Associate Director, Mass Spectrometry & Immunopeptidomics

The Role:

We are seeking a talented, motivated and proven scientific leader to expand our capabilities and capacity for mass spectrometry (MS) and immunopeptidomic work flows across discovery and pre-clinical Cancer Vaccine Research (CVR) initiatives.  The successful candidate will be a technical expert and recognized leader in the MS/immunopeptidomics field ideally with experience in the discovery and pre-clinical development of novel medicines for cancer patients, and at minimum, an interest in being an essential partner to our CVR discovery, preclinical development and platform objectives.   A strong background in immunology, proteomics, and cancer vaccines in addition to the successful leadership of a research team in regard to scientific, technical, strategic and people management are essential to help us maximize the impact we will have on cancer patients. 

Here's What You’ll Do:

• Lead, manage and expand the MS and immunopeptidomic analysis workflows in the context of cancer vaccine research, including sample preparation, LC-MS/MS analysis, and data interpretation; for target discovery and validation, as well as related efforts to further characterize and optimize our cancer vaccine platform.

• Build internal and leverage external resources to ensure utilization and leverage of cutting edge technologies and processes.

• Develop and implement new methods and technologies to enhance immunopeptidomic analysis capabilities for the discovery and validation of tumor-associated antigens and neoantigens.

• Collaborate with the Computational Sciences team to analyze and interpret immunopeptidomic data, and integrate it with genomic and transcriptomic data to guide the design of cancer vaccines.

• Provide scientific leadership and guidance to team members, fostering an environment of innovation and excellence.

• Collaborate with other research teams to integrate immunopeptidomic data with other research areas, such as immune monitoring and vaccine efficacy studies.

• Contribute to the writing and reviewing of scientific manuscripts, grants, and patents related to cancer vaccine research.

• Present findings at internal meetings and international conferences.

• Ensure compliance with all applicable regulations and maintain up-to-date knowledge of literature in the field of cancer vaccines and immunopeptidomics.

• Serve as further nucleus and leader in our across company MS Working team (including individuals in Protein Sciences, Infectious Disease Research, Technical Development and Immune Therapeutics Discovery).

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

• PhD in Immunology, Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, or a related field.

• A minimum of 7 years of postdoctoral experience in immunopeptidomic analyses related to cancer vaccine discovery, validation and early development.

• Extensive experience with LC-MS/MS and related proteomic technologies, including in depth knowledge of state-of-the-art equipment from Bruker and Thermo Fisher.

• Proficiency in bioinformatics tools and software used in immunopeptidomic analysis.

• Strong track record of team and project leadership, and scientific publications in the field of cancer vaccines and/or immunopeptidomics.

• Excellent leadership, communication, collaboration and project management skills.

• Ability to work in a fast-paced, dynamic, team-oriented environment working on multiple projects with aggressive timelines.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience with antigen presentation and T cell biology and related assays beyond MS/immunopeptidomics in the context of cancer immunotherapy.

• Experience with other omics technologies, such as genomics and transcriptomics, in relation to cancer vaccine research.

Moderna is pleased to provide you and your family with a comprehensive and innovative suite of benefits, including:

• Highly competitive and inclusive medical, dental and vision coverage options
• Flexible Spending Accounts for medical expenses and dependent care expenses
• Lifestyle Spending Account funds to help you engage in personal enrichment and self-care activities
• Family care benefits, including subsidized back-up care options and on-demand tutoring
• Free premium access to fitness, nutrition, and mindfulness classes 
• Exclusive preferred pricing on Peloton fitness equipment
• Adoption and family-planning benefits
• Dedicated care coordination support for our LGBTQ+ community
• Generous paid time off, including:
  •    Vaca