Senior Scientist, Translational Sciences

Arcellx, Inc. (http://www.arcellx.com/) is a clinical-stage biotechnology company reimagining cell therapy by engineering innovative immunotherapies for patients with cancer and other incurable diseases. Arcellx believes that cell therapies are one of the forward pillars of medicine and our mission is to advance humanity by developing cell therapies that are safer, more effective, and more broadly accessible. Our offices are located in Gaithersburg, Maryland, and Redwood City, California.

Arcellx's lead product candidate, CART-ddBCMA, is being developed for the treatment of relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma (r/r MM) in an ongoing study. CART-ddBCMA has been granted Fast Track, Orphan Drug, and Regenerative Medicine Advanced Therapy designations by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Arcellx is also advancing its dosable and controllable CAR-T therapy, ARC-SparX, through two programs: ACLX-001 for r/r MM and ACLX-002 in relapsed or refractory acute myeloid leukemia and high-risk myelodysplastic syndrome.

The scientist role is open to highly motivated candidates with a background in oncology, immunology, and translational research who are interested in working within a fast-paced biotechnology company. As a translational science strategist (TSS) based in Gaithersburg, MD, you will join a dynamic Translational Sciences team responsible for developing, implementing, and supporting translational strategy as projects move from discovery to early clinical development. The TSS will be an integral member of cross-functional project teams and will be accountable for developing and driving implementation of translational plans, identifying preclinical models with mechanistic alignment to human disease, defining the preclinical and early clinical biomarker strategy, and helping to build the early clinical development plan.

At Arcellx, we value passion, curiosity, determination, and diversity, and look for candidates who demonstrate a genuine interest in our mission and alignment with our values. 

Key Responsibilities: 

• Contribute relevant scientific expertise, strategy, and experimentally derived insights as a member of multidisciplinary project teams working to drive the preclinical to clinical translation of pipeline assets.
• Plan, design, and execute IND-enabling pharmacology, pharmacokinetic and toxicology studies by applying knowledge of disease-associated pathways, preclinical models, and drug development.
• Contribute to the preparation of IND applications and other regulatory documents, as appropriate.
• Collaborate cross-functionally to enable translation of preclinical hypotheses into clinical biomarker strategies and to guide patient stratification.
• Design and conduct studies to inform disease area strategy for target selection and validation.
• Establish and cultivate relationships with external CRO collaborators for basic and translational research.
• Analyze and interpret experimental data readouts and present results at internal meetings and scientific conferences.
• Maintain an awareness of new and emerging techniques, tools, and clinical findings relevant to the field.

Qualifications: 

• PhD, MD, or MD/PhD degree in a relevant scientific field (e.g., cancer biology, immunology, molecular biology, bioinformatics) with 0-2 years of experience in drug discovery or drug development.
• Demonstrated record of research accomplishment as evidenced by publications or major contributions to drug development milestones.
• Experience with large, multimodal data sets and familiarity with techniques for exploring associations of biomarkers with clinical outcomes.
• Strategic thinker with proven leadership skills and/or prior project team leadership roles.
• Proficiency in distilling complex issues and clearly articulating viable paths forward.

Competencies:

• Has character and integrity. Committed to always doing what’s right.
• Self-motivated and able to work autonomously. Can produce top-quality work with little oversight.
• "No job is too small" mentality. Humble and willing to help others.
• Able to build strong relationships and collaborate effectively with colleagues.
• Gives direct, candid, and respectful feedback. Can receive feedback with curiosity and without getting defensive.
• Always looking to improve and challenge the status quo. Gritty and determined.