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San Diego, California, United States
Onsite
Janux Therapeutics is seeking a scientifically rigorous, hands-on leader in Translational Systems Immunology to lead immunology strategy and generate key insights for the company's expanding Adaptive Immune Response Modulator (ARM) platform. This role will connect deep T-cell and B-cell biology with integrated analysis of nonclinical and clinical datasets to clarify mechanism of action, explain clinical outcomes, and identify meaningful differentiation from contemporary T-cell engagers and cell therapies.
The successful candidate will lead an immunology group spanning computational and laboratory capabilities, personally engage with complex datasets, and partner across Research, Translational Medicine, Bioinformatics, Biomarkers, Clinical Development, and Clinical Operations. The role may be appointed at Senior Director or Executive Director based on the candidate's scope of experience, leadership record, and demonstrated impact.
Translational and Systems Immunology Strategy
• Lead immunology-focused nonclinical and clinical translational strategy for ARM programs, ensuring analyses address program-critical biological and clinical questions.
• Define immune-monitoring strategies designed to deepen understanding of mechanism of action, pharmacodynamic effects, clinical activity, durability, resistance, safety, and differentiated phenotypes.
• Translate emerging science in T-cell engagers, CAR-T, autoimmune disease, immune reset, and immunotherapy into focused hypotheses and analytical plans for Janux programs.
• Lead the identification and prioritization of key non-clinical and clinical questions that can distinguish ARM biology and performance from contemporary immunotherapy approaches (e.g. TCEs, CAR-T), and collaboratively drive integrated evidence-generation strategies across translational, non-clinical, and clinical functions to establish platform differentiation.
Integrated Data Analysis and Interpretation
• Lead and perform integrated analyses of scRNA-seq, CITE-seq, TCR-seq, high-dimensional flow cytometry, phosphoflow, cytokine, proteomic, and/or spatial datasets.
• Personally, mine datasets and direct analyses performed by bioinformatics partners to identify immunological signatures, response patterns, and mechanistic insights.
• Integrate nonclinical, translational, and clinical evidence into clear conclusions and recommendations for program teams and leadership.
• Compare Janux datasets with relevant published and competitor datasets to identify differentiated mechanisms and translational opportunities.
• Investigate mechanisms associated with efficacy, durability, resistance, cytokine release syndrome, immune exhaustion, B-cell depletion, and immune reconstitution.
Team and Cross-Functional Leadership
• Lead, mentor, and develop laboratory scientists and computational collaborators generating and analyzing immunology data.
• Partner with Research, Translational Medicine, Bioinformatics, Biomarkers, Clinical Development, Clinical Operations, Regulatory, and program leadership to align sample strategy, assays, analyses, and decision timelines.
• Communicate complex immunology findings through clear visualizations, scientific narratives, and decision-oriented presentations.
• Guide external collaborators, consultants, and CROs as needed, ensuring quality, scientific rigor, and timely delivery.
• Contribute to regulatory documents, scientific communications, and external presentations, as appropriate.
• Ph.D., M.D., or equivalent advanced degree in Immunology, Systems Biology, Computational Biology, or a related scientific discipline.
• Extensive biotechnology or pharmaceutical experience in translational immunology, systems immunology, immune monitoring, or a closely related field, with level determined by scope and leadership experience.
• Deep expertise in T-cell and B-cell biology, including activation, exhaustion, memory, depletion, reconstitution, and immune-mediated disease biology.
• Demonstrated ability to integrate complex high-dimensional datasets across non-clinical and clinical studies and translate findings into program decisions.
• Hands-on proficiency with multiple immunology data types, including single-cell sequencing and high-dimensional flow cytometry; ability to independently interrogate data is required.
• Experience leading multidisciplinary scientific teams and influencing in a matrixed drug-development environment.
• Excellent scientific judgment, communication, and presentation skills, including the ability to explain complex data to varied audiences.
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, evolving biotechnology environment and balance strategic leadership with hands-on scientific contribution.
• Experience with T-cell engagers, CAR-T or other cell therapies, bispecific biologics, autoimmune disease, hematologic malignancies, or immune-reset approaches.
• Experience with CITE-seq, TCR-seq, phosphoflow, proteomics, spatial profiling, and integrated multi-omics analysis.
• Experience designing clinical immune-monitoring strategies and supporting early clinical development.
• Working knowledge of bioinformatics workflows and experience managing bioinformaticians or external computational partners.
• Publication or presentation record demonstrating scientific leadership in translational or systems immunology.