Vice President, Translational Medicine

Company: 

At Annexon Biosciences we are a biopharmaceutical company advancing a late-stage clinical platform of novel therapies for people living with devastating classical complement-mediated neuroinflammatory diseases of the body, brain, and eye. Our novel scientific approach targets upstream C1q to block the classical complement inflammatory cascade before it starts, and its therapeutic candidates are designed to provide meaningful benefits across multiple autoimmune, neurodegenerative and ophthalmic diseases. With proof-of concept data in Guillain-Barré syndrome, Huntington’s disease and geographic atrophy, we are rigorously advancing our mid-to late-stage clinical trials to bring new potential treatments to patients as quickly as possible. At Annexon, you’ll be part of a team committed to making an impact together.   

For more information on Annexon and our pipeline, check out our site Annexon Biosciences & Annexon Pipeline. We trade on Nasdaq under the ticker symbol ANNX and are headquartered in Brisbane, CA. 

We're seeking exceptional talent from all backgrounds to fuel our growth. At Annexon, we're building a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace. We value unique perspectives and unconventional paths. If you're the best candidate for the job, even if you don't perfectly fit the traditional mold, we encourage you to apply. Learn more about our commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and our company culture! 

Work Location: Corporate Headquarters (South San Francisco / Brisbane, CA) Onsite – Hybrid Non-local candidates will be considered

Position: 

We are seeking an accomplished, experienced, and creative development leader to join our team as Vice President, Translational Medicine. The VP, Translational Medicine will play a critical role in shaping and executing Annexon’s translational strategy across our portfolio of classical complement biology programs spanning diseases of the body, brain, and eye.

This position will serve as a key scientific and strategic partner to Clinical Development, Discovery, Regulatory, Clinical Operations, and Medical Affairs—ensuring that mechanistic hypotheses are translated into human biology evidence, biomarker strategies, and data-driven decision-making to accelerate development. The VP, Translational Medicine will lead translational planning and execution for flagship and next-wave programs, including tanruprubart (ANX005) in Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS), vonaprument (ANX007) in dry AMD with geographic atrophy (GA), neurodegenerative programs including Huntington’s disease and ALS.

This role requires a seasoned leader with deep expertise in translational medicine, biomarker strategy, assay development, bioinformatics, statistics, artificial intelligence/machine learning, and clinical development— and a track record of building and leading high-performing translational organizations within pharma or biopharma. Like all Annexon leaders, the VP, Translational Medicine incumbent will have a deep-rooted commitment to serving patients and a passion for transforming the lives of people with serious diseases and their families.

Responsibilities include: 

Translational Medicine Leadership & Strategy:

• Serve as the Translational Medicine Lead across Annexon programs, setting an integrated, portfolio-level strategy that links mechanism of action to clinical outcomes in complement-mediated diseases of the body, brain, and eye
• Partner with Program Team Leaders, Clinical Development leads, and program teams to define translational hypotheses, proof-of-mechanism and proof-of-concept strategies, and key decision criteria for each stage of development
• Provide leadership for translational prioritization, resource planning, and execution in a fast-paced, dynamic environment consistent with a lean biotech operating model
• Build and lead a high-performing Translational Medicine organization spanning biomarker science, translational bioinformatics/omics, assay development/operations, and sample/data strategy
• Develop and oversee the work of computational biology and build and deploy efforts on optimal use of LLMs, AI, Machine Learning, and advanced analytics to the various applications within Translational Medicine

Biomarker & Evidence Generation (Human Biology):

• Develop and execute biomarker strategies to demonstrate:
  • Target engagement and pathway modulation (e.g., classical complement pathway/C1q biology)
  • Pharmacodynamic effects and dose/interval rationale
  • Patient stratification and enrichment approaches
  • Disease biology, progression, and treatment response
• Guide biomarker integration into clinical protocols across neurology and ophthalmology programs, including fluid biomarkers, imaging endpoints, functional measures, and exploratory omics.
• Oversee the development, qualification, and fit-for-purpose validation of translational assays (internal and external), including vendor selection, governance, and quality oversight.
• Lead translational interpretation and integration of multi-modal datasets (clinical, biomarkers, imaging, omics), working closely with Biometrics and Data Sciences to enable actionable insights.

