Senior Director, Discovery & Translational De in Charlestown, Massachusetts at Solid Biosciences
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Job Description
Senior Director, Discovery & Translational Development – Solid Biosciences
Charlestown, MA
Solid Biosciences is a precision genetic medicine company focused on advancing a portfolio of gene therapy candidates targeting rare neuromuscular and cardiac diseases, including Duchenne muscular dystrophy (Duchenne), Friedreich’s ataxia (FA), catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia (CPVT), TNNT2-mediated dilated cardiomyopathy, BAG3-mediated dilated cardiomyopathy, and additional fatal, genetic cardiac diseases. We are advancing a diverse pipeline and delivery platform in the pursuit of uniting experts in science, technology, disease management, and care.
Patient-focused and founded by those directly impacted by Duchenne, Solid’s mission is to improve the daily lives of patients living with devastating rare diseases.
We are seeking a Senior Director, Discovery & Translational Development to serve as a senior scientific, translational, and people leader within the Discovery & Translational Development (DTD) organization.
This is a high-impact leadership role for an experienced drug development professional who is excited to help shape and advance a growing portfolio of genetic medicines. Reporting directly to the Head of Discovery & Translational Development, this individual will partner closely with DTD leadership to drive portfolio strategy, lead a team of scientific program leads, and help translate compelling science into disciplined development plans.
The successful candidate will lead a team responsible for multiple pipeline programs, including Friedreich’s ataxia, CPVT, emerging genetic cardiomyopathy programs, additional new pipeline opportunities, and clinical assay oversight across advancing programs. This person will be expected to bring strategic clarity, development discipline, and strong cross-functional leadership to a fast-moving organization with an expanding portfolio.
This is an opportunity to play a meaningful role in building the next phase of Solid’s pipeline and DTD organization. This role will be based out of our Charlestown HQ and require a regular on-site presence.
Key Responsibilities
Portfolio & Program Leadership
- Lead and manage a team responsible for advancing multiple discovery and translational development programs from early concept through IND-enabling readiness.
- Provide scientific and strategic leadership across programs in rare neuromuscular and cardiac genetic diseases, including Friedreich’s ataxia, CPVT, emerging genetic cardiomyopathy programs, and additional pipeline opportunities.
- Partner with scientific leads to define therapeutic hypotheses, translational strategies, development plans, critical path activities, and key decision points.
- Drive disciplined program progression through clear go/no-go criteria, risk assessment, scenario planning, and milestone-based decision-making.
- Ensure discovery and translational strategies are aligned with clinical development, regulatory expectations, CMC considerations, and portfolio priorities.
- Help translate early scientific opportunities into development-ready programs with clear strategic rationale and execution plans.
Team Leadership & Organizational Development
- Lead, mentor, and develop a high-performing team of scientific leads and translational development professionals.
- Directly manage the clinical assay leadership function and ensure clinical assay strategy is integrated into program and portfolio plans.
- Foster a culture of scientific rigor, accountability, collaboration, transparency, and disciplined decision-making.
- Help build scalable processes, expectations, and operating models for the growing DTD organization.
- Serve as a trusted partner to the Head of Discovery & Translational Development in managing team priorities, portfolio execution, and organizational growth.
Translational Strategy & Development Execution
- Oversee translational development strategies, including mechanism-of-action studies, biodistribution, dose-response, pharmacology, biomarker strategy, and proof-of-concept studies.
- Ensure preclinical models, endpoints, and assays are fit-for-purpose and aligned with the intended clinical and regulatory strategy.
- Integrate discovery, nonclinical, clinical, assay, and emerging translational data to inform program direction and portfolio decisions.
- Anticipate scientific, translational, regulatory, and execution risks and develop mitigation strategies.
- Ensure programs are designed with a clear line of sight to IND-enabling development, clinical translation, and future regulatory interactions.
Clinical Assay & Biomarker Oversight
- Provide strategic and managerial oversight of clinical assay and biomarker efforts supporting advancing and clinical-stage programs.
- Ensure clinical assay strategies are scientifically rigorous, operationally feasible, and aligned with clinical development and regulatory expectations.
Cross-Functional & Executive Leadership
- Serve as a senior DTD representative in cross-functional program teams, governance forums, and executive-level discussions.
- Partner closely with Clinical Development, Regulatory Affairs, CMC, Program & Portfolio Management, Business Development, Finance, and external collaborators.
- Develop clear, concise, and decision-enabling scientific narratives for senior leadership and governance forums.
- Help frame program options, risks, tradeoffs, and recommendations to support disciplined portfolio decisions.
- Represent DTD externally with academic collaborators, CROs, KOLs, and strategic partners.
Regulatory & Documentation Support
- Contribute to IND-enabling strategy, briefing documents, regulatory interactions, and scientific content supporting regulatory submissions.
- Ensure nonclinical and translational packages are coherent, rigorous, and aligned with agency expectations.
- Support preparation of high-quality internal and external documentation, including study reports, executive summaries, data packages, and governance materials.
Qualifications
Required
- PhD, MD, or equivalent advanced degree in a relevant scientific discipline.
- 10+ years of relevant industry experience in biotech or pharmaceutical discovery, translational development, nonclinical development, or related areas.
- Demonstrated experience leading programs, teams, or major workstreams across discovery, translational development, and IND-enabling stages.
- Proven ability to lead in cross-functional, matrixed environments spanning Discovery, Clinical Development, Regulatory Affairs, CMC, Program Management, and external partners.
- Strong ability to communicate complex science clearly, succinctly, and strategically to senior and executive stakeholders.
- Demonstrated leadership judgment, organizational discipline, and ability to drive decisions in ambiguous or evolving environments.
- Experience mentoring, managing, or developing scientific leaders or senior individual contributors.
Strongly Preferred
- Experience in genetic medicines, especially AAV-based gene therapy.
- Experience in rare genetic diseases, neuromuscular disease, cardiovascular biology, genetic cardiomyopathies, or related therapeutic areas.
- Direct experience with IND-enabling development, regulatory interactions, or preparation of regulatory briefing materials.
- Experience overseeing translational biomarker or clinical assay strategies.
- Experience contributing to portfolio strategy, governance discussions, and program prioritization.
- Comfort operating in a fast-paced biotech environment with multiple advancing programs and evolving priorities.
Compensation
The base compensation range for this role is: $260,000.00 – 305,000.00
Base salary offered is determined through an internal analysis utilizing a combination of factors including, but not limited to, relevant skills & experience, job location, and internal equity.
Regular employees are eligible to receive both short-term and long-term incentives, including cash bonus and equity incentive opportunities, designed to reward individual performance and align incentives to Solid’s long term company performance.
Benefits and Solid Advantages
At Solid Biosciences we offer a highly competitive total rewards and benefits package, intended to support all aspects of our employees’ lives and well-being. Additionally, for those employees working onsite at our Hood Park Headquarters, we offer a variety of onsite resources to support those working in our offices.
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