Senior Director, Cancer Vaccines Research

The Role:

Moderna is a candidate to join our Cancer Vaccines & Bioinformatics Research organization, providing scientific and enterprise leadership for mechanistic immunology research in support of clinical-stage therapeutic cancer vaccine programs. This role focuses on defining how Moderna’s mRNA platform technologies engage and shape anti-tumor immunity through in vitro and preclinical studies led within this team, with study design and prioritization guided by available human translational insights to help elucidate vaccine activity, resistance mechanisms, and/or tumor–immune dynamics.

In this role, the Senior Director will apply mechanistic insights generated from preclinical models and emerging human data to help shape the vision and direction for next-generation product concepts, working in close partnership with colleagues in Oncology Bioinformatics, Translational Research, and Translational Medicine. The role further requires envisioning and directing the generation of preclinical evidence needed to support regulatory filings and/or new product concepts to enable data-driven updates to clinical strategies.

This position will interface closely with Clinical Development, Regulatory, Translational Research, CMC, and Program teams to ensure that mechanistic questions central to vaccine performance are actively pursued and integrated into the broader development narrative.

As a senior scientific voice within the organization, the role requires strong executive presence and the ability to represent Research in clinical program governance (including intismeran), portfolio reviews, and enterprise-level strategic discussions. The Senior Director is expected to role model effective leadership behaviors, embody Moderna’s leadership mindsets, and serve as a cultural ambassador who fosters trust, collaboration, and scientific excellence across the organization.

Success in this role requires a mechanistically driven immunologist with deep experience in immune-oncology, a strong foundation in platform and systems-level thinking, and a demonstrated track record of authoring and supporting successful regulatory filings (including INDs, CTAs, and BLAs) and engaging effectively in health authority interactions. The ideal candidate brings a proven ability to lead teams executing rigorous, hypothesis-driven research while translating mechanistic insights into clear, credible regulatory and development narratives.

The Senior Director will lead and develop a high‑performing, high‑impact team while also operating effectively beyond formal reporting lines—building bridges across functions, influencing program direction, and ensuring mechanistic insights are embedded into development strategy, regulatory narratives.

• Develop and execute the plan to define how the mRNA/LNP platform interfaces with the immune system to effect tumor control in support of clinical-stage therapeutic cancer vaccine programs, with accountability for in vitro and preclinical data generation and interpretation.
• Translate mechanistic insights from preclinical experiments into clear implications for clinical program strategy, differentiation, and risk assessment.
• Represent Research as a senior scientific leader within INT program governance, portfolio reviews, and other cross-program decision-making forums.
• Contribute scientifically to mechanistic components of IND, CTA, and BLA submissions, including direct engagement in health authority interactions.
• Partner closely with Oncology Bioinformatics, Translational Research, Translational Medicine, Clinical Development, Regulatory, CMC, and Program teams to ensure mechanistic insights are integrated into development and regulatory narratives.
• Lead, mentor, and develop a high-performing team while influencing effectively across the matrix to shape long‑term platform and pipeline evolution.

• PhD or MD/PhD in immunology, tumor immunology, or a closely related field.
• 11+ years of industry or applied research experience in immuno‑oncology
• Deep expertise in the biology of immune activation/T cell function/tumor immunology / immune oncology,…