Program Support Across Flagship and Next-Wave Pipeline:

• Provide translational leadership for:
  • GBS: tanruprubart (ANX005), an IV anti-C1q monoclonal antibody designed to inhibit the classical complement pathway
  • Ophthalmology/GA: vonaprument (ANX007), an intravitreal Fab designed to locally block C1q in the eye while preserving other complement pathway activity
  • Neurodegeneration: programs including Huntington’s disease and ALS leveraging C1q biology and neuroinflammation/synaptic injury frameworks
• Ensure translational strategies are aligned with clinical endpoints, regulatory expectations, and differentiation objectives, including competitive landscape awareness and scientific positioning

Regulatory, Scientific Communication & External Engagement:

• In collaboration with Regulatory Affairs and Clinical Development, contribute to translational sections of regulatory documents and briefing packages (e.g., IND/CTA updates, BLA/MAA modules as appropriate), supporting robust scientific rationale and biomarker justification
• Provide scientific leadership and oversight for abstracts, manuscripts, and study reports to ensure quality, integrity, and clarity of translational evidence
• Oversee and support the current collaborations and identify and build new partnerships that significantly advance the portfolio of efforts for which Translational Medicine supports
• Represent Annexon for external engagements with KOLs, academic collaborators, consortia, CROs, and scientific meetings; help educate and advance the field regarding Annexon’s approach to classical complement biology

Cross-Functional Collaboration:

• Foster strong collaboration and alignment across functions, including Discovery, Translational Sciences, Clinical Development, Clinical Operations, Biometrics, Regulatory Affairs, Medical Affairs, and Commercial.
• Serve as a key liaison between Translational Medicine and executive leadership, providing regular updates on biomarker strategy, human biology learnings, and program implications.
• Cultivate a culture of teamwork, innovation, accountability, and high scientific standards across the translational organization.

Education, Experience, and Skills: 

Qualifications:

• MD, PhD, or MD/PhD required; advanced clinical/scientific training strongly preferred.
• Minimum of 15 years of experience in pharma or biopharma with leadership responsibility in Translational Medicine, Biomarkers, and/or Clinical Development interfaces.
• Proven track record in:
  • Leading translational medicine organizations (strategy + execution), including building teams, developing biomarker plans, and influencing clinical development decisions.
  • Building and leading translational bioinformatics capabilities, including building teams, developing biomarker plans, and influencing clinical development decisions
  • Applying machine learning and advanced computational methods to translational datasets while maintaining scientific rigor, interpretability, reproducibility, and regulatory readiness
  • Utilizing observational cohorts, natural history studies, real-world data, and external control datasets to inform biomarker strategy and clinical development
• Deep domain expertise in one or more of the following required; experience across multiple areas strongly preferred:
  
  • Neurology / Neuroimmunology (e.g., peripheral neuropathies, neuroinflammation, neurodegeneration)
  • Ophthalmology (retinal disease drug development; imaging/functional endpoints)
  • Immunology/Rheumatology (autoantibody biology, complement-mediated disease)
• Demonstrated expertise in translational disciplines including biomarker strategy, assay development/qualification, clinical sample strategy/operations, and quantitative translational data integration, longitudinal disease modeling, biomarker response modeling, model informed drug development, clinical trial simulation, and integration of mechanistic and statistical modelsto support development decisions 
• Experience partnering with Regulatory Affairs and interacting with regulatory authorities in support of biomarker or translational strategy; experience supporting successful filings is a plus; experience with companion diagnostic development desirable
• Strong leadership and interpersonal skills, with the ability to inspire and influence cross-functional teams at all levels of the organization.
• Willingness to be In Office on a regular basis
• Excellent communication and presentation skills, with the ability to clearly articulate complex scientific and clinical concepts to diverse audiences.
• Business acumen and strategic thinking, with a focus on maximizing clinical differentiation and long-term value creation through human biology evidence.

Location: Annexon Biosciences is located in Brisbane, California and preference is given to candidates in the San Francisco Bay Area. 

Salary Range: $310,000 – $340,000 

Benefits: 

• A stimulating and rewarding workplace includes flexible work schedules, remote opportunities and the ability to achieve a work-life balance.
• Shuttle service from BART, CalTrain and the Ferry.
• Annexon offers a competitive base salary and equity participation, employee stock purchase plan, as well as a comprehensive health benefit package that includes medical, dental, vision, 401(k), flexible spending plans, and other benefits. 

Annexon Biosciences is an Equal Opportunity Employer, and we prohibit discrimination or harassment of any kind.  We are committed to fostering an environment where ALL people are welcome and supported. We cultivate a culture of inclusion for all employees that respects their individual strengths, views, and experiences. We believe that our differences enable us to be a better team – one that makes better decisions, drives innovation, and delivers better business results. Creativity and innovation flourish in an environment of openness, inclusion, and mutual respect.