Director, Translational Operations

About Generate:Biomedicines

Generate:Biomedicines is a new kind of therapeutics company – existing at the intersection of machine learning, biological engineering, and medicine – pioneering Generative Biology™ to create breakthrough medicines where novel therapeutics are computationally generated, instead of being discovered. The Company has built a machine learning-powered biomedicines platform with the potential to generate new drugs across a wide range of biologic modalities. This platform represents a potentially fundamental shift in what is possible in the field of biotherapeutic development.

We pursue this audacious vision because we believe in the unique and revolutionary power of generative biology to radically transform the lives of billions, with an outsized opportunity for patients in need. We are seeking collaborative, relentless problem solvers that share our passion for impact to join us!

Generate:Biomedicines was founded in 2018 by Flagship Pioneering and has received over $700 million in funding, providing the resources to rapidly scale the organization. The Company has offices in Somerville and Andover, Massachusetts with 300+ employees.

The Role:

We are seeking a strategic, execution-focused Director, Translational Operations to lead the operational backbone of our biomarker and translational science programs across the full drug development pipeline - from early discovery through late-stage clinical trials. This is a pivotal operational role and a strategic leadership position designed for a seasoned operational leader who can drive excellence across internal and external partnerships, oversee key vendor relationships, build and scale systems, and ensure scientific deliverables are met on time, within budget, and at the highest quality.

The successful candidate will play a critical role in shaping our translational operational strategy and building a best-in-class execution engine to enable cutting-edge science and clinical impact.

Here's how you will contribute:

• End-to-End Operational Oversight: Provide leadership and accountability for the operational planning and execution of biomarker and translational activities across the pipeline (early research to Phase 3).
• Vendor Strategy & Management: Lead vendor identification, selection, onboarding, and performance management across CROs, central labs, biorepositories, and sample vendors.
• Contracting & Budget Management: Own the full contracting process including work order generation, scope negotiation, budget tracking, and amendment management in partnership with legal and finance.
• Sample Operations & Tracking: Oversee biomarker sample collection, tracking, reconciliation, and chain-of-custody processes across all programs and studies.
• Infrastructure & Systems Leadership: Architect and implement internal systems and tools for sample tracking, data integration, and workflow transparency; evaluate and deploy partner/vendor platforms as needed.
• Cross-Functional Program Support: Partner with translational scientists, clinical ops, bioinformatics, quality, and regulatory teams to ensure aligned planning and execution.
• Operational Risk Management: Identify operational risks early, drive scenario planning, and implement mitigation strategies to prevent downstream delays or compliance issues.
• Process Improvement: Drive continuous improvement in workflows, documentation, and cross-team communication, promoting operational excellence and scalability.

The Ideal Candidate will have:

• Bachelor’s degree in life sciences or related field; advanced degree (MS, PhD, MBA) a plus.
• Minimum of 12 years of relevant experience with a Bachelor's degree; 10 years with a Master's degree; or 8 years with a PhD in clinical or translational operations within biotech, pharma, or CRO.
• Demonstrated leadership of cross-functional operations spanning discovery through clinical development.
• Deep experience with vendor management, sample logistics, contracting, and biomarker execution.
• Proven ability to design and implement tracking systems or tools for sample/data workflows.
• Highly organized with strong project management and prioritization skills.
• Excellent communication, negotiation, and stakeholder management skills.
• Comfortable operating in a fast-paced, ambiguous environment with a bias toward clarity and execution.

Who Will Love This Job: 

You’ll thrive in this role if you're a strategic, detail-oriented, and collaborative operator who brings clarity to complexity and energy to execution. You love building systems where there were none, take pride in managing timelines, contracts, and vendors with precision, and aren’t afraid to dive into the weeds to get things done. You think several steps ahead, anticipate risks before they emerge, and enjoy being the steady hand that keeps science moving.

Generate:Biomedicines is committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity or Veteran status.

COVID Safety:

Generate:Biomedicines enforces a mandatory vaccination policy for COVID-19. All employees must be fully vaccinated and have received a booster.  The purpose of this policy is to safeguard the health of our employees, their families, and the community at large from infectious disease that may be reduced by vaccinations.  The Company will make exceptions to this policy if required by applicable law and will consider requests for an exemption from this policy due to a medical reason, or because of a sincerely held religious belief, or any other exemptions that may be recognized by applicable.

Recruitment & Staffing Agencies: Generate:Biomedicines does not accept unsolicited resumes from any source other than candidates. The submission of unsolicited resumes by recruitment or staffing agencies to Generate:Biomedicines or its employees is strictly prohibited unless contacted directly by the Company’s internal Talent Acquisition team. Any resume submitted by an agency in the absence of a signed agreement will automatically become the property of Generate:Biomedicines and the Company will not owe any referral or other fees with respect thereto.

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