Principal Scientist I/II —CAR-T Lead

Job Description Summary #LI-Onsite Location: Cambridge, MA, USA We are seeking a highly motivated PhD scientist with 1–2 years of relevant experience to join a multidisciplinary cell therapeutics discovery team within Oncology Immune Therapeutics and contribute to pioneering CAR-T cell therapies. As a key individual contributor, the successful candidate will work closely with cross-functional research partners, applying expertise in CAR-T engineering and T-cell biology to investigate novel cell therapy platforms and design, generate, and evaluate CAR constructs. The candidate will generate high-quality data that deepens our understanding of emerging CAR-T therapies, informs research and development decisions, and contributes to the design of future clinical trials. This position is ideal for a talented, results-oriented scientist who wishes to combine an interest in cancer immunobiology with a strong desire to discover and develop innovative cellular therapeutic approaches.   Job Description Key Responsibilities • Design and execute innovative research to advance next-generation CAR-T approaches, translating project objectives into experimental plans and decision criteria. • Design, generate, and evaluate complex lentiviral constructs for logic-gated CAR-T approaches. • Perform hands-on functional testing and optimization of CAR-T cells, and collaboratively develop and test novel analytical methods. • Execute cell-line engineering to develop fit-for-purpose experimental models to evaluate function and inform construct selection. • Critically analyze and integrate findings across engineering, in vitro biology, and in vivo pharmacology to inform candidate prioritization and translational opportunities. • Collaboratively drive projects to meet established timelines while maintaining the highest quality and data integrity standards. • Comply with established protocols and SOPs while performing experiments, and record and maintain meticulous records in an electronic laboratory notebook. • Contribute to drafting technical documents and, where relevant to the program, scientific content for regulatory submissions. • Present results, project updates, and recommendations to cross-functional teams, department meetings, and scientific leadership. Essential Requirements • PhD in immunology, cell biology, molecular biology, bioengineering, or a related discipline, with 1–2 years of relevant research experience. • Hands-on experience in CAR-T engineering or engineered T-cell approaches. • Expertise in ex vivo cell characterization using multicolor flow cytometry (FACS) and cytokine profiling methods such as ELISA, MSD, or Luminex. • Prior experience with immune-cell isolation techniques and the culture of primary human T cells. • Experience designing and generating lentiviral CAR constructs and interpreting functional data to guide iterative construct optimization. • Demonstrated ability to independently design and execute experiments, prioritize research activities, solve complex problems, and make evidence-based recommendations. • Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced, team-oriented environment and adapt to changing research directions and priorities. • Strong collaboration and scientific communication skills, meticulous documentation practices, and a commitment to research quality and data integrity. Desirable Requirements • Experience partnering with computational biology, target discovery, and in vivo pharmacology teams to advance engineered cell therapies. • Experience with engineered T-cell manufacturing and culture. • Understanding of synthetic biology principles applied to cell engineering. • Experience developing functional profiling approaches and experimental models that support candidate selection and