Senior Scientist / Engineer: Immunology, Nucleic Acid Therapeutics, Synthetic Biology, & Cell Engineering
About The Position
Intertwine Associates is seeking a Senior Scientist / Engineer to support advanced research and development initiatives within the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H). This role supports an ARPA-H Program Manager leading ambitious, high-risk, high-reward programs focused on accelerating transformative health outcomes through cutting-edge biotechnology, therapeutic innovation, and bioengineered solutions to complex health challenges. In this role, you will collaborate closely with the Program Manager and broader government, technical, and performer teams to support the development, funding, execution, and management of new and existing R&D programs. The position is focused on novel therapeutic modalities and bioengineered approaches, including nucleic acid-based prophylactics and therapeutics, synthetic biology, cell engineering, immunology, host biology, polymers, minerals, and related areas. Current and planned efforts include in vivo cell engineering; protein editing; tunable therapies that sense and respond to cellular stimuli; trans-omic sequencing platform development to enable total molecular analysis of individual cells for research, diagnostics, and therapeutic design; and detection and removal of toxic substances from the body. This role is well suited for scientists and engineers who thrive in dynamic environments and enjoy translating deep technical insight into program-level impact.
Requirements
- PhD in immunology, nucleic acid therapeutics, synthetic biology, analytical chemistry, materials science, applied biotechnology, or a closely related field
- Experience in one or more of the following areas: immunology, nucleic acid-based prophylactics and therapeutics, nucleic acid delivery, synthetic biology, cell engineering, gene regulation, biochemistry, analytical chemistry, polymer chemistry, materials science, toxicology, cell biology, structural biology, biomaterials, nanotechnology, microbiome science, or microbial communities
- Strong technical writing skills, with the ability to communicate complex scientific ideas clearly to broad audiences
- Demonstrated ability to digest basic and applied research across biotechnology domains and translate scientific insights into health capability gaps, program risks, and actionable recommendations
- Strong logical, analytical, and critical thinking skills, including the ability to evaluate complex scientific and technical data
- Professional curiosity, continuous drive for learning, and willingness to explore emerging biotechnology literature
- Ability to synthesize large volumes of complex information into actionable, decision-ready insights
- High level of comfort operating in fast-paced, high-pressure R&D environments
- Strong PowerPoint and Excel skills, including the ability to create slides, analyses, and supporting materials quickly during meetings or time-sensitive discussions
- Ability to work independently and collaboratively as part of an integrated technical and programmatic team
- Ability to obtain and maintain a federal government Public Trust
Nice To Haves
- Experience with animal studies, clinical studies, diagnostic development, therapeutic development, regulatory requirements, and test and evaluation
- Previous experience with basic and applied research in biotechnology, therapeutics, diagnostics, or related health fields
- Experience coordinating independent verification and validation activities
- Experience supporting programs involving cooperative agreements, Other Transaction awards, milestone-based contracts, FFRDCs, interagency efforts, or commercialization pathways
- Prior support to executives or senior leaders managing large-budget R&D programs
- Expertise anticipating and mitigating ethical, legal, and societal implications of high-profile research efforts
- Experience bridging scientific discovery, product development, and program execution
- Prior experience working with government agencies or federally funded R&D programs
Responsibilities
- Serve as a senior scientific and technical advisor to the Program Manager, supporting the development and execution of new and existing ARPA-H R&D programs
- Conduct rigorous evaluations of the current scientific and technical landscape to identify research gaps, portfolio opportunities, and critical needs aligned with the ARPA-H mission
- Support programs and projects related to immunology, nucleic acid therapeutics, synthetic biology, cell engineering, gene regulation, biomaterials, microbiome science, toxicology, and related biotechnology areas
- Monitor and assess performer progress against defined technical milestones, deliverables, and quantitative performance metrics
- Critically review complex scientific, technical, and programmatic data using strong logical and analytical reasoning
- Read, synthesize, and distill large volumes of complex information into concise, executive-ready briefings for technical and non-technical audiences
- Support program execution through documentation, internal reporting, briefing development, data collection, and coordination across multidisciplinary teams
- Assist with technical reviews, landscape assessments, performer evaluations, and programmatic analysis in health-related research areas
- Integrate into an existing ARPA-H support team while also operating independently in support of complex technical R&D efforts
- Support coordination across cooperative agreements, Other Transaction awards, milestone-based contracts, FFRDCs, interagency efforts, and commercialization activities
Benefits
- The pay range for this role is: 90,000 - 220,000 USD per year
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Senior
Education Level
Ph.D. or professional degree
