Director, Preclinical Project Development and Strategic Lead

Director, Preclinical Project Development and Strategic Lead

Somerset, New Jersey, United States

Legend Biotech is a global biotechnology company dedicated to treating, and one day curing, life‑threatening diseases. Headquartered in Somerset, New Jersey, we are developing advanced cell therapies across a diverse array of technology platforms, including autologous and allogenic chimeric antigen receptor T‑cell, T‑cell receptor (TCR‑T), and natural killer (NK) cell‑based immunotherapy. From our three R&D sites around the world, we apply these innovative technologies to pursue the discovery of safe, efficacious and cutting‑edge therapeutics for patients worldwide.

Legend Biotech entered into a global collaboration agreement with Janssen, one of the pharmaceutical companies of Johnson & Johnson, to jointly develop and commercialize ciltacabtagene autolecuel (cilta‑cel). Our strategic partnership is designed to combine the strengths and expertise of both companies to advance the promise of an immunotherapy in the treatment of multiple myeloma.

Legend Biotech is seeking a Director, Preclinical Project Development and Strategic Lead as part of the Early‑stage Drug Development team based in Somerset, NJ
.

The Preclinical development and strategic lead is responsible for planning, executing and overseeing preclinical development projects of Legend. He or she will be responsible for managing a cross‑functional team, ensuring adherence to IND submission timelines, budgets and regulatory requirements and acting as central point of communication between stakeholders to advance Legend drug development efforts.

• Preclinical IND enabling study oversight
  • Work closely with program teams to develop preclinical IND strategies. Accountable for preclinical IND study delivery and quality
  • Developing and manage project plans, timelines, budgets and resources for preclinical IND programs
  • Coordinate and monitor preclinical studies, including in vitro and in vivo studies, ensuring alignment with program goals
  • Track project progress, identify risks and implement mitigation strategies to maintain timelines and deliverables
• Cross‑functional collaboration
  • Serve as a liaison between internal departments (e.g., research, toxicology, pharmacology, CMC, regulatory affairs) and external partners (e.g., CROs)
  • Facilitate communication and collaboration among multidisciplinary teams to achieve project milestones
  • Ensure preclinical studies comply with relevant regulatory guidelines (e.g., GLP, FDA, EMA)
  • Prepare or support the creation of regulatory submissions, including pre‑IND packages and investigator brochures
• Data Management and Reporting
  • Oversee data collection, analysis and documentation for preclinical studies
  • Prepare project reports, presentations and summaries for internal and external stakeholders
• Vendor and Budget Management
  • Identify, evaluate and manage relationships with contract research organizations (CROs) and other external vendors
  • Negotiate contracts, oversee budgets and ensure high‑quality deliverables from external partners
• Strategic Input
  • Contribute to the design and development of preclinical study strategies to support clinical translation
  • Provide input on program development based on emerging data and scientific trends

• PhD in biology and biochemistry or related field
• At least 10 years of relevant work experience, including a minimum of 5‑8 years of preclinical research and development experience in the pharmaceutical or biotech industry. Experience in IND submission of cell or therapies.
• Familiarity with preclinical drug development processes, regulatory guidelines and GLP standards
• Preclinical project lead in IND submission
• Strong organizational and project management skills, with the ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills for cross‑functional collaboration and stakeholder engagement
• Knowledge of regulatory requirements and preclinical study design principles
• Experience in preclinical research, especially in cell therapy preclinical development is preferred
• Experience working with CROs and managing external collaborations
• Certificati…