Senior Scientist, Process Development

Senti Bio is seeking an experienced scientist to join our process development group for our cell therapy programs. A successful applicant will have prior experience with process development and scale up of gene modified cell therapies, hands on experience taking a novel cell therapy through IND, and be comfortable in a fast moving and nimble culture. Applicants should have current and extensive knowledge of culture expanded allogeneic cell products (e.g. NKs), comfort with pre-clinical process development and GMP tech transfer to a CDMO experience. We are seeking individuals who are passionate about the future of “smart therapeutics” and have the energy and boldness to thrive and grow in a dynamic and fast startup environment. 

Responsibilities

• Play a key role in process development for Senti's cell therapy development programs, with focus on culture expanded allogeneic products, including natural killer cells (NKs) and other therapeutic cell modalities.
• Work closely with the CDMO MSAT team to understand key requirements and guide decision making to enable seamless transfers and process optimizations.
• Develop internal capability for larger scale bioreactor-based generation of genetically modified cells suitable for transfer to a GMP facility. 
• Play a central role in selection and interaction with contract manufacturers, key suppliers, and other external vendors.
• Maintain thought leadership with the current cell therapy ecosystem and bring best practices to the organization.
• Coordinate tasks across multiple projects. Make decisions on prioritization and planning. Be the key driver to meet project timelines and milestones.
• Lead in design, development, and execution of process development studies to aid in optimization and characterization of cell manufacturing processes
• Apply knowledge of immune cell biology to establish process robustness yield high quality cells
• Review executed batch records, extract and trend data, and identify areas for improvement
• Support regulatory filings through authorship and review of technical sections

Qualifications

• BS/BA degree with 8+ years experience or MS/PhD degree with 6+ years experience in a cell therapy development setting.
• 4+ years of cell therapy process development experience from proof-of-concept to clinical manufacturing, preferably with immunology cells (NKs, T, HSCs, etc.)
• Experience with lentiviral, retroviral, and other ex vivo cell engineering vectors a plus.
• Familiarity with IND regulatory requirements, GMP environments, and quality documentation.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently in a multi-functional project at a fast moving organization.

Salary and Benefits

• Compensation for this role includes base salary, annual target bonus and equity.
• The base salary range for this role is $165,000-180,000. Starting pay is determined by multiple job-related factors including a candidate’s skills, education and experience level, benchmark, and internal parity.
• Significant growth opportunity as the company expands.
• Empathetic, supportive, and collaborative colleagues and work environments