Senior Director, Biologics Drug Substance Development and Manufacturing

Korsana Biosciences, Inc.; Boston (MA); On-site; USD 250,000 - 280,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Target annual bonus

Equity-based compensation

Participation in benefit programs

Job summary

Korsana Biosciences, Inc. is seeking a Senior Director, Biologics Drug Substance Development and Manufacturing to lead DS development and outsourced manufacturing for a portfolio of preclinical and clinical programs. You will define project scope, mitigate risks, and ensure timely, quality delivery with external partners.

The role requires strategic vision and hands-on experience in managing early biotech programs, CDMO selection, regulatory submissions, and cross-functional collaboration.

Qualifications

• PhD or MSc/BS with equivalent experience in relevant life sciences.
• At least 12 years in biologics drug substance development in biotech/pharma.
• Experience with IND/IMPD and fast-paced startup environments.

Responsibilities

• Establish CMC strategies for biologics DS development, scale-up, and GMP manufacturing.
• Collaborate with internal teams and external partners to push projects forward.
• Create metrics, monitor results, and manage risk to meet goals and budget.
• Support deviations, CAPAs, and stability testing with QA.
• Lead CDMO/CRO selection, negotiations, and budgeting.
• Maintain current knowledge of biologics DS manufacturing technologies.
• Communicate progress to management and ensure clear records.

Skills

Biologics DS development

CDMO selection & management

Regulatory submissions (CMC)

Strategic & hands-on leadership

Cross-functional collaboration

Program management

Education

Ph.D. in (bio)chemistry or (bio)chemical engineering, or MS/BS with experience

Job description

Senior Director, Biologics Drug Substance Development and Manufacturing

About this position

About Us

Korsana Biosciences is a private biopharmaceutical company advancing a pipeline of potential best‑in‑class therapies for neurodegenerative diseases. In partnership with Paragon Therapeutics, we have developed Therapeutic Targeting (THETA™), a novel blood‑brain barrier‑penetrant shuttle platform designed to enable dramatically higher drug concentration inside the brain and overcome the limitations of earlier shuttle technologies. Our lead program is KRSA-028, an investigational, shuttled antibody targeting amyloid beta designed to be a best‑in‑class treatment for Alzheimer’s disease. Our mission is to advance precision‑engineered therapies, designed to address some of the biggest unmet needs in medicine. For more information, please visit www.korsana.com

Position Overview

The Senior Director, Biologics Drug Substance Development and Manufacturing, will provide program‑specific leadership and subject matter expertise for drug substance development and manufacturing activities in support of a best‑in‑class portfolio of pre‑clinical and clinical programs. This leader will oversee the planning and execution of outsourced drug substance development and manufacturing activities and will work proactively with externalsuppliers including CDMOs and contract labs to define project scope, mitigate risks, and ensure successful delivery in relation to technical quality, timelines and budget. The incumbent will collaborate with other functions to deliver quality products for preclinical studies and clinical trials and Module 3 Quality for regulatory submission and approval. The position requires strategic vision and hands‑on experience managing early‑stage biotech programs in a dynamic, fast‑paced environment.

Responsibilities

• Establishes effective CMC strategies for biologics drug substance manufacturing process development, optimization, characterization, scale‑up, GMP manufacturing for a portfolio of biologics in keeping with corporate and program objectives.
• Collaborates with internal stakeholders in the areas of Drug Product Development, Combination Product Development, Analytical Development and Quality Control, Clinical Supply Chain, Program Management, Preclinical Development, Clinical Development/Operations, Quality, Regulatory Affairs, and external business partners to push project forward.
• Creates metrics for drug substance function, monitors results and implements risk management strategies to address technical challenges and meet business goals.
• In partnership with QA, supports deviation and OOS investigations, and associated CAPAs for drug substance release and stability testing.
• Prepares CMC documentation for regulatory and/or patent filings.
• Leads CDMO/CRO selection, contract negotiation, and budget/scope management related to drug substance development and manufacturing.
• Maintains an understanding of current trends and emerging biologics drug substance manufacturing technologies.
• Provides clear communication to management regarding progress against technical objectives/milestones.
• Ensures well‑organized, clear and complete records of all activities across areas of responsibility

Education & Experience

• Ph.D. in (bio)chemistry, (bio)chemical engineering (or other relevant physical or life sciences discipline) or MS/BS with equivalent education or experience is required.
• A minimum of 12 years of hands‑on working experience in biologics drug substance development in biotech or biopharma industry.
• Experience in a fast paced, high‑growth startup environment is preferred
• Experience in successful IND/IMPD

Skills & Attributes

• Demonstrated ability in the areas of leading and managing biologics drug substance manufacturing process development, optimization, characterization, scale‑up, and GMP manufacturing in an outsourced business model.
• Proven track record of CDMO selection and management in supporting biologics drug substance development and GMP manufacturing.
• Hands‑on working experience of global CMC regulatory submission and approval.
• Strategic thinker with a hands‑on approach; comfortable balancing long‑term planning with day‑to‑day execution
• Exceptional communication and relationship‑building skills, with the ability to influence across levels and functions
• Strong attention to detail and problem‑solving skills
• Ability to distinguish between critical and non‑critical priorities

The anticipated base salary range for this position is $250,000 - $280,000. This role may also be eligible for a target annual bonus and equity‑based compensation, as well as participation in the company’s benefit programs. Actual compensation will depend on several factors, which may include, but are not limited to relevant years of experience, educational background, and geography.

Korsana Biosciences is the sixth groundbreaking company launched by Paragon Therapeutics, a premier biotech incubator founded by Fairmount Funds in 2021, known for its expertise in discovering and developing cutting‑edge therapeutic assets in‑house.

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Korsana Biosciences is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to fostering a diverse, inclusive, and equitable workplace where all individuals are valued and respected. Employment decisions are based on qualifications, merit, and business needs, without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, veteran status, or any other protected status.