Principal Engineer I​/II, MSAT​/Viral Vector Downstream

Job Title: Principal Engineer I/II, MSAT / Viral Vector Downstream

Department: External CMC Operations Reports to: VP of External CMC Operations Location: Onsite 5 days per week at our Berkeley, CA office Employment Type: Full-time FLSA Status: Exempt Bonus/Equity: Eligible

About Azalea

Azalea Therapeutics is enabling precision genome engineering directly inside the body, with an initial focus on creating cancer immunotherapies
in vivo. Azalea is pioneering a new way to turn a person’s own T cells into a powerful cancer therapy — directly inside the body. Instead of removing cells and manipulating them in a lab, we use precision genome editing tools to engineer T cells where they already live. At the center of our approach are Enveloped Delivery Vehicles, or EDVs.

As highly selective couriers, EDVs are designed to specifically locate T cells within the patient and deliver our genome engineering cargo. Once inside the cell, the anti-cancer agent is inserted into a precise site in the genome, ensuring safe and potent modifications to fortify the T cells against cancers.

Why this matters:

We aim to make cell therapy faster and more accessible by avoiding complex manufacturing outside the body.

Our platform is designed for precision, so the right cells are safely programmed to effectively fight cancer.

This technology has the potential to treat a wide range of cancers with a streamlined, scalable process.

Our goal is simple:develop next-generation delivery technologies to bring genetic engineering and cell therapies to more patients.

How We Work

Azalea is building ambitious science in a fast-moving environment. The people who thrive here are accountable, adaptable, rigorous, humble, and direct. Across roles and functions, we look for team members who demonstrate the following:

Outcome Ownership - We own results, close loops, and follow through without needing to be prompted. We take responsibility for moving work forward and making sure important decisions, deliverables, and handoffs do not fall through the cracks.

Comfort with Ambiguity - We operate in an early-stage environment where information may be incomplete and priorities may evolve. We clarify quickly, make thoughtful decisions with the information available, and adapt without unnecessary drama.

High Standards, Low Ego - We care deeply about the quality of the work and the impact it can have for patients. We raise the bar while staying humble, direct, and open to feedback.

Collaboration and Candor - We share context early, communicate clearly, partner across functions, and operate with transparency. We believe strong collaboration requires both trust and direct communication.

The Opportunity

Azalea is seeking a Principal Engineer I/II, Manufacturing Science and Technology (MSAT) - Viral Vector Downstream to serve as the senior technical lead for downstream viral vector technology transfer, and manufacturing readiness. Reporting to the VP of External CMC Operations, the immediate focus for this role will be advancing the EDV and AAV manufacturing capabilities required to move pipeline programs toward first-in-human readiness, including pilot runs, engineering runs, and initiation of GMP manufacturing.

This is a senior individual-contributor role aligned with Azalea’s Principal Scientist I/II levels. The Principal Engineer will be accountable for the technical direction of a major manufacturing area, not only the execution of assigned activities. This person will work closely with the internal process development teams to define priorities, connect downstream process decisions to program and company goals, provide technical leadership across external manufacturing partners, mentor other contributors, and influence cross-functional decisions with limited oversight.

The ideal candidate is a hands-on downstream process expert who can move between detailed data analysis and broader CMC strategy. This person should be comfortable leading through influence in a lean, externally networked organization, making clear recommendations with incomplete information, and balancing speed, quality, manufacturability, regulatory expectations, and patient-focused…