Strategy Liaison, Complex in vitro Systems (CiS) Group

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A member of the Roche Group, Genentech has been at the forefront of the biotechnology industry for more than 45 years, using human genetic information to develop novel medicines for serious and life-threatening diseases. Genentech has multiple therapies on the market for cancer & other serious illnesses. Please take this opportunity to learn about Genentech where we believe that our employees are our most important asset & are dedicated to remaining a great place to work.

The NAM Strategy Liaison for the Complex in vitro Systems (CiS) function will help refine and grow the strategic impact for our cutting-edge research dedicated to advancing in vitro methodologies in drug discovery and development. This position will play a key role in elevating the lab's impact by driving innovative processes, fostering collaboration, and aligning the lab’s capabilities with the broader organizational strategy. The ideal candidate has an extensive external network and is intimately familiar with 3D tissue models including organoids, microphysiological systems (MPS), organs-on-chip, and other advanced in vitro platforms and how they can be used to improve translational insights in drug development. 

Health authorities are signaling a shift towards New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) in drug development through supporting their accelerated qualification and adoption (i.e. FDA Roadmap, 2025). NAMs comprise in vitro, in silico, and in chemo approaches that can be used in drug discovery or development to increase the clinical translatability of a molecule and potentially reduce animal testing in the process. The Strategic Liaison will be at the forefront of this effort at Genentech in a pioneering role within our team, demanding a blend of strategic foresight and exemplary project execution. This role will be instrumental in bridging scientific innovation with our overarching organizational objectives.

Key opportunities in this role include:

• Join a team of leading scientists driving momentum in NAMs—collaborating internally to transform drug development and externally with health authorities, pharma, and global industries

• Deepen your expertise in this space by partnering with top-notch scientists who are actively developing in vitro NAMs coupled with complementary computational approaches that are poised to expand company-wide capabilities 

• Shape the path for identifying NAM opportunities with key stakeholders, driving implementation and measuring impact 

• Drive external presence and influence by leading and contributing to working groups in domestic/international consortia on NAMs 

• Highlight advancements of NAM science and NAM policy via peer-reviewed publications and other forms of media. 

The Opportunity:

As a member of the the Complex in vitro Systems (CiS) team, you will:

• Strategic Planning, Vision, and Leadership- Refine and implement the strategic roadmap for CiS, aligning with organizational drug discovery and development objectives. Play a key role in developing and driving an implementation strategy for measuring, implementing, and reporting key performance indicators (KPIs) of complex in vitro models broadly across Roche and Genentech with involvement of all relevant stakeholders. Partner with predictive toxicology (pTox) functional leads and therapeutic area leads to identify how CiS platforms can address unmet needs across therapeutic areas. In collaboration with the wider team and considering key stakeholder inputs, provide strategic advice on the design, qualification, and deployment of 3D tissue models, organoids, microfluidic systems, and other in vitro approaches to support drug development

• Cross-functional Collaboration- Act as a liaison between the CiS Lab and internal research teams, translational medicine, and drug discovery units to maximize the impact of strategic lab activities across projects. Facilitate partnerships with external collaborators, including academic institutions, consortiums, CROs, and regulatory agencies. Represent CiS in cross-functional forums to communicate platform capabilities, progress, and outcomes.

• Operational Excellence- Drive process improvement initi