Senior Director, Gene Editing Services

ElevateBio is a technology-driven company powering the industry forward by helping partners realize the potential of their therapies from design to commercialization. We have integrated a differentiated set of technologies, end-to-end services, and industry-leading manufacturing expertise to develop advanced therapies faster and more efficiently.

The Role:

The Sr. Director of Gene Editing Services serves as a strategic and operational leader overseeing both client-facing scientific support and the internal research and development pipeline for ElevateBio's gene editing technologies. The Sr. Director of Gene Editing Services is a leadership position at the intersection of scientific innovation and translational application. This individual provides unified strategic direction and operational oversight across two interdependent domains: external client engagement-encompassing technical consultation, project design, and collaborative deployment of genome engineering solutions and technology advancement. This role will report into the Chief Technology Officer and requires a leader who can simultaneously champion scientific excellence at the bench level and execute commercially viable strategies that position the organization as a premier provider of gene editing services across therapeutic.

Here's What You'll Do:

Strategic & Operational Leadership

• Define and execute the strategic vision for gene editing service offerings, aligning technology innovation with market demand and client needs
• Oversee end-to-end operations of the gene editing services division, including resource allocation, budgeting, and capacity planning
• Establish and monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) for both scientific output and client engagement metrics
• Drive cross-functional alignment between business development, quality assurance, and manufacturing teams

Client-Facing Scientific Support

• Serve as the principal scientific authority for high-value client engagements, providing expert consultation on experimental design, target selection, delivery modalities, and functional validation strategies
• Lead technical due diligence for partnership and licensing discussions involving proprietary gene editing platforms
• Oversee the design and execution of custom gene editing projects, ensuring deliverables meet client specifications for efficiency, specificity, and off-target profiling
• Translate complex genomic engineering data into actionable insights for clients across therapeutic, agricultural, and industrial biotechnology sectors

Internal Technology Pipeline Management

• Direct the internal technology portfolio, prioritizing programs that advance novel editing modalities, improve delivery systems, and expand targetable genomic loci
• Supervise the development and optimization of guide RNA (gRNA) design algorithms, donor template engineering, and high-throughput screening workflows
• Evaluate emerging technologies (e.g., epigenome editing, RNA editing, transposon-based integration) for incorporation into the service platform
• Oversee intellectual property strategy, including patent landscape analysis and freedom-to-operate assessments

Team Leadership & Development

• Recruit, mentor, and retain a multidisciplinary team of molecular biologists, computational biologists, and translational scientists
• Foster a culture of scientific rigor, innovation, and collaborative problem-solving
• Establish training programs to maintain team proficiency in rapidly evolving gene editing methodologies

Requirements:

Education Requirements

• Required: Ph.D. in Molecular Biology, Genetics, Genomics, Biochemistry, Biomedical Engineering, or a closely related discipline
• Preferred: Postdoctoral training with a focus on genome engineering, programmable nucleases, or functional genomics
• Advantageous: M.B.A. or equivalent business/management credential demonstrating competency in strategic leadership and commercial operations

Experience Requirements

• Minimum 12-15 years of progressive experience in gene editing, genome engineering, or related molecular biology disciplines, with at least 5-7 years in a senior leadership or director-level role
• Minimum 5 years of direct experience managing client-facing scientific services, technical account management, or collaborative research partnerships
• Minimum 5 years of experience leading teams through full project lifecycles-from target identification and construct design through functional validation and data delivery
• Demonstrated track record of managing multi-million-dollar budgets and delivering projects on time and within scope
• Proven experience with regulatory and compliance frameworks relevant to gene editing applications (e.g., FDA, EMA, USDA-APHIS guidelines)

Technical Competencies

• Deep expertise in CRISPR-Cas systems, base editors, and prime editors
• Proficiency in next-generation sequencing (NGS)-based off-target analysis
• Strong understanding of viral and non-viral delivery platforms (AAV, LNP, electroporation, RNP delivery)
• Experience with primary cell editing, and in vivo gene editing models
• Familiarity with bioinformatics pipelines for variant calling, indel quantification, and large-scale genomic data analysis
• Knowledge of GMP-compatible workflows and translational gene editing for therapeutic applications

Leadership & Professional Competencies

• Exceptional scientific communication skills-ability to present complex data to diverse audiences including C-suite executives, academic collaborators, and regulatory bodies
• Strategic mindset with demonstrated ability to identify market opportunities and translate them into scalable service offerings
• Strong publication record in peer-reviewed journals and/or patent portfolio in genome engineering
• Experience navigating intellectual property landscapes and negotiating licensing agreements
• Proven ability to operate effectively in a matrixed organizational structure
• Prior experience in a contract research organization (CRO), contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO), or biotechnology platform company

The budgeted range for this position is $240,000 - $330,000. This range is a good faith estimate of the expected salary range for this position, based on a wide range of factors including qualifications, experience and training, operational and business needs and other considerations permitted by law.

ElevateBio is committed to equal employment opportunity and non-discrimination for all employees and qualified applicants without regard to a person's race, color, gender, age, religion, national origin, ancestry, disability, veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation or any characteristic protected under applicable law. ElevateBio will make reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with known disabilities, in accordance with applicable law.