Director / Senior Director, Research

Company

Visterra is a clinical stage biotechnology company committed to developing innovative antibody-based therapies for the treatment of patients with kidney diseases and other hard-to-treat diseases. Our proprietary technology platform enables the design and engineering of precision antibody-based product candidates that specifically bind to, and modulate, key disease targets. Applying this technology to disease targets that are not adequately addressed by traditional therapeutic approaches, we are developing a robust pipeline of novel therapies for patients with unmet needs.

Visterra is a wholly owned subsidiary of Otsuka America, Inc., which is a U.S. holding company and a wholly owned subsidiary of Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. of Japan. Visterra has approximately 110  employees and is located in Waltham, Massachusetts.

Summary

Visterra is seeking a talented and proven leader to join the team as a Director/Senior Director of Research. As a leader in the Research department, the individual will be responsible for shaping the organization’s scientific strategy, managing multiple project teams working on different indications, interfacing with academic and industrial collaborators and supporting the discovery and development of lead candidates from target selection and identification of a lead molecule to the successful submission of an IND. The successful candidate will be a collaborative team player, effective manager, critical thinker and clear communicator. The ideal candidate should have an advanced degree in immunology, biology, biochemistry or a related field and a minimum of ten years (post-graduate) of research experience in a biotech or pharmaceutical setting.

This is a full-time position located at Visterra’s offices in Waltham, MA. At Visterra, we are making a positive impact on people’s lives through better medicine with a team that champions innovation, teamwork, and perseverance.

Key duties and responsibilities

• Lead the scientific vision and execution of multiple therapeutic programs, contributing to Visterra's broader scientific strategy

• Identify and select potential kidney, autoimmunity and CNS targets to be adopted by the research department.
• Manage the scientific direction of multiple programs and communicate results to leadership

• Drive platform improvements and Visterra's capability to rapidly design/develop therapeutics by collaborating with internal and external stakeholders
• Work closely with key opinion leaders (academic and industrial) to advance Visterra’s research interests and development of therapeutics
• Effectively communicate research results and program strategies internally and externally, including presentations at scientific forums
• Organize and thrive in a fast-paced, inter-connected research setting, demonstrating institutional leadership
• Maintain expertise by actively participating in conferences and staying current with relevant literature
• Includes management of direct reports

Minimum Qualifications

• A Ph.D. or equivalent advanced degree in immunology, biology, biochemistry, or related field and a minimum of ten years (post-graduate) of laboratory-based research, preferably in industry
• Prior experience with biologics, therapeutic antibodies, and/or protein discovery and engineering
• Strong foundation in immunology
• Proven track record of leading discovery teams
• Strong data analysis skills and solid written and oral scientific communication and documentation skills
• Excellent critical thinking and analytical skills
• Detail-oriented, organized, team-oriented, enthusiastic and flexible with effective communication skills
• Possess people skills to manage a team of advanced scientists and directors

Management responsibilities: This position includes supervisory responsibilities

Travel: Possible travel to local and national conferences 

Visterra provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.