Senior Director, Immunology

General Summary

The Senior Director, Immunology will oversee multiple research programs and initiatives that support the research and development of the Vertex portfolio, and collaborate closely with manufacturing, process and analytical development colleagues to support the development of advanced therapies. This role will be responsible for driving execution of current projects and leading the identification of new opportunities. This individual will help define and drive immunology research strategies, lead the development of novel immunomodulatory approaches to enable transformative advances in allogeneic transplantation, and provide scientific leadership across a diverse portfolio of discovery and development programs.

Through deep scientific expertise, strategic vision, and exceptional communication and influencing skills, this role will shape research direction, guide critical investment and development decisions, and foster cross-functional collaboration to advance the company’s cell and genetic therapy pipeline. This is a Boston based ONSITE position.

• Serve as Research Program Team Lead for 2+ programs driving cross-functional collaboration and alignment to achieve program goals
• Develop strategy and build capabilities to advance novel, next gen drug discovery in T1D
• Provide scientific, strategic, and organizational leadership for immunology research and drug discovery programs supporting the cell and genetic therapy portfolio
• Develop and execute innovative immunomodulatory and translational immunology strategies to advance allogeneic transplantation and other immune-mediated therapeutic opportunities
• Lead cross-functional teams to identify, validate, and advance novel therapeutic targets and candidates from discovery through development while ensuring timely, high-quality execution and communication of research results
• Shape research and portfolio strategy through deep immunology expertise, data-driven conclusions, emerging scientific advances, and balanced pursuit of innovation against defined project objectives
• Build and maintain productive collaborations across internal functions and with external academic, clinical, industry, and pharma partners
• Manage group resources, budgets, hiring, staff activities, and goal setting to align scientific capabilities and personnel priorities with department and corporate objectives
• Mentor and develop high-performing scientists while fostering scientific rigor, technical excellence, ethical publication and patenting practices, and clear communication across the organization

• Deep scientific expertise in immunology, immunology-driven drug discovery, and translational science, including biomarker development and clinical application of preclinical findings
• Proven ability to advance therapeutic programs from target discovery through candidate selection across modalities, including cell and genetic therapies, biologics, small molecules, and nucleic acid-based medicines
• Strong scientific judgment and strategic thinking to shape portfolio strategy, guide investment decisions, and identify productive in vivo, ex vivo, and translational approaches
• Experience leading cross-functional and matrixed teams to execute complex experiments, communicate results effectively, and influence stakeholders across the organization
• Expertise in pharmacological and immunological models of autoimmunity, allo-transplantation, type 1 diabetes, allo-islet transplantation, and immune response analysis in murine, non-human primate, and human systems
• Advanced technical expertise in cellular and molecular immunology methods, such as multicolor flow cytometry, ex vivo immune cell culture and functional assays, immunohistochemistry, immunophenotyping, ELISA, cell sorting, RNA-seq, epigenetics, and complex dataset analysis
• Exceptional communication, presentation, and leadership skills, with demonstrated ability to mentor talent, develop teams, and represent high standards of scientific integrity and organizational practice

PhD/MD (or equivalent degrees) in immunology, molecular biology, cell biology, molecular pathology, or related…