Head of Translational Biology

Earli is a BioAI therapeutics firm in Redwood City, California that programs cancer to turn against itself. Cancer cells become hyperlocal factories for potent immune therapies that are otherwise too toxic to be used systemically . Earli AI-designs synthetic genetic switches that are intravenously injected but ONLY activate in cancer cells, using non-integrating DNA in a stealth LNP. Once activated, they force the cancer cells to produce encoded proteins – T cell engagers, cytokines, agonists – that activate the immune system to kill the cancer. The hyperlocal activation avoids on-target/off-tumor effects and drives up the therapeutic index. Instead of focusing on where the drug goes , Earli changes where the drug is produced . Who You Are You share our same sense of dedication, scientific passion and entrepreneurial spirit You work well in a fast-paced and extremely focused startup environment You are not only smart, but clever and constantly think outside the box You are able to make logical decisions in an instant when there is little time to evaluate You are a natural communicator and relationship builder You stay calm under high pressure and stress You have the ability to multi-task in a serious way, with an extreme attention to detail You become a representative of the core DNA of the company through who you are The Position Earli is currently seeking a Head of Translational Biology to oversee and lead the translational/in vivo biology group. The successful candidate will have a proven track record of successfully initiating and managing pharmacology and translational science projects across oncology indications from Discovery through IND enabling studies. She/he will be responsible for working with the existing scientific leadership for the design and planning of in vivo preclinical studies to characterize the efficacy, PK/PD and safety properties of Earli’s proprietary compounds . This position will report to the Chief Scientific Officer. Primary Responsibilities Oversee and manage the Translational Biology group at Earli to support the growth and expansion of the team Proactively foster the growth of team members and identify opportunities for staff to develop into top-tier, independent pharmacology team members Help lead strategic planning and oversight of internal and external efforts to assess efficacy and safety testing of Earli’s compounds for therapeutic applications across multiple pre-clinical in vivo models. Be the key external stakeholder to select and oversee CROs to conduct GLP safety and toxicology studies Ensure the production of high-quality technical reports including statistical analyses and data integrity review to support regulatory submissions Present key findings at internal and external meetings Education Requirements: Ph.D. in Pharmacology, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Toxicology or related discipline DABT preferred, but not required. Candidates with a Pharm.D. or M.S. and 8 or more years leading nonclinical safety programs will be considered, especially with a background in the development of nucleic acid-based drugs. Required Experience, Knowledge and Skills Proven track record leading nonclinical safety and PK strategies to support development of nucleic acid therapeutics through IND filing. A deep understanding in the design of safety and efficacy studies of mRNA-LNPs (and ideally DNA-LNPs) using a multi-dose regimen. Translatability of those results into human clinical use is highly desired. Strong and documented first hand experience in leveraging standard oncology models such as syngeneic, orthotopic, metastatic and GEMM/transgenic cancer models for the use in therapeutics development Proven ability to oversee the development of new model systems. Experience working with atypical and larger preclinical cancer models is a plus. Successful demonstration of ability to rigorously analyze and interpret diverse, multidisciplinary data sets. Significant experience working with CROs to design and exe