Director/Senior Director, Immunology

American Society of Gene & Cell Therapy; San Diego (CA); On-site; USD 260,000 - 380,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Company-paid healthcare

401(k) matching

Uncapped vacation

Job summary

Iambic Therapeutics, based in San Diego, seeks a Director or Senior Director to lead the Biology group. You will define biology strategies for small-molecule discovery, translating disease biology into robust evidence packages guiding chemistry from hit identification to IND-enabling studies.

You will lead cross-functional teams across Chemistry, DMPK, Safety, Translational, and Computational groups and partner with AI/ML scientists to accelerate decisions.

Qualifications

• PhD in immunology or related field.
• 15+ years of relevant experience including small-molecule discovery.
• Strong cross-functional leadership and program management skills.
• Experience with primary-cell and ex vivo studies including flow cytometry.
• Experience designing in vivo efficacy and PK/PD studies.
• Proven mentoring and team development abilities.

Responsibilities

• Lead immunology strategy from target validation through IND-enabling studies.
• Oversee in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo studies with cross-functional teams.
• Guide translational biomarkers and data-driven decision making.
• Manage CROs and external partners; ensure quality and timelines.

Job description

JOB SUMMARY

Iambic Therapeutics is seeking a scientific leader with deep expertise in immunology and immunopharmacology to join the Biology group as Director or Senior Director. This individual will define and execute biology strategies for small-molecule discovery programs, translating disease and immune biology into robust in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo evidence packages that guide medicinal chemistry from hit identification through development candidate nomination and IND-enabling studies. The successful candidate will lead project teams, set scientific direction, and drive cross-functional decision-making with Chemistry, DMPK, Safety, Translational, and Computational teams. The role will also partner with Iambic's AI/ML scientists to apply computational approaches that accelerate hypothesis generation, data interpretation, and program decisions. Level will be determined by experience and demonstrated scope. This role is based at our San Diego headquarters.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Program and cross-functional leadership: Lead immunology strategy from target validation and hit identification through lead optimization, development candidate nomination, and IND-enabling studies, integrating disease biology with SAR, DMPK/PK/PD, safety, target engagement, and translational biomarkers.

• In vitro and ex vivo strategy: Oversee disease-relevant studies using primary human immune cells, whole blood/PBMCs, and tissues to assess mechanism, potency, selectivity, target engagement, and immune function while accounting for donor variability and biological context.

• In vivo and translational strategy: Define and oversee efficacy, mechanistic, and PK/PD studies, including model and species selection, endpoints, exposure-response relationships, tissue pharmacology, and translation to human biomarkers; critically interpret results.

• Team and partner leadership: Manage and develop scientists and associates, oversee CROs and other partners, and ensure clear goals, timelines, budgets, deliverables, data quality, and appropriate SOP- and GLP-aligned practices while fostering an inclusive, high-trust team.

QUALIFICATIONS

• PhD in immunology or a related field, with substantial immunology training and typically 15+ years of relevant experience, including significant industry experience in small-molecule discovery.

• Track record leading cross-functional small-molecule programs from hit identification through development candidate nomination, with ownership of biology strategy, stage gates, and milestones; IND-enabling experience is valued.

• Deep expertise in innate and/or adaptive immunology and extensive experience with primary-cell and ex vivo studies, including multiparameter flow cytometry and relevant functional readouts.

• Experience designing and interpreting in vivo efficacy, pharmacodynamic, and mechanistic studies, including model selection, PK/PD, species translation, and biomarker strategy.

• Experience developing and transferring robust assay cascades to CROs or automation/HTS platforms, using orthogonal assays and counterscreens to confirm on-target activity and control for donor variability and assay artifacts.

• Strong people leadership and executive communication skills, including mentoring, performance management, team development, and data-driven recommendations.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Experience using patient-derived samples, translational biomarkers, and high-dimensional data to bridge preclinical and clinical studies.

• Familiarity with AI/ML-enabled drug discovery and collaboration with computational biology, data science, or cheminformatics teams.

ABOUT IAMBIC THERAPEUTICS

Iambic is a clinical-stage life-science and technology company developing novel medicines using its AI-driven discovery and development platform. Based in San Diego and founded in 2020, Iambic has assembled a world-class team that unites pioneering AI experts and experienced drug hunters. The Iambic platform has demonstrated delivery of new drug candidates to human clinical trials with unprecedented speed and across multiple target classes and mechanisms of action. Iambic is advancing a pipeline of potential best-in-class and first-in-class clinical assets, both internally and in partnership, to address urgent unmet patient need. Learn more about the Iambic team, platform, pipeline, and partnerships at iambic.ai.

MISSION & CORE VALUES

Our mission is to deliver better medicines through innovations in AI-based discovery technologies. The culture and work at Iambic Therapeutics are profoundly strengthened by the diversity of our people and our differences in background, culture, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, and life experiences. We are committed to building an inclusive environment where a diverse group of talented humans work together to discover therapeutics and create technologies.

PAY AND BENEFITS

We offer industry-leading competitive pay, company-paid healthcare, flexible spending accounts, voluntary life insurance, 401(k) matching, and uncapped vacation to our team. We are in a brand-new, state-of-the-art facility in beautiful San Diego with an onsite gym, dining, and easy access to great places to live and play.