Associate Director, Translational Research – Immunology

CSL Plasma Inc.; Waltham (MA); Hybrid; USD 140,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

CSL Behring is seeking an Associate Director of Translational Research in Immunology to lead translational biomarker studies and shape immunology strategies. The role bridges preclinical research with clinical development, guiding cross-functional teams and external collaborations.

You will drive mechanism-of-action work, biomarker validation, and strategic input for global R&D initiatives. Hybrid work—3 days onsite in Waltham, MA—occurs with a senior leadership team.

Qualifications

• PhD in Immunology or Cellular Biology; 15+ years of related experience.
• Experience translating research into early clinical development.
• Strong track record in immunology and immune-mediated diseases.
• Leadership of cross-functional teams and collaboration with external partners.

Responsibilities

• Design, oversee translational & non-interventional biomarker studies.
• Lead biomarker discovery, development and MOA workstreams.
• Collaborate with internal and external partners to access lab capabilities.
• Provide scientific guidance to preclinical and clinical programs.
• Represent Translational Research on global cross-functional teams.

Skills

Immunology expertise

Biomarker development

Translational research

Cross-functional leadership

Education

PhD in Immunology or Cellular Biology

Job description

Associate Director, Translational Research – Immunology

Location: Waltham, MA

Work Arrangement: Hybrid – 3 days per week onsite

Reports to: Senior Director, Translational Research, Immunology

About CSL Behring

CSL Behring is a global biopharmaceutical leader committed to developing innovative therapies for patients with rare and serious diseases. Our Immunology franchise is advancing a diverse pipeline targeting autoimmune and inflammatory conditions across rheumatology, neuroimmunology, and rare dermatology.

The Opportunity

Could you be our next Associate Director, Translational Research – Immunology? The Associate Director, Translational Research – Immunology is responsible for the design, execution, and oversight of translational and non-interventional biomarker studies focused on understanding disease mechanisms, target validation, patient segmentation, and biomarker discovery. This role plays a pivotal part in bridging preclinical research and clinical development by applying scientific expertise to support Immunology Therapeutic Area strategies. The Associate Director provides scientific leadership, strategic input into global research and development initiatives, and cross-functional leadership throughout preclinical and clinical development. You will collaborate closely with Pre-clinical Pharmacology, Clinical Pharmacology, Translational Bioinformatics, Clinical Bioanalytics & Biomarkers, Data Science, and Early Clinical Development teams. You will also work with internal laboratory teams and external partners, including academic institutions, clinicians, biobanks, CROs, and biotechnology companies.

Key Responsibilities

Design, implement, and oversee translational and non-interventional biomarker studies, including protocol development, data analysis, and quality assurance.

Contribute to biomarker strategies for toxicology and early clinical studies by integrating translational evidence from systematic literature reviews, real-world data and evidence, post-hoc analyses, and prospective non-interventional research studies.

Lead and support mechanism-of-action studies, biomarker discovery and development, and target validation using in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo models.

Partner with internal Mechanistic Pharmacology teams and external organizations, including academic institutions, CROs, and biotechnology companies, to access specialized laboratory capabilities.

Provide scientific and operational guidance to R&D programs across preclinical and clinical development phases.

Represent Translational Research on Therapeutic Area Research Core Teams and Research Project Teams, working closely with Research Therapeutic Area Leads to support research strategies.

Represent Translational Research on global cross-functional teams, including PSTs, NCETs, and BETs, and collaborate closely with Pre-clinical Pharmacology, Clinical Bioanalytics & Biomarkers, Clinical Pharmacology, Data Science, and Early Clinical Development.

Partner with clinical researchers to develop preclinical studies supporting indication selection, including project proposals, research plans, human ethics applications, and research agreements.

Contribute scientific expertise to regulatory submissions, Investigator Brochures, Clinical Study Reports, scientific publications, and other documentation supporting program progression.

Interpret and communicate translational research findings to cross-functional stakeholders and provide scientific recommendations that inform development decisions.

Supervise and mentor research scientists, including scientists within the internal Mechanistic Pharmacology Unit, ensuring delivery of high‑quality research packages aligned with Therapeutic Area objectives.

Collaborate with internal and external scientific partners to advance strategic translational research initiatives and ensure successful project delivery.

Represent the Translational Research organization internally and externally, fostering scientific collaboration and maintaining strong relationships with key stakeholders.

Qualifications

• PhD in a relevant scientific discipline, such as Immunology or Cellular Biology.
• Minimum of 15 years of combined academic and industry experience relevant to the Immunology Therapeutic Area.
• Strong track record of developing and conducting high‑quality research relevant to immunology and/or immune‑mediated diseases.
• Demonstrated experience translating research findings into early clinical development.
• Experience with translational research, biomarker development, target validation, and mechanism‑of‑action studies.
• Experience working with in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo research models.
• Demonstrated ability to collaborate effectively across multidisciplinary and cross‑functional teams.

Key Competencies

• Strong scientific expertise in immunology and immune‑mediated diseases.
• Demonstrated ability to translate complex scientific findings into actionable development strategies.
• Strong cross‑functional collaboration and matrix leadership skills.
• Strategic thinking and ability to connect scientific research with broader Therapeutic Area objectives.
• Strong communication and scientific presentation skills.
• Ability to effectively manage multiple priorities and drive projects through successful execution.
• Demonstrated leadership, mentoring, and relationship‑building capabilities.
• Ability to work effectively with both internal teams and external scientific partners.

Leadership & Reporting

The Associate Director reports to the Senior Director, Translational Research, Immunology and provides supervision and mentorship to research scientists as assigned.

Travel Requirements

Domestic and international travel to interact with internal CSL and external colleagues and collaborators, and to attend relevant scientific meetings as appropriate.

About CSL Behring (continued)

CSL Behring is a global biotherapeutics leader driven by our promise to save lives. Focused on serving patients’ needs by using the latest technologies, we discover, develop and deliver innovative therapies for people living with conditions in the immunology, hematology, cardiovascular and metabolic, respiratory, and transplant therapeutic areas. We use three strategic scientific platforms of plasma fractionation, recombinant protein technology, and cell and gene therapy to support continued innovation and continually refine ways in which products can address unmet medical needs and help patients lead full lives. CSL Behring operates one of the world’s largest plasma collection networks, CSL Plasma. Our parent company, CSL, headquartered in Melbourne, Australia, employs 32,000 people, and delivers its lifesaving therapies to people in more than 100 countries.

To learn more about CSL, CSL Behring, CSL Seqirus and CSL Vifor visit https://www.csl.com/ and CSL Plasma at https://www.cslplasma.com/.

Our Benefits

• More information on CSL benefits visit How CSL Supports Your Well-being | CSL.

You Belong at CSL

At CSL, Inclusion and Belonging is at the core of our mission and who we are. It fuels our innovation day in and day out. By celebrating our differences and creating a culture of curiosity and empathy, we are able to better understand and connect with our patients and donors, foster strong relationships with our stakeholders, and sustain a diverse workforce that will move our company and industry into the future.

To learn more about inclusion and belonging visit https://www.csl.com/careers/inclusion-and-belonging

Equal Opportunity Employer

CSL is an Equal Opportunity Employer. If you are an individual with a disability and need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application process, please visit https://www.csl.com/accessibility-statement.

CSL is an Equal Opportunity Employer. If you are an individual with a disability and need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application process, please click here.

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