Associate Director, Upstream Viral Vector

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Adicet Bio, Inc. is a clinical stage biotechnology company discovering and developing allogeneic gamma delta T cell therapies for cancer. Adicet is advancing a pipeline of “off-the-shelf” gamma delta T cells, engineered with chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) and adaptors (CAds), to enhance selective tumor targeting and facilitate innate and adaptive anti-tumor immune response for durable activity in patients.  For more information, please visit our website at https://www.adicetbio.com.

Adicet Bio is developing a next generation manufacturing process to advance our platform of “off-the-shelf” immune cell products. We are currently seeking an individual for our Viral Vector group as we advance our production platforms. The position offers a chance to be part of a highly motivated team, applying the latest cell culture and bioprocessing practices to facilitate development of our proprietary cell therapies.

We are currently seeking an energetic and experienced Associate Director with a strong background in viral vector production to oversee process development, scale-up, and technology transfer for Adicet’s vector programs. The successful candidate will contribute to the advancement of Adicet’s production platform by developing, characterizing, and optimizing viral vector production procedures intended to support both research and manufacturing pipelines. The job title may be commensurate with experience and educational level.

The individual will serve as a program lead reporting to the Director of Viral Vector Development and will work in collaboration with the Downstream and Analytical Development leads, as well as other cross-functional teams, to develop a best-in-class vector manufacturing process. The successful candidate will guide development programs for vector generation, media/cell culture optimization for viral vector production platforms, and other aspects of viral vector production. This person will also work with other Technical Operations teams and external groups in order to align on goals, meet project timelines, and deliver a consistent and robust viral vector product.

• Independently lead, design, and help execute the upstream process development, and characterization of viral vectors in suspension culture platforms.
• Facilitate collaboration with Viral Vector Upstream and Downstream scientific staffs.
• Design and oversee optimization of critical parameters for retroviral vector production including development of cell culture condition and facilitate scale-up for manufacturing.
• Successfully execute and document laboratory procedures and experiments with great attention to detail.
• Serve as an SME for upstream viral vector applications, and data interpretation when communicating with external groups and providing technical support to internal/external manufacturing groups.
• Drafting and editing of standard operating procedures, sampling plans, technical documents, and batch records as a contributor to regulatory filings or for tech transfer purposes.
• Source and assess new equipment and technologies to expand and improve upstream culturing and viral vector production capabilities.
• Identify risks in vector production and develop mitigation plans in the upstream process to enable quick and robust decision making through efficient collaboration.
• Provide leadership and mentor junior and senior scientific staff.
• Contribute to budget and goal planning of the Upstream Viral Vector group in alignment with the Corporate goals.

• Advanced degree with a background in biology, biomedical engineering, biochemistry, cell & molecular biology, or related life science field is required. Doctoral degree or master’s degree with 5+ years or 8+ years post-graduate experience, respectively. Candidates with previous experience in cell or gene therapy will be given preference.
• Considerable direct experience with viral vector production applications is required.
• Experience in working in a BSL-2 environment is required.
• Previous experience with suspension cultures using stirred-tank bioreactor systems (e.g. single-use bioreactors) to manufacture viral vectors (AAV and/or Lentiviral vector and/or Retroviral vector is required.
• Demonstrated competency and experience with viral vector upstream production, aseptic processing, process development, process qualification/validation and technology transfer for GMP production.
• Qualified candidates should be detail oriented with an ability to multi-task and meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong planning, capacity for managing multiple projects and excellent time management.
• Ability to think critically and demonstrate troubleshooting and problem-solving skills.
• Previous experience managing and mentoring junior scientific staff.
• Must have excellent verbal, written communication and meeting management skills.
• Must be proficient with MS Office and other commonly used software and technology programs.

• Candidates having prior experience with upstream process optimization and/or media development will be given strongest preference.
• Familiarity with current principles and technical platforms for monitoring cell growth profile and metabolic profile, etc., is expected.
• Familiarity with factorial experimental design and DOE software (JMP, Design-Expert, etc.) is desired.

We offer a competitive compensation package including base salary, annual cash bonus, long-term incentives (equity), Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP) and a 401(k) with ROTH and a 4.5% Company match.

To ensure the wellness of our employees and their loved ones, we offer comprehensive health plans (medical, dental, vision, etc.), Flexible Health and Commuter Spending Accounts (FSA) and a company matched Health Savings Account (HSA). We also offer a life, AD&D, short and long-term disability insurance, and legal, pet, and various other voluntary insurance programs.

We also believe our greatest ideas come when we are refreshed and focused, and we offer generous paid time-off including 12 company holidays with end-of-year shutdown, vacation, sick time, and paid parental leave.

At Adicet, our people are our greatest focus. We believe that attracting and retaining the best and brightest is the key to achieving our mission to deliver best-in-class gamma delta T cell therapies for patients fighting cancer.

Adicet is located in a state-of-the-art facility and works to create an incredible office experience with an onsite gym and various other fitness options, abundant, zero-cost, onsite parking with electric vehicle charging stations and free shuttle (Caltrain), company subsidized lunches (delivered onsite daily) and fully stocked breakrooms.

In compliance with California’s pay transparency law and in pursuit of pay equity and fairness, we publish salary ranges for all open positions. The salary of the finalist selected for this role will be set based on a variety of factors, including but not limited to, their qualifications (education, experience, specialty, and training), and peer and market data. This listed salary range represents the Company’s good faith and reasonable estimate of the range of possible compensation at the time of posting.