Analytical Development Biotech Jobs (NOW HIRING)

About the role

Sana Biotechnology is growing, and we are hiring new team members who believe in the potential of engineered cells as medicines, who are passionate about delivering the possible to patients, and who lead with the desire to work on novel ideas. As Associate Director, Analytical Development and Vendor Management, you will report into Translational Sciences within the Research organization and play a critical role in bridging discoverystage science with downstream development needs. This role combines handson analytical assay development with scientific leadership of outsourced analytical activities, ensuring assays are fitforpurpose, interpretable, and ready to support translational decisionmaking and program advancement. You will spend approximately 40% of your time developing and executing assays in the lab, with the remainder focused on leading external CRObased assay development and integration of internal and external data across research and translational programs.

What you'll do

• Design, develop, optimize, and execute analytical assays in the laboratory to support research and translational studies across cell and gene therapy programs (handson lab work, ~30-40%).
• Lead outsourced analytical development at CRO partners, serving as the internal scientific owner for external assay development, qualification, and data delivery.
• Define analytical approaches and success criteria to support translational questions, program milestones, and handoff to downstream development functions.
• Author and manage CRO scopes of work, technical plans, timelines, and budgets; actively manage performance, risks, and dependencies.
• Serve as the primary scientific interface with CROs, providing clear technical direction, troubleshooting guidance, and decisionmaking leadership.
• Ensure alignment and comparability between internally developed assays and externally executed methods to enable robust data interpretation and future tech transfer.
• Review, interpret, and approve analytical data generated internally and externally, ensuring scientific rigor, consistency, and appropriate documentation.
• Partner closely with Research, Process Development, Translational Sciences, and early CMC stakeholders to align analytical outputs with program needs and readiness.
• Contribute to analytical strategy development that supports translational insight generation, program prioritization, and progression toward INDenabling activities.
• Drive continuous improvement in assay robustness, experimental design, CRO engagement, and data quality across the research portfolio.

What we're looking for

• PhD with 5+ yrs, Bachelor's or MS with 8+yrs or equivalent combination of education and work experience
• 4+ years of experience in analytical development within biotech or pharmaceutical research organizations, ideally supporting biologics and/or cell and gene therapy programs.
• Proven extensive hands-on experience in various molecular and biochemical methodologies. (ddPCR, MSD, ELISA, Flow, NGS etc)
• Experience in designing and executing Assay development, qualification, and validation.
• Experience working in a GCP compliant environment
• Proven experience managing outsourced analytical work at CROs, including technical oversight and integration with internal research efforts.
• Strong understanding of assay fitnessforpurpose, data quality, and comparability in support of translational decisionmaking.
• Ability to operate effectively as both an individual contributor and a scientific leader across internal and external teams.
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to translate analytical data into actionable insights for crossfunctional stakeholders.
• Ability to proactively engage groups with diverse functions within a highly matrixed organization.

What will separate you from the crowd

• Industry experience, including working in regulatory BioA environment is a plus (GCP, GLP)
• Experience working with Clinical development and site management
• Experience with fast-paced and dynamic working environment and ability to adapt is a plus
• Experience with various molecular and cellular methods
• Experience with assay validation and qualification
• Ability to communicate, mentor, and lead

What you should know 

• The base pay range for this position at commencement of employment is expected to be between $170,000 and $210,000/year; however, base pay offered may vary depending on multiple individualized factors, including market location, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience