Vice President, Therapeutics Immunology

Moderna; Cambridge (MA); On-site; USD 350,000 - 650,000; Full time

Job summary

Moderna is seeking a world-class scientific leader to head Therapeutics Immunology as VP, translating deep T cell biology into next-generation immunology programs. The role spans discovery to preclinical development, leveraging Moderna's mRNA, delivery, and computational platforms.

You will build a differentiated TCR capability, guide autoimmune and TCR-based programs, and partner with Clinical Development to drive mechanistic understanding and translational success.

Qualifications

• PhD, MD, or MD/PhD in immunology or related discipline with deep training in T cell immunology.
• At least 15 years of relevant biotech/pharma R&D experience after terminal degree, including 5+ years leading multidisciplinary teams.
• Internationally recognized expertise in human T cell biology, including TCR peptide-MHC biology and immune tolerance.

Responsibilities

• Set and execute the scientific strategy for the mRNA therapeutics immunology pipeline across autoimmune disease and TCR-based medicines.
• Oversee internal TCR capabilities and end-to-end TCR discovery and engineering at scale.
• Lead autoimmune research portfolio from concept through lead generation, candidate selection, pharmacology, translational strategy, and preclinical development.
• Establish rigorous decision criteria for efficacy, developability, and translational relevance across immune-mediated modalities.
• Translate patient data, single-cell and immune-repertoire data into therapeutic concepts.
• Collaborate with mRNA science, delivery, protein engineering, and AI teams to design differentiated medicines.
• Partner with Clinical Development to shape mechanism-based development plans and biomarker strategies.
• Represent Therapeutics Immunology in senior forums and steer portfolio and resource decisions.
• Lead & develop a high-performing team, maintain scientific rigor, and foster external collaborations with academia, biotech, and CROs.

Skills

Deep T cell immunology

Drug-discovery leadership

Portfolio strategy

Cross-functional leadership

External collaborations

Education

PhD/MD/MD-PhD in immunology

Job description

The Role:

Moderna is seeking an exceptional scientific leader to lead its Therapeutics Immunology organization as Vice President, Therapeutics Immunology. Reporting to the Chief Scientific Officer, Therapeutics, this leader will be responsible for developing and driving the scientific strategy for the immunology mRNA portfolio. This leader will build a differentiated T cell receptor capability and advance immunology programs from discovery through preclinical development, while shaping broader portfolio and technology decisions. The role will connect deep immunology expertise with Moderna's mRNA, delivery, protein engineering, and computational platforms to create medicines that address the underlying biology of immune-mediated disease.

The successful candidate will be a recognized T cell immunologist and experienced drug-discovery leader with a demonstrated ability to build high-performing multidisciplinary teams and establish new scientific capabilities. They will lead teams spanning T cell biology, immune repertoire and TCR discovery, functional immunology, protein and antibody engineering, and preclinical research. As a senior member of the Research organization, they will work closely with Bioinformatics / AI teams, Platform Science, Nonclinical Development, Clinical Development, Translational Medicine, CMC Development, Regulatory, and R&D Strategy teams to ideate product concepts and modalities, define therapeutic hypotheses, select candidates, and guide programs toward the clinic.

Here’s What You’ll Do:

• Set and execute the scientific strategy for the mRNA therapeutics immunology pipeline, establishing clear priorities across autoimmune disease, TCR-based medicines, and immune-modulating therapeutics.
• Oversee internal TCR capabilities including TCR deconvolution and an end-to-end TCR discovery and engineering engine to generate therapeutic TCRs at scale.
• Lead the autoimmune research portfolio from concept ideation to target and disease hypothesis through lead generation, candidate selection, pharmacology, translational strategy, and preclinical development.
• Establish rigorous decision criteria for efficacy, selectivity, cross-reactivity, developability, manufacturability, and translational relevance across immune-mediated mRNA modalities - including but not limited to T cell engagers and in vivo cell therapy.
• Translate insights from patient samples, single-cell and immune-repertoire data, human genetics, functional genomics, and disease models into therapeutic concepts.
• Partner with mRNA science, lipid nanoparticle delivery, protein engineering, structural biology, computational biology, and AI teams to design medicines that exploit Moderna's technology platform and are differentiated from the external landscape.
• Serve as a key scientific partner to Clinical Development. Shape mechanism-based development plans, biomarker and patient-selection strategies, clinical pharmacology hypotheses, proof-of-mechanism studies, and interpretation of emerging clinical data.
• Shape Moderna's R&D strategy by representing therapeutics immunology and autoimmune programs in senior cross-functional forums and integrating Therapeutics Immunology priorities with enterprise portfolio decisions. Regularly engage with senior Research and Development leaders and Executive Committee members. Present clear recommendations, identify scientific and execution risks early, and make evidence-based portfolio and resource decisions.
• Lead Therapeutics Immunology organization through senior scientific and functional leaders, establishing clear expectations and recruiting, developing, and retaining a high-performing multidisciplinary team. Set a high bar for scientific rigor, candid debate, reproducibility, and timely delivery while creating strong succession and development plans.
• Serve as Moderna's external representative for Therapeutics Immunology, establishing and leading productive external collaborations with academic investigators, biotech / pharma, CROs, and technology providers. Evaluate partnership and licensing opportunities that accelerate the strategy.
• Maintain an active external scientific presence through publications, conferences, advisory relationships, and engagement with leaders in immunology.
• Establish and manage the function's budget, headcount, technology investments, and portfolio commitments in alignment with Research priorities.

Here’s What You’ll Bring to the Table:

• PhD, MD, or MD/PhD in immunology, cell biology, molecular biology, or a related discipline, with deep training in T cell immunology.
• At least 15 years of relevant experience after the terminal degree in biotechnology, pharmaceutical research, or an equivalent translational research setting, including at least 5 years leading multidisciplinary scientific teams and leaders.
• Internationally recognized expertise in human T cell biology, including TCR peptide-MHC biology, antigen-specific Treg responses, immune tolerance, and mechanisms of autoimmune di