Senior Director, Frontier Science — Early Infectious Disease

Job Title: Senior Director, Frontier Science — Early Infectious Disease Location: Cambridge Salary: Competitive Introduction to role: Are you ready to shape how the world sees cutting-edge infectious disease science and turn breakthrough ideas into tangible patient impact? This role is your opportunity to define the external scientific identity of a high-ambition portfolio that spans from target selection through clinical development, connecting bold discovery with real-world outcomes. You will lead three high-impact mandates that amplify our scientific voice and accelerate global health outcomes: build and execute a publication strategy that positions our scientists as leaders; drive partnerships and funding that bring our technologies to areas of greatest need; and keep the organization on the frontiers of emerging science and technology. Can you envision yourself crafting narratives that energize the field, securing grants that save lives, and spotting the next wave of innovations that close infectious-disease gaps?   In this seat, you will partner with discovery and clinical leaders, data and technology experts, and external collaborators across academia, biotech’s  and funders. You will foster an innovative culture, influence senior stakeholders, and guide teams through uncertainty, ensuring that our science is communicated with rigor, ambition and clarity.   Accountabilities: • Publication Strategy Leadership: Define and lead the end-to-end publication strategy for the portfolio, mapping each asset’s scientific story from inception through clinical development and up to patenting, with clear milestones and decision points. • Scientific Narrative and Communications: Shape compelling narratives and oversee high impact abstracts, posters and manuscripts for leading journals and major congresses, ensuring scientific rigor, timely delivery and measurable reach.   • Thought Leadership and External Positioning: Drive external scientific communication that builds excitement around our products and establishes our scientists as recognized infectious-disease leaders, anchored in transformative evidence. • Global Health Strategy and Partnerships: Lead strategy to align infectious-disease efforts with global health targets; cultivate relationships with NGOs , venture partners and philanthropic funders to translate our technologies into real-world solutions. • Funding and Grants: Systematically identify funding opportunities; write and secure endorsed grants that bring our platforms to areas of highest unmet need; set success criteria and track outcomes. • Program Delivery and Governance: Manage a portfolio of externally funded and global health projects with the mission of saving lives, ensuring robust governance, risk management, compliance and impact reporting. • Horizon Scanning and Technology Foresight: Lead continuous evaluation of emerging biotechnology and start-up science, generating early cases for next-generation technologies critical to infectious disease challenges. • Innovation Ecosystem Engagement: Maintain a special line of sight to leading countries and academic and innovation hubs; build collaborations that accelerate access to novel modalities, platforms and data capabilities. • Stakeholder Influence and Collaboration: Influence senior internal and external stakeholders to align on strategy, trade-offs and investments; communicate results, risks, uncertainties and limitations clearly and objectively. • Culture and Team Leadership: Foster an innovative, learning-oriented culture; coach teams to move with pace, think differently and integrate cross-functional expertise to maximize success.   Essential Skills/Experience: • PhD or MD or equivalent in infectious disease, immunology, microbiology, virology, mari