Sr. Director/AVP Technical Development

Vector Laboratories, Inc.; Wilton; On-site; GBP 150,000 - 230,000; Full time

Job summary

Vector Laboratories is seeking a Senior Director/AVP, Technical Development to own the ADC capability build at the Wilton, UK site. This role leads conjugation chemistry, analytics, and cytotoxic payload facilities in a hands-on, leadership capacity.

The position requires a PhD and 8–10+ years in conjugation/CMC leadership, with cross-functional and cross-border collaboration. Based at Wilton, you will help drive platform commercialization and represent Vector externally at clients and industry

Qualifications

• PhD in chemistry, biochemistry, or a related discipline.
• 8–10+ years of post-PhD experience, including senior technical leadership.
• Experience owning a conjugation or bioconjugation platform build and ADC CMC.
• Experience with cytotoxic payload facility operations and SOP ownership.

Responsibilities

• Own the ADC capability build, including the linker portfolio, site-specific conjugation chemistry, and supporting HIC, CEX, and LC-MS analytics.
• Direct DAR (drug-to-antibody ratio) determination and peptide mapping workstreams in support of ADC characterization.
• Build and operate cytotoxic payload facilities, including authorship and ownership of SOPs and QC release specifications.
• Manage the cellular pharmacology technical partnerships.
• Lead Phase 4 commercialization of the ADC platform across Vector's four client tiers.
• Partner with the Chief Scientific Officer on the broader Technical Development strategy and roadmap.
• Represent Vector's ADC capability externally with clients, partners, and at industry conferences.

Skills

ADC Conjugation Leadership

Cross-functional Leadership

Cross-border Collaboration

Platform Build Experience

Antibody Engineering

Education

PhD in Chemistry, Biochemistry, or related

Tools

LC-MS

HIC

CEX

SOP Development

QC Release

Job description

Vector Laboratories is seeking a talented and highly motivated individual to join our growing team. As an organization known for its culture of service, reliable products, and unmatched technical expertise, our employees are passionate about the impact and quality of their work. The opportunities we provide to work collaboratively and build trusting relationships in a team-oriented environment make Vector Laboratories an ideal place to learn, flourish, and contribute to scientific advancement. We genuinely value diverse perspectives and ideas and strive to demonstrate how this approach results in success. With 50 years of history, Vector Laboratories boasts an unparalleled reputation in protein labeling, detection, and conjugation. Our recent mergers and acquisitions have significantly expanded our portfolio, serving the biopharma industry, academia, life science tools, and diagnostics, providing comprehensive solutions to the life science industry. We are looking to take Vector Laboratories to new heights and hope you'll consider joining our globally impactful team!

About the Role

The Senior Director/AVP, Technical Development owns the entire Antibody-Drug Conjugate (ADC) capability build at Vector Laboratories, leading a platform investment spanning conjugation chemistry, analytics, and cytotoxic payload facilities at the Wilton, UK site. This is a hands-on technical role for a conjugation chemistry or ADC CMC expert ready to own the science behind the platform. This position reports to the Chief Scientific Officer.

Responsibilities

• Own the ADC capability build, including the linker portfolio, site-specific conjugation chemistry, and supporting HIC, CEX, and LC-MS analytics.
• Direct DAR (drug-to-antibody ratio) determination and peptide mapping workstreams in support of ADC characterization.
• Build and operate cytotoxic payload facilities, including authorship and ownership of SOPs and QC release specifications.
• Manage the cellular pharmacology technical partnerships.
• Lead Phase 4 commercialization of the ADC platform across Vector's four client tiers.
• Partner with the Chief Scientific Officer on the broader Technical Development strategy and roadmap.
• Represent Vector's ADC capability externally with clients, partners, and at industry conferences.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• PhD in chemistry, biochemistry, or a related discipline.
• 8-10+ years of relevant post-PhD experience, including several years in a senior technical leadership capacity.
• Current Senior Director, Associate Vice President, or equivalent in a conjugation chemistry, bioconjugation, or ADC CMC function.
• Demonstrated ownership of a conjugation or bioconjugation platform build, ideally within a services or CDMO-adjacent business.
• Experience with cytotoxic payload facility operations, including SOP authorship and QC release specification ownership.
• Experience managing cross-functional or cross-disciplinary teams, including functions outside one's own technical background.
• Willingness to be based at or regularly present at the Wilton, UK site.

Required Skills

• ADC & Bioconjugation Leadership: Deep, personally owned expertise in conjugation chemistry, linker design, and ADC CMC; able to build and scale a platform from the ground up.
• Platform Build & Execution: Proven ability to build and scale a technical platform from the ground up, including facility setup, SOP development, and QC processes.
• Antibody Engineering Fluency: Working knowledge of antibody engineering sufficient to partner effectively with the computational design function.
• Cross-Functional & Cross-Border Collaboration: Comfort partnering across UK and EU teams, including line management of a geographically distinct direct report.

Preferred Skills

• Experience in leading technical teams in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills.

Pay range and compensation package

Competitive salary based on experience and qualifications.

Equal Opportunity Statement

Vector Laboratories is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.