Head of Vector Development
uniQure is dedicated to bring innovative therapies or unmet medical needs to patients. In doing so each function in uniQure is directly or indirectly responsible for the lives of patients. This responsibility should be part of our day-to-day working life by (i) living up to high quality standards and (ii) by recognizing the sense of urgency in areas of high medical need.
The Vector Development Group is responsible for developing new and improved technologies for delivery of advanced genetic therapies focused on the development of novel AAV capsids. We are seeking an exceptional candidate to lead our efforts to develop the next generation of transgene delivery vehicles collaborating closely with an experienced team of scientists, reporting directly to the Chief Scientific Officer. Current activities are focused on improving biodistribution, particularly targeted CNS tropism (as well as organ de-targeting), improved safety profile, low immunogenicity and good manufacturing properties.
The Head of Vector Development will also be instrumental in collaborating with our Business Development team to identify and access external innovation to further enhance our leadership position in gene therapy through external collaborations. They will be part of the Research Leadership Team contributing to the research strategy, supporting the whole scope of AAV product development by delivering new technologies and gain better understanding of the AAV capsid biology leading to the development of better gene therapy for the patients.
Key result areas (major duties, accountabilities and responsibilities)
- Lead the AAV Vector Development Team and provide exemplary scientific leadership for the company’s AAV research programs to drive forward the overall corporate strategy.
- Managing a highly qualified team of Scientists based in Amsterdam, you will be instrumental in their development, fostering a culture of creativity to drive innovation, collaboration and a sense of urgency to meet the company’s patient focused mission.
- Lead continued innovation in payload / cargo design, building inter-departmental collaborations.
- Actively contribute to the process of selecting, prioritizing, and accelerating the development of projects and technologies.
- Contribute to the discovery, protection, and expansion of our intellectual property portfolio.
- Responsible for ensuring data integrity throughout the Capsid Engineering team, collaborating with all Discovery Research Scientists to ensure testing of novel vectors in most optimal model system (in vitro and in vivo), including plasmid nomenclature and archiving.
- As required, represent the team and activities to senior management, the company’s Board of Directors and as a company expert for external stakeholders in the scientific and investment communities.
Liaise with Legal, Finance, CMC, Business Development and other internal teams to ensure alignment on company strategy and resources.
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- PhD or MD/PhD preferably within a relevant scientific discipline.
- The ideal candidate is a highly motivated individual with significant scientific experience in leading, developing, and mentoring a team of scientists with a track record of novel promotor/payload/expression design to advance therapeutically oriented AAV gene therapies.
- Significant years of proven scientific experience , preferably trained within the field of molecular biology, gene therapy, virology, biochemistry from within both the academic and pharmaceutical setting.
- Enthusiastic, solution driven, can-do attitude incorporating uniQure’s core values for effective operation in an entrepreneurial and science-driven company environment.
- The ability to lead innovation, out of the box thinking to devise innovative scientific exploration, data analysis and interpretation, requiring a sophisticated scientific and business judgement to ensure the prioritization and application of resources in an efficient manner.
- Strong communication and interpersonal skills acknowledging the multicultural working environment required to successfully lead and manage activities in a global matrix organisation.