Associate Director, Lab Technologies

Aera Therapeutics Inc.; Cambridge (MA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

Aera Therapeutics Inc. is seeking an Associate Director of Lab Technologies to lead the software, infrastructure, and computational backbone of the research organization. You will own systems that capture and structure scientific data and translate researchers' needs into secure, scalable AI-enabled solutions.

This role is onsite in Cambridge, four days per week. You will develop software for lab instruments, maintain cloud architecture, oversee bioinformatics, enable ML/AI design, manage

Qualifications

• Master’s degree with 8–10 years of relevant industry experience or PhD with 6–8 years of relevant industry experience.
• Experience with Python and AWS and the ability to engineer software infrastructure and analysis pipelines.
• Expertise in genomics and NGS, ideally RNA-seq and single cell sequencing.
• Significant experience working with Benchling.
• Prior hands-on experience working with oligonucleotide and/or mRNA therapeutics.
• Commitment to our Core Values: Respect, Integrity, Excellence, Impact

Responsibilities

• Develop software that runs on lab instruments to capture data and transform it into structured, usable form.
• Build and maintain cloud architecture and security hygiene, access control to those systems.
• Own the data architecture for scientific data, with schemas and models that keep it structured, traceable, and reusable.
• Develop and maintain Benchling as the core lab informatics system, evolving it with new features as the science grows and changes.
• Oversee and organize bioinformatics development across the group including support for NGS analysis, oligonucleotide design, and off-target analysis.
• Enable computational design and discovery, leveraging machine learning and AI methods.
• Evaluate, negotiate, and manage software vendors and contracts.
• Prepare budget requests and justifications for leadership, and manage purchasing.
• Manage Claude usage and implementation across the organization, in partnership with IT to ensure use is safe and defensible.
• Build tooling on top of Claude to extend AI for Aera's specific use cases.
• Lead, and mentor a small Lab Technologies team across software engineering, cloud infrastructure, bioinformatics, and lab informatics.
• Partner with research, regulatory, quality, IT, and finance to translate scientific and business needs into technical solutions.
• Communicate technical work clearly to non-technical and differently-technical stakeholders.
• Support regulatory and quality needs as the organization matures toward the clinic

Skills

Genomics & NGS

Benchling

Oligonucleotide/MRNA therapeutics

Leadership

Data architecture

Education

Master’s degree in engineering / CS / data science / automation / related field

PhD in a related scientific field

Tools

Python

AWS

Job description

Aera Therapeutics was founded by a world-class team of scientists, investors, and company builders with a shared vision to unlock the potential of genetic medicines across a broad range of modalities and therapeutic areas. We strive for excellence and an industry-leading position in our chosen delivery platforms, while aggressively hunting for opportunities where enabling delivery technologies can unlock applications of high, unmet medical need.

Leveraging deep expertise in the space, Aera has a leading LNP platform that enables today’s applications, while investing in and developing a potentially disruptive antibody oligonucleotide conjugate platform to enable tomorrow’s applications.

How will your role make an impact at Aera Therapeutics?

The Associate Director of Lab Technologies will lead the software, infrastructure, and computational backbone of the research organization. You will own the systems and tools that capture, structure, and act on scientific data, and translates the needs of research teams into secure, scalable, and increasingly AI-enabled technical solutions. You will be reporting into our Chief Scientific Officer and be expected to work onsite in our Cambridge office at least 4 days per week.

You will:

• Develop software that runs on lab instruments to capture data and transform it into structured, usable form
• Build and maintain cloud architecture and security hygiene, access control to those systems
• Own the data architecture for scientific data, with schemas and models that keep it structured, traceable, and reusable
• Develop and maintain Benchling as the core lab informatics system, evolving it with new features as the science grows and changes
• Oversee and organize bioinformatics development across the group including support for NGS analysis, oligonucleotide design, and off-target analysis
• Enable computational design and discovery, leveraging machine learning and AI methods
• Evaluate, negotiate, and manage software vendors and contracts
• Prepare budget requests and justifications for leadership, and manage purchasing
• Manage Claude usage and implementation across the organization, in partnership with IT to ensure use is safe and defensible
• Build tooling on top of Claude to extend AI for Aera's specific use cases
• Lead, and mentor a small Lab Technologies team across software engineering, cloud infrastructure, bioinformatics, and lab informatics
• Partner with research, regulatory, quality, IT, and finance to translate scientific and business needs into technical solutions
• Communicate technical work clearly to non-technical and differently-technical stakeholders
• Support regulatory and quality needs as the organization matures toward the clinic

Qualifications:

• Master’s degree in a technical discipline such as engineering, computer science, data science, automation, or a related scientific field with 8-10 years of years of relevant industry experience or PhD with 6-8 years of relevant industry experience
• Experience with Python and AWS and the ability to engineer software infrastructure and analysis pipelines.
• Expertise in genomics and NGS, ideally RNA-seq and single cell sequencing
• Significant experience working with Benchling
• Prior hands-on experience working with oligonucleotide and/or mRNA therapeutics
• Commitment to our Core Values: Respect, Integrity, Excellence, Impact

The approximate salary range for this role is $180,000 - $200,000.

Our salary ranges are determined by job scope, level, and location. The range displayed on this job posting reflects the minimum and maximum target for new hire salaries for the position as posted. Within the range, individual pay is determined by a variety of factors, including job-related skills, experience, relevant education or training, and business need. In addition to the base salary, eligible employees will have an opportunity to participate in an annual cash bonus, equity incentives, and a robust benefits offering that includes health insurance, 401k retirement plan with company match, paid sick and vacation time, life and disability insurance, and commuting expense reimbursement.

Aera Therapeutics is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation, or gender identity), national origin, age, disability, protected veteran status, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.