Senior Officer, Drug Discovery

Gates Foundation
Seattle
Full timeFunction: Solutions Engineering & Sales EngineeringExperience: 12-15 yearsEducation: phdSkills: ["Strategic thinking","Written and oral communication","Relationship-building","Scientific judgment","Tolerance for ambiguity"]

Drive a portfolio of HIV Frontiers investments as the primary technical partner and drug development authority. Provide scientific leadership and strategy to help grantees advance biologics and gene therapy candidates from discovery through IND and first-in-human studies. Evaluate proposals, advise on CMC and IND-enabling preclinical studies (GLP toxicology, PK/PD, biodistribution), and support regulatory pathway planning across FDA/EMA and LMIC authorities while benchmarking manufacturing science and affordability.

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Gates Foundation
Gates Foundation
13 hours ago

Senior Officer, Drug Discovery

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Last checked: 13 hours agoStatus: Live

Job Summary

Drive a portfolio of HIV Frontiers investments as the primary technical partner and drug development authority. Provide scientific leadership and strategy to help grantees advance biologics and gene therapy candidates from discovery through IND and first-in-human studies. Evaluate proposals, advise on CMC and IND-enabling preclinical studies (GLP toxicology, PK/PD, biodistribution), and support regulatory pathway planning across FDA/EMA and LMIC authorities while benchmarking manufacturing science and affordability.
Location: Seattle
Employment Type: Full time
Job Function: Solutions Engineering & Sales Engineering

Key Responsibilities

  • •Partner with team leadership to develop and implement HIV Frontiers program strategy for the portfolio.
  • •Manage and coordinate a diverse portfolio of grantee companies and institutions across development stages, including governance, portfolio reviews, and site visits.
  • •Act as the primary technical interface to grantees, providing actionable scientific and development guidance to advance candidates from discovery through IND and first-in-human studies.
  • •Evaluate letters of inquiry, grant proposals, and investment opportunities; provide written analyses and recommendations to Foundation leadership.
  • •Advise on CMC and IND-enabling preclinical studies (including PK/PD, biodistribution, and GLP toxicology) and support regulatory pathway planning with FDA, EMA, and relevant LMIC regulatory authorities.
Travel: Medium travel

Pay and Benefits

Perks:Health InsuranceDentalVisionPaid LeaveRetirement

Key Requirements

  • •PhD in pharmaceutical sciences, biochemistry, molecular biology, chemical engineering, immunology, chemistry, or a closely related field; MD/PhD or equivalent clinical-scientific training is welcome.
  • •Minimum 12–15 years of experience in preclinical drug development in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, or CDMO industry, advancing biological/advanced therapy products toward IND and first-in-human studies.
  • •Hands-on (or closely supervisory) CMC experience for biologics, including process development, analytical development, formulation, and CMC filing strategy across modalities such as gene therapy viral vectors, LNP-based nucleic acid delivery, mRNA therapeutics, recombinant proteins, or monoclonal antibodies.
  • •Direct experience with IND-enabling study design and execution, including GLP toxicology, PK/PD, biodistribution, and integration of preclinical safety and pharmacology packages.
  • •Familiarity with FDA regulatory strategy for biologics and advanced therapy medicinal products (IND, BLA) and pre-submission meeting experience.
Experience:12-15 years
Education:PhD / Doctorate
Skills:Strategic thinkingWritten and oral communicationRelationship-buildingScientific judgmentTolerance for ambiguity
Tech Stack:INDBLAGLPFDAEMALNP-mRNAViral vectorsGene therapyMonoclonal antibodiesCMC

Company Brief

Gates Foundation
A philanthropic organization that funds global health, development, education, and policy initiatives to reduce inequity and improve quality of life worldwide through grants, partnerships, and evidence-based programs.
Industry: Nonprofit
Company Size: Enterprise (1,001+ employees)
Revenue: USD 1B+
Growth: Nonprofit & NGO
Funding: Grant Funded
Headquarters: Seattle, United States
Founded: 2000
WebsiteLinkedIn