Supervising Principal Scientist, Process Development

Cellares; South San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 210,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Highly subsidized Medical, Dental, and Vision Plans

401(k) Matching

Free EV Charging

Onsite lunches

Stock options

Job summary

Cellares in South San Francisco is seeking an innovative Supervising Principal Scientist to lead process development in cell therapy. The role focuses on optimizing processes, driving continuous improvement, and managing teams. Ideal candidates should have 6-20 years of experience, a relevant degree, and expertise in cell therapy.

This position offers a base salary ranging from $90,000 to $210,000 per year along with a comprehensive compensation package that includes medical, dental, vision plans, and more.

Qualifications

• 6‑20 years of process development experience in the cell and gene therapy field.
• Subject‑matter expert in T cell, HSC, iPSC or other immune cell therapy modalities.
• Extensive hands-on experience with commercial cell processing instruments.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead multifaceted process development efforts.
• Interface with external partners for technology transfer.
• Manage program timelines and develop thorough plans.
• Coordinate day‑to‑day team efforts and provide mentoring.
• Present updates and proposals to leadership.

Skills

Cell therapy process development

People management

Technical communication

Knowledge of cGMP regulations

Collaboration with external partners

Education

Bachelor's, Master's, or PhD in relevant field

Tools

Miltenyi Prodigy

Lonza Cocoon

Xuri Wave

Job description

Position Summary

We are seeking an innovative and highly motivated Supervising Principal Scientist with expertise in cell therapy process development and people management. This individual will interface across many parts of the organization and contribute significantly to the development of our advanced cell therapy manufacturing platform.

The primary focus of this position is to provide organizational leadership and technical insight into the onboarding and optimization of new cell therapy processes to expand and drive continuous improvement of the Cellares platform. The ideal candidate will be an adept leader and cross‑functional collaborator with demonstrated expertise in developing robust autologous and allogeneic cell therapy processes. The role requires close collaboration internally and with external partners.

Candidates should enjoy working in a fast‑paced, mission‑driven environment, and be prepared to tackle a broad selection of challenges as the company grows.

Responsibilities

• Lead multifaceted process development efforts to drive continuous improvement of the Cellares platform.

• Interface directly with external partners to facilitate technology transfer, data reviews, and overall program governance.

• Develop and manage program timelines for process development.

• Perform gap assessments and develop thorough development plans, statements of work, test plans, protocols, and any other applicable documents.

• Coordinate day‑to‑day team efforts by managing, mentoring and providing technical training to junior team members.

• Prepare and present technical and organizational updates and forward‑thinking proposals to Technical Operations leadership.

• Lead technology transfer efforts to implement new processes and technologies in collaboration with Analytical Development, MSAT, Quality, Manufacturing, Alliance Management and Engineering.

• Evaluate and recommend new technologies for benchmark testing with Cellares instruments.

• Author and review technical documents, procedures, reports and presentations to ensure accuracy and quality.

Requirements

• Bachelor's, Master's, or PhD in Bioengineering, Chemical Engineering, Biology, Biochemistry, or related field with 6‑20 years of process development experience in the cell and gene therapy field.

• Subject‑matter expert in T cell, HSC, iPSC or other immune cell therapy modalities.

• Extensive hands‑on experience with commercial cell processing instruments (Miltenyi Prodigy, Lonza Cocoon, Xuri Wave).

• Familiarity with diverse cell editing and payload delivery technologies (LVV, RVV, LNP, CRISPR, TALENs, ZFNs, etc.).

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills; able to interpret, summarize, and present scientific results in a clear, concise, accurate manner to both technical and non‑technical audiences.

• Knowledge and understanding of cGMP regulations and ICH guidelines preferred.

• Self‑awareness, integrity, authenticity, enthusiasm and a growth mindset.

$90,000 - $210,000 a year

Cellares total compensation package contains competitive base salaries, highly subsidized Medical, Dental, and Vision Plans, 401(k) Matching, Free EV Charging, Onsite lunches, and Stock options. All displayed pay ranges are approximate, negotiable, and location dependent.