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Director/Sr. Director of RNA Biology

Boston, MA

About us:

Ascidian is redefining the treatment of disease by rewriting RNA.

Ascidian Therapeutics was founded to rewrite RNA by editing and replacing human exons. We were inspired by ocean creatures, called Ascidians, who are primordial ancestors of vertebrates. To grow from larvae to adults, ascidians re-engineer their transcriptome through RNA editing via trans-splicing and alternative splicing.

In our Brighton/Boston labs, RNA biology meets today’s cutting-edge genomics, computational biology, and deep-sequencing technologies to create a new class of medicines that address the underlying causes of disease. We welcome you to come join our vibrant team and help us lead the way into a new gene therapy era.

Who are we looking for?

We are seeking a talented and highly motivated leader with a deep understanding of molecular biology, RNA splicing, RNA regulation and processing, and ribonucleoproteins to enable transformative drug discovery. You will have deep technical knowledge, a strategic mindset, and clear, forwarding-thinking leadership in molecular biology and targeting RNA for the treatment of human disease, with a proven track record of leveraging modern synthetic biology innovation and expertise of RNA metabolism in early-stage drug discovery. As part of the Research Leadership team, you will lead a team of high-performing scientists to advance the current research pipeline. This role will be pivotal in shaping the company's scientific strategy and ensuring its successful execution.

This role requires working onsite 5 days per week in our Brighton, MA office.

Your contribution to Ascidian

Provide strategic and technical leadership in the integration of synthetic and molecular biology and answer scientific questions pertaining to RNA exon editing mechanisms of action at the molecular, biochemical, cellular, and tissue level to establish sequence- and structure-activity information while ensuring alignment with the company's overarching vision and objectives.  Advance and expand Ascidian’s state-of-the-art technologies in RNA exon editing to advance differentiate drug candidates.

  • Collaborate with the leadership team to define and refine the scientific strategy, ensuring its alignment with business goals.
  • Develop and deploy novel strategies to enable the collection of robust and reproducible data from highly multiplexed in vitro and in vivo experiments.
  • Liaison across research, technical development, and clinical teams to advance the Ascidian RNA exon editing platform and therapeutic area programs.
  • Mentor and guide research scientists, fostering a culture of collaboration, innovation, and excellence.
  • Contribute to technology development that expands Ascidian’s portfolio of proprietary capabilities.
  • Establish partnerships with academic institutions and other third parties to leverage emerging technologies and models. 

What you need to succeed

  • PhD in molecular and cell biology, biochemistry, bioengineering, genetics, or a related field.
  • 8+ years in biotech, academic leadership, or related industry with a focus on being technically excellent, strategic and innovative. 
  • Demonstrated leadership in RNA biology, RNA processing, ribonucleoprotein structures and their interactions, adhering to the utmost scientific rigor and integrity.
  • Proven track record of publications in high-impact journals or significant industry contributions. 
  • Strong familiarity with AAV and/or non-viral gene therapy technologies
  • Experience in guiding teams in the deployment of synthetic and molecular biology tools to answer fundamental mechanistic questions and advance scientific discovery. 
  • Strong entrepreneurial mentality with a can-do attitude, hands-on approach, working in close collaboration with internal and external teams.
  • Exceptional communication skills, with the ability to convey complex ideas to diverse audiences. 
  • Established network within the, academic, biotech and computational biology communities, is preferred. 

Life as an Ascidian

We provide a vibrant startup environment where every employee contributes to our culture and science. We offer a generous total rewards plan that includes competitive compensation, stock options, and benefits. Our benefits include a top-tier health and wellness plan, generous parental leave, commuter reimbursement or paid monthly parking, tuition or loan reimbursement, career development opportunities and so much more.

If you feel energized by what you read here, but are not sure you meet every requirement, please consider applying! We believe diverse backgrounds lead to innovative thinking that enables effective treatment for millions of patients. Above all, we are looking for the right person with skills and talent to grow the company all while enriching your professional and scientific experience.

Benefits:

We provide a vibrant startup environment where every employee contributes to our culture and science. We offer a generous total rewards plan that includes competitive compensation, stock options, and benefits. Our benefits include a top-tier health and wellness plan, commuter reimbursement or paid monthly parking, tuition or loan reimbursement, career development opportunities and so much more.

A final note - we highly encourage you to apply for our position, even if you are not sure you meet all the requirements. Everyone has unique talents, and at Ascidian, we look not only at your experience but your potential. We know that the best teams consist of diverse backgrounds, so please apply!

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