Associate/ Director, Drug Substance Manufacturing

GondolaBio; Palo Alto (CA); On-site; USD 188,000 - 213,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Patient Days

Flexible PTO

Access to learning and development resources

Job summary

A clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company in California is seeking an Associate Director/Director for Drug Substance Manufacturing. This role involves overseeing drug substance development and managing CROs. Candidates should have a PhD in Organic Chemistry and at least 10 years of experience in process development. The company fosters a collaborative environment and offers a competitive compensation package. Join us in advancing therapies for genetic diseases.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of process development and manufacturing experience in the pharmaceutical industry.
• Experience in drafting relevant sections IND/IMPD and NDAs for regulatory filings.
• Ability to work in cross-functional teams.

Responsibilities

• Lead process development and supply chain of drug substances.
• Review and approve master batch records.
• Manage CMOs/CROs to deliver APIs on time.

Skills

Process development

cGMP practices

Strong knowledge of US FDA guidelines

Communication skills

Education

PhD in Organic Chemistry

Job description

Associate/ Director, Drug Substance Manufacturing

This range is provided by GondolaBio. Your actual pay will be based on your skills and experience — talk with your recruiter to learn more.

Base pay range

$188,000.00/yr - $213,000.00/yr

Company Background

GondolaBio is a clinical‑stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing next‑generation therapeutics for genetic diseases. Originally launched as BridgeBioX, a subsidiary of BridgeBio, GondolaBio secured $300M in private financing from external investors in 2024 and became an independent company within the BridgeBio ecosystem. The company aims to leverage cutting‑edge biological research to create breakthrough medicines addressing high unmet needs across multiple therapeutic areas, including neurology, pulmonology, cardiology, nephrology, and endocrinology. Located on the Stanford Life Sciences campus, GondolaBio fosters a unique hybrid environment where top scientists from around the world collaborate with senior leadership and advisors, blending industry expertise with academic innovation.

Who You Are

The Associate Director/Director Drug Substance Manufacturing will report directly to the Executive Director CMC and will oversee Drug Substance Development and Manufacturing working closely with outside labs. This individual will also be responsible for authoring relevant sections of regulatory submissions using appropriate scientific data and will be involved in overall document review. The individual will also be responsible for development of chemical processes for active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) as well as starting materials, process scale‑up, technology transfer and validation of chemical processes. Effective management of CROs and CMOs will be a crucial strategy and activity required to accomplish the functions mentioned.

Requirements and Responsibilities

• Lead process development and supply chain of small molecule and peptide drug substance activities for all phases of clinical development and commercialization.
• Review and approve master as well as executed batch records from all manufacturing activities and lead key process problem resolution activities and process improvement initiatives.
• Write and review relevant sections of IMPD/IND to support regulatory filings.
• Extract scientific data and provide appropriate document review to support regulatory filings and commercialization on time.
• Manage multiple CMOs/CROs to deliver API and intermediates of sufficient quality and quantity to meet regulatory requirements and corporate objectives.
• Ensure that CRO/CMO activities and other process development activities address drug substance needs for pharmaceutical formulation development, toxicology testing, clinical trials, and commercial launch. Ensure that all chemical processes are developed to deliver company targets of cost, quality, safety, environmental, and operability needs.
• Work closely with QA to develop and operate appropriate procedures (SOPs), specifications and ensure the product meets established quality standards.

Education, Experience & Skills Requirements

• PhD in Organic chemistry with 10+ years of process development, manufacturing and tech transfer experience in the pharmaceutical industry.
• In depth knowledge of cGMP practices, with extensive experience in developing scalable methodologies for small molecules.
• Strong knowledge of US FDA, EMEA and ICH guidelines is a must.
• Excellent scientific knowledge in organic chemistry [DS1]
• Experience in managing CROs and CDMOs.
• Experience in drafting relevant sections IND/IMPD and NDAs to support regulatory filings.
• Experience in drafting, reviewing and submitting required documentation pertaining to the cGMP and GLP environment.
• Effective verbal and written communication skills
• Ability and track record of successfully working in cross‑functional teams to progress projects as a representative Analytical function.
• Ability to navigate and be successful in a fast‑paced work environment.
• A desire to be part of a highly innovative company aimed at helping patients with serious diseases.
• All candidates are expected to have authorization to work in the United States
• This position may require limited collaboration with and supervision of contractors external to the company.
• Travel – up to 20% may be required

What We Offer

• Patient Days, where we are fortunate to hear directly from individuals living with the conditions we are seeking to impact throughout the year and learn how we can improve our efforts
• A culture inspired by our values: put patients first, think independently, be radically transparent, every minute counts, and let the science speak
• An unyielding commitment to always putting patients first.
• A de‑centralized model that enables our program teams to focus on advancing science and helping patients. Our affiliate structure is designed to eliminate bureaucracy and put decision‑making power in the hands of those closest to the science
• A place where you own the vision – both for your program and your own career path
• A collaborative, fast‑paced, data‑driven environment where we inspire ourselves and each other to always perform at the top of our game
• Access to learning and development resources to help you get in the best professional shape of your life
• Robust and market‑competitive compensation & benefits package (Base, Performance Bonus, Equity, health, welfare & retirement programs)
• Flexible PTO
• Rapid career advancement for strong performers
• Potential ability to work on multiple GondolaBio Pharma programs across multiple therapeutic areas over time · Partnerships with leading institutions
• Commitment to Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Seniority level

Director

Employment type

Full‑time

Job function

Science