Vice President/SVP, Translational Medicine

Company Summary:

Ampersand Biomedicines is an innovative, privately held biotechnology company leading the way in developing programmed biologics that only act where they are needed in the body (www.Ampersand.bio).  Ampersand was founded in Flagship Pioneering’s venture creation engine, where companies such as Moderna Therapeutics (NASDAQ: MRNA) and Seres Therapeutics (NASDAQ: MCRB) were conceived and created.  With a strong emphasis on innovation, Ampersand cultivates a highly dynamic and entrepreneurial environment.

Position Summary:

The VP/SVP of Translational Medicine will be a key member of the executive leadership team and an important leader for the company, and will contribute to the vision, strategy, and general management of the company. S/he will lead and execute the early development strategy and will be accountable for the execution of translational medicine within the company. S/he will also be collaborating closely with the internal research team (discovery biology to in vivo pharmacology) to integrate translational medicine into development and clinical strategies. Externally, s/he will interface with key industry and academic scientific and clinical opinion leaders as well as business development and collaboration representatives. Internally, s/he will work closely with the CSO and the rest of the leadership team on strategic research and development plans. The development of disease mapping, patient centered outcomes, and integrated evidence plans for a diverse portfolio in a cross-functional matrix is considered a key deliverable. The role is at the nexus of translational and clinical research, leveraging detailed scientific, genetic, translational, and phenotype information into a development plan that supports data-rich advancement decisions for the portfolio.

S/he will lead by example and inspire with innovative scientific vision and thought leadership, promote productive collaboration, and motivate and challenge the early development organization to accomplish ambitious goals. S/he will be reporting into the CEO.

Key Responsibilities:

• The VP/SVP will be responsible for the clinical oversight of all early clinical studies, and the articulation of the strategic goals of early development.
• Set, communicate, and champion the vision, business strategy, and priorities. Manage to aggressive goals and plans that deliver strategic objectives.
• In collaboration with key stakeholders, identify, assess, prioritize, and pursue potential drug candidates through cell assays, animal and toxicology studies, and early human safety, biomarker and POC studies.
• Works closely with the Research Team in evaluating the candidate products in the preclinical stage.
• Develop and maintain mutually beneficial collaborations and relationships in the scientific community. Foster collaborative research and/or consulting arrangements to ensure external expertise is incorporated as needed to support target/candidate assessment.
• Contribute to business case (including development feasibility/pathway & commercial and/or partnership potential) to drive candidate progression to clinical development.

Qualifications:

• MD or MD-PhD, with significant related experience supporting comparable contributions, with substantial industry drug development experience and record of accomplishment.
• Experience in early-stage clinical development and translational medicine is required. Therapeutic area experience in Immunology and Inflammation is highly desirable.
• Experience with biologics drug development is highly valued. Demonstrated accomplishment in advancing compounds from preclinical to clinical development, including substantive experience and accountability for clinical biomarker strategy, IND filing and/or supplemental submissions. Deep understanding of regulatory paths.
• The successful candidate will be well-versed and experienced in translational medicine who has led, effectively, a program or team focused early clinical development.
• S/he will bring a strong scientific background and as a leader, s/he will have a proven track record of inspiring and motivating scientific teams to strive for better science for patients.
• Broad skills and experience in early-stage development with evidence of strategic, tactical and operational abilities. Strong ability to proactively identify and incorporate discovery, development, and commercial considerations into early development strategies and plans.
• S/he will bring scientific leadership with state-of-the-art knowledge of established and emerging drug targets along with an understanding of the challenges facing clinical translation for these potential new agents into meaningful clinical outcome.
• Ability to lead and execute in a nimble, entrepr