Director, Translational Medicine

Meet Life Sciences; San Francisco (CA); Remote; USD 200,000 - 260,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive compensation

Remote work option

Job summary

Meet Life Sciences Ltd. seeks a Director of Translational Medicine to lead translational strategy across its autoimmune and inflammatory pipeline. You will bridge discovery and preclinical work with early clinical development and drive biomarker programs and regulatory readiness.

The role combines scientific ownership with hands-on delivery, overseeing biomarker assays, data integration, and external collaborations to propel programs toward IND/CTA readiness and clinical development.

Qualifications

• PhD, MD, or MD/PhD in a relevant biomedical or life sciences discipline.
• 10+ years in biotech/pharma with director-level experience and translational leadership.
• Ownership of translational strategies bridging preclinical and early clinical development.
• Deep expertise in immunology, inflammation, and translational biomarkers.
• Experience directing external CROs in assay development and execution.
• Experience supporting IND/CTA-enabling activities and early-phase programs.
• Strong analytical skills and experience analyzing large omics datasets.
• Startup or small biotech background a plus; balance strategy and delivery.
• Publications and/or patents demonstrating scientific contributions.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute translational medicine strategies linking discovery, preclinical, and early clinical programs.
• Lead pharmacodynamic, predictive, and exploratory biomarker strategies through IND/CTA enabling activities.
• Integrate human biology and preclinical data to guide target validation and dose rationale.
• Partner with research, clinical development, operations, regulatory, and external collaborators.
• Lead contributions to regulatory submissions and clinical protocols.
• Oversee CROs and academic partners in biomarker assays and studies.
• Analyze omics datasets to generate hypotheses and inform decisions.
• Communicate findings and risks to senior leadership and cross-functional teams.
• Contribute to publications, conferences, IP, and scalable processes.

Skills

Translational leadership

Biomarker development

Omics data analysis

CRO management

IND/CTA readiness

Education

PhD/MD/MD-PhD

Tools

Biomarker assays

Immunology expertise

Job description

Director, Translational Medicine – Inflammation

Location: Remote primary with weekly in-person meeting in the San Francisco Bay Area

Meet Life Sciences is representing a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing novel therapies for autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. Our client is seeking a Director of Translational Medicine to lead translational strategy across its pipeline, connecting discovery and preclinical research with early clinical development.

This opportunity offers significant scientific ownership within a growing biotech, combining strategic leadership with hands-on execution across biomarker development, human disease biology, and clinical readiness.

The Role

• Develop and execute translational medicine strategies supporting preclinical and early clinical programs, aligning mechanisms of action, biomarkers, and clinical hypotheses.
• Lead pharmacodynamic, predictive, and exploratory biomarker strategies from discovery through IND/CTA-enabling activities and clinical development.
• Integrate human disease biology and preclinical findings to guide target validation, indication selection, dose rationale, and clinical development plans.
• Partner with research, clinical development, clinical operations, regulatory, and external collaborators to advance programs into the clinic.
• Lead translational contributions to regulatory submissions and clinical protocols.
• Oversee CROs and academic partners conducting translational studies and developing and running biomarker assays.
• Analyze preclinical, translational, early clinical, and large omics datasets to generate hypotheses and inform program decisions.
• Communicate scientific findings, risks, and recommendations to senior leadership and cross-functional teams.
• Contribute to publications, conference presentations, intellectual property, and the development of scalable translational processes.

Your Background

• PhD, MD, or MD/PhD in a relevant biomedical or life sciences discipline.
• At least 10 years of relevant biotechnology and/or pharmaceutical industry experience, including Director-level or equivalent leadership.
• Demonstrated ownership of translational strategies bridging preclinical research and early clinical development.
• Deep expertise in immunology, inflammation, human disease biology, and translational biomarkers.
• Experience directing external CROs in assay development and execution.
• Experience supporting IND/CTA-enabling activities and early-phase clinical programs, including healthy-volunteer studies.
• Strong analytical and hypothesis-generation skills, including demonstrated experience analyzing large omics datasets.
• Prior startup or small biotech experience, with the ability to balance strategic thinking and hands-on delivery.
• A record of scientific contributions through publications and/or patents.
• Rheumatoid arthritis and/or fibrosis experience would be advantageous.

The Opportunity

• Shape translational strategy across a growing pipeline.
• Work closely with scientific and clinical leadership in a collaborative, science-driven environment.
• Take on meaningful responsibility and influence over program direction.
• Receive a competitive compensation and benefits package.

Candidates must be available for weekly in-person meetings at the company’s Palo Alto headquarters.