Senior Principal Scientist – Vector Development

Weill Cornell Medical College•New York, NY

22d•$101,000 - $126,400•Onsite

About The Position

Cornell is seeking a Senior Principal Scientist with deep expertise in viral and non-viral vector and genetic construct design to advance gene delivery strategies in a collaborative, clinical translation research environment. The role leads design of lentiviral vectors, transposon-based architectures, and mRNA-based delivery systems for functional genomics, cell engineering, and therapeutic development. The ideal candidate combines rigorous academic training with a practical engineering mindset and can translate biological objectives into high-performance genetic constructs.

Requirements

PhD in Molecular Biology, Virology, Genetic Engineering, Synthetic Biology, or a related field.
10 or more years of relevant postdoctoral and/or industry experience in gene delivery systems or advanced molecular cloning.
Proven track record of designing and implementing complex genetic constructs.
Deep knowledge of lentiviral vector biology and design, including multi-plasmid systems and safety features.
Expertise in plasmid architecture, including promoters such as EF1α, CMV, and CAG; enhancers; insulators; and post-transcriptional regulatory elements.
Experience designing mRNA constructs for transient expression and delivery optimization.
Strong understanding of transposon systems and stable integration strategies.
Proficiency with DNA design software and sequence analysis tools such as SnapGene, Benchling, or Geneious.
Familiarity with gene expression tuning, including codon optimization, RNA stability, and translational efficiency.
Ability to interpret NGS and Sanger sequencing data for construct validation.
Engineering-driven approach to biological problem solving.
High attention to detail in sequence-level design.
Ability to balance innovation with practical constraints.
Strong communication skills across scientific disciplines.
Self-directed approach and bias toward execution in a fast-moving environment.

Nice To Haves

Experience with CRISPR/Cas systems, including multiplexed guide RNA architectures and delivery strategies.
Background in cell therapy, gene therapy, or genome engineering applications.
Familiarity with non-viral delivery systems, such as LNPs for mRNA.
Exposure to scale-up considerations and translational or regulatory frameworks.
Experience working in highly collaborative, interdisciplinary environments.

Responsibilities

Lead innovation in designing, constructing, and optimizing complex plasmid systems for lentiviral vectors, including transfer, packaging, envelope components, and multi-gene cargos.
Engineer novel self-inactivating lentiviral backbones and resolve design tradeoffs involving LTRs, the psi packaging signal, RRE, cPPT/CTS, and WPRE.
Design and implement complex transposon-based systems, including donor vector architecture, multi-cargo optimization, nuclear localization, genomic integration, and transposase delivery strategies.
Develop novel site-specific CRISPR/transposon integration designs.
Architect complex expression systems and strategies for constitutive, inducible, cell-type-specific, and multiplexed gene expression for ex vivo and in vivo T cell engineering, including CRISPR/Cas9 delivery of multi-gene payloads.
Define platform constraints, including payload size, recombination risk, silencing, and integration profiles, and recommend fit-for-purpose delivery approaches.
Lead development and optimization of mRNA delivery constructs, including UTRs, codon usage, modified nucleotides, cap structures, and poly(A) tail configurations, to maximize stability and translation.
Provide cross-functional technical leadership across vector production, cell engineering, and functional validation teams to guide construct-design decisions and iteration.
Mentor and provide technical guidance to Scientists, Research Associates, and other laboratory personnel.
Integrate sequencing, expression, and functional data to diagnose packaging, delivery, or expression failures and direct corrective strategies.
Establish and oversee standards for design documentation, sequence maps, construct libraries, and design traceability.
Assess emerging delivery modalities and synthetic biology approaches, shape strategic direction, and recommend platform adoption or investment.