Senior Director, Nucleic Acid Therapy

Vertex is a global biotechnology company that invests in scientific innovation to create transformative medicines for people with serious diseases. The company has approved medicines that treat the underlying causes of multiple chronic, life-shortening genetic diseases — cystic fibrosis, pain, sickle cell disease and transfusion-dependent beta thalassemia — and continues to advance clinical and research programs in these diseases. Vertex also has a robust clinical pipeline of investigational therapies across a range of modalities in other serious diseases.

The Senior Director of Nucleic Acid Therapy will drive research to advance the delivery of nucleic acid–based therapeutics. The ideal candidate brings deep expertise in targeted delivery and nucleic acid chemistry, coupled with the vision to anticipate project needs and the judgment to know when to refine current strategies or pursue new directions.  This is an onsite position at our cutting edge San Diego research site.

Key Duties and Responsibilities:

• Lead and manage a team of cross-functional scientists, provide guidance and mentorship, foster a collaborative work environment.
• Develop and implement strategic plans to leverage various approaches for receptor and ligand identification, chemistry optimization, and implementation in drug discovery.
• Work with team to execute research plans, collecting and interpreting data, trouble shooting, and defining next steps.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams, including medicinal chemists, computational scientists, molecular and cellular biologists, and pharmacologists to drive integrated drug discovery projects from target selection to lead optimization and delivery of clinical candidates.
• Stay current with the latest advancements in the field of nucleic acid chemistry and delivery, and integrate new technologies and methodologies into the drug discovery process.
• Ensure compliance with relevant regulatory guidelines, maintain accurate records, and promote a culture of scientific rigor and integrity within the team.

Knowledge and Skills:

• Established reputation with a strong track record of scientific impact in driving nucleic acid drug discovery programs forward by applying chemistry and delivery optimization. Industry experience is preferred.
• Extensive experience with nucleic acid drug discovery is highly desirable.
• Experience in managing scientific teams, individual and team performance, goal setting, career growth development, and building a culture of innovation and inclusion.
• Demonstrated innovation in science, leadership skills, and ability to inspire and motivate drug discovery teams.
• Strong inter-personal, oral, and written communication skills.
• Extensive experience interfacing with internal and external stakeholders to collaborate and execute on research programs, deliver results, and influence decision making.
• Ability to navigate and be successful in a fast-paced, innovative, and multi-disciplinary work environment.

Education and Experience:

• Ph.D. (or equivalent degree) in chemistry, biochemistry, or a related field and 11+ years of industry / academic experience with a minimum of 5 years managing a team.
• Master’s degree (or equivalent degree) and 15+ years of relevant employment experience, or
• Bachelor’s Degree (or equivalent degree) and 20+ years of relevant employment experience.
• Extensive experience in pharmaceutical, biotechnology, or leading academic biomedical research setting, with a proven track record of scientific accomplishments and deliverables.