with strong analytical, organizational, and communication skills who can work effectively across Discovery, Translational Medicine, Clinical Development, Bioinformatics, Clinical Operations, Biostatistics, and external research partners.

Requirements

Ph.D. in cancer biology, molecular biology, cell biology, pharmacology, biochemistry, immunology, or a related discipline, with at least 12 years of relevant industry research experience in oncology; or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
Strong understanding of cancer biology, oncogenic signaling pathways, tumor dependencies, and mechanisms of therapeutic response and resistance.
Experience with biomarker research, pharmacodynamic analyses, and/or translational research supporting oncology drug development is highly desirable.
Familiarity with clinical biospecimen workflows and external biomarker vendors is preferred.
Demonstrated ability to design, execute, analyze, and interpret hypothesis-driven translational research.
Experience analyzing and interpreting complex biological datasets and translating results into actionable hypotheses.
Excellent written, verbal, and scientific communication skills, including the ability to communicate complex findings clearly to multidisciplinary audiences.
Demonstrated ability to collaborate effectively as part of cross-functional teams and with external partners.
Strong organizational and project-management skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities and timelines.
Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, highly collaborative biotechnology environment.

Responsibilities

Lead the development and execution of biomarker and pharmacodynamic strategies for Verastem clinical studies.
Collaborate with preclinical research colleagues to design and execute translational studies using in vitro and in vivo models to inform indication selection, pharmacodynamic biomarkers, patient-selection strategies, and rational drug combinations.
Analyze, interpret, and present clinical and translational biomarker data to identify biological insights and support clinical development decisions.
Integrate biomarker findings with clinical, molecular, and preclinical data to generate and evaluate translational hypotheses.
Oversee external vendors responsible for biospecimen storage, biomarker assays, bioinformatics analyses, and associated databases.
Review scientific literature, emerging datasets, and the competitive landscape, and participate in relevant scientific conferences to remain current with advances in oncology, biomarkers, and translational research.
Contribute to regulatory submissions, study reports, manuscripts, abstracts, posters, and scientific presentations.
Communicate findings and coordinate activities across cross-functional teams, including Translational Medicine, Clinical Science, Clinical Operations, Preclinical Research, Bioinformatics, Biostatistics, and Legal.