Senior Scientist, Translational Immunology

ImmunityBio, Inc. is a late-stage immunotherapy company developing a broad pipeline of next-generation therapies that drive immunogenic mechanisms for defeating cancer and infectious disease. The company's immunotherapy platform is designed to activate both the innate (natural killer cell and macrophage) and adaptive (T cell) immune systems to create long-term "immunological memory." The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has accepted for review ImmunityBio's resubmission of its Biologics License Application (BLA) for N-803, a first-in-class IL-15 superagonist, plus Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) for the treatment of BCG-unresponsive non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer carcinoma in situ (CIS) with or without Ta or T1 disease, and has set a user fee goal date (PDUFA date) of April 23, 2024.

Why ImmunityBio?

• ImmunityBio is developing cutting edge technology with the goal to transform the lives of patients with cancer and develop next-generation therapies and vaccines that complement, harness and amplify the immune system to defeat cancers and infectious diseases.

• Opportunity to join an early-stage public biopharmaceutical company with a headquarters in Southern California.

• Work with a collaborative team with the ability to work across different areas at the company.

• Ability to join a growing company with development opportunities.

Position Summary

The Senior Scientist, Translational Immunology will be responsible to advance the scientific direction for a better understanding of cell therapy products. The role will develop and implement strategies to assess the generation of NK cell therapies (both autologous and allogenic cell therapy) that will be sustained for product development. Areas of focus for the Senior Scientist will include leukapheresis, NK cell enrichment, immunological characterization and functional attributes of engineered NK-cells. This position will operate in a matrixed environment that spans multiple functions, including Translational Research, Process and Analytical Development, quality control and Manufacturing Operations.

Essential Functions

• Act as Subject Matter Expert to identify opportunities for improvement and growth in NK and T cell research space.

• Contribute to design, development and execution of protocols for T/NKT/NK cell isolation and enrichment.

• Collaborate with different teams to execute product development programs and overcome obstacles with structured troubleshooting methods.

• Design and execute new experimental approaches that assist with continuous improvement of process tools.

• Maintain current knowledge on best-practice biopharmaceutical philosophies and approaches to biological process control and maintain a current understanding of worldwide regulatory expectations.

• Develop new concepts and mechanisms of testing using a translational based approach

• Lead the development of analytical test methods to characterize the NK product quality including flow cytometry-based methods, plate-based reporter, dd-PCR, RT-qPCR and other immunological assays.

• Documentation of observations and data analyses with meticulous attention to detail, according to Good Documentation Practices (GDP), and Good Laboratory Practices (GLP) where applicable.

• Prepare reports for internal use, regulatory filings, and tech transfer.

• Author batch records, NK characterization study reports, SOPs and technical documents.

• Perform other duties as assigned.

Education & Experience

• Ph.D. with 5+ years of experience or MSc with 7+ years of experience in immunology, cell biology, biochemistry or biological sciences.

• Minimum of 3 years of post-PhD experience in pharmaceutical industry or academic institution with prior scientific and technical leadership responsibility.

• Experience with primary lymphocyte experimentation is required.

• Experience with immune and oncology related cell types including subset of T cells, NK cells, memory T cells, regulatory T cells, NKT cells, and transformed tumor cells.

• Experience with technologies typically employed to assess immune cell growth, dynamics and functional characteristics such as, IncuCyte, dd-PCR, Isolight, ELISpot, flow cytometry, MSD and ELISA.

Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities

• Comfortable in a fast-paced small company environment with minimal direction and able to adjust workload based upon changing priorities.

• Self-motivated and detail-oriented

• Ability to think critically and demonstrate troubleshooting and problem-solving skills.

• Ability to interpret and apply ICH guidance, cGMP, USP, regulatory requirements and industry best practices.

• Excellent interpersonal, verbal and written communication skills

• Excellent skill in DOE, Microsoft word, Excel, Jmp, Prism and data analysis

Working Environment / Physical Environment

• This position works in a lab environment.

• This position does bench work in a laboratory.

• Frequently working on a computer for data analysis

• Occasionally lifts 11 - 20 lbs.

$117,000 (entry-level qualifications) to $148,000 (highly experienced)

The application window is anticipated to close on 60 days from when it is posted or sooner if the position is filled or closed.

ImmunityBio employees are as valuable as the people we serve. We have built a resource of robust benefit offerings to best support the total wellbeing of our team members and their families. Our competitive total rewards benefits package, for eligible employees, include: Medical, Dental and Vision Plan Options • Health and Financial Wellness Programs • Employer Assistance Program (EAP) • Company Paid and Voluntary Life/AD&D, Short-Term and Long-Term Disability • Healthcare and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts • 401(k) Retirement Plan with Company Match • 529 Education Savings Program • Voluntary Legal Services, Identity Theft Protection, Pet Insurance and Employee Discounts, Rewards and Perks • Paid Time Off (PTO) includes: 11 Holidays • Exempt Employees are eligible for Unlimited PTO • Non-Exempt Employees are eligible for 10 Vacation Days, 56 Hours of Health Pay, 2 Personal Days and 1 Cultural Day • We are committed to providing you with the tools and resources you need to optimize your Health and Wellness.

At ImmunityBio, we are an equal opportunity employer dedicated to diversity in the workplace. Our policy is to provide equal employment opportunities to all qualified persons without regard to race, gender, color, disability, national origin, age, religion, union affiliation, sexual orientation, veteran status, citizenship, gender identity and/or expression, or other status protected by law.

ImmunityBio is a mandatory vaccination employer for COVID-19 and its variants. The Company requires that its employees be fully vaccinated as of their start date. If you require a medical or religious accommodation we will engage in the interactive process with you. Proof of vaccination will be required prior to start. If we make you an offer and you are not yet vaccinated, we will accommodate a delay in start date. ImmunityBio may also mandate that its employees receive vaccine boosters, and all accommodation laws will be followed.