Associate Director, Pathology

Position Overview

This individual will be a core scientific leader within the Translational Sciences organization, driving the integration of anatomic pathology into early discovery, target validation, mechanistic research, and translational strategy for the company’s targeted oncology portfolio. In this highly cross-functional role, the individual will partner closely with discovery biology, translational medicine, bioinformatics, and clinical development to ensure that tissue-based science directly informs target liability assessments, translational relevance, and decision-making from concept through early clinical development.

This position requires expertise in veterinary anatomic pathology, a strong understanding of tumor biology and immuno-oncology, and a proven ability to collaborate across diverse scientific disciplines. This position will also partner directly with the internal histology laboratory to ensure high-quality tissue processing, staining, and analysis in support of discovery and translational studies.

Responsibilities

Pathology Leadership & Scientific Strategy

• Serve as the subject matter expert in toxicologic pathology, disease pathogenesis, and tissue-based biomarker science.
• Provide strategic input on target biology, model selection, target liability, in vitro/in vivo alignment, and translational relevance across multiple therapeutic programs.

Histopathologic Evaluation & Advanced Tissue Analytics

• Perform expert histopathologic evaluation of tissues from discovery, preclinical, and clinical studies to characterize target expression, pathology phenotypes, mechanism of action, and biomarker distribution.
• Apply and guide the use of advanced tissue-based platforms, including IHC, ISH, multiplex imaging, and digital image analysis, to enable quantitative and comparative biology assessments.
• Integrate pathology findings with multi-omics and in vitro model data (including co-culture systems, organoids, and other cellular models) to strengthen biological insight and translatability.
• Ensure timely, high-quality pathology deliverables, including regulatory-ready written reports, to support internal decision-making and regulatory requirements.

 Representation & Scientific Communication

• Represent Pathology and Translational Sciences in cross-functional team meetings, external collaborations, and scientific forums.
• Communicate complex pathology findings succinctly to diverse audiences, including research scientists, clinicians, senior leadership, and the public.
• Contribute to publications, presentations, and scientific strategies that showcase innovative approaches in tissue-based translational research.

Qualifications

• DVM/VMD, or equivalent.
• Board certification in veterinary pathology (ACVP/ECVP) required.
• Ph.D., PharmD, MD, or equivalent in a relevant scientific discipline (e.g. cancer biology, toxicology, molecular pathology).
• Demonstrated expertise in IHC/ISH, multiplex imaging, digital pathology tools, and interpretation of tissue-based biomarkers.
• 4-10 years’ experience in discovery, translational research, or nonclinical development within biotech, pharma, or academic research; oncology and/or large-molecule experience strongly preferred.

Knowledge and Skills

• Strong grounding in tumor biology, cancer immunology, and molecular oncology relevant to targeted therapy development.
• Experience with designing, interpreting, and reporting exploratory pathology studies.
• Experience developing and qualifying/validating comparative biomarker assays.
• Ability to evaluate translatability and target liability using in vitro and in vivo data.
• Excellent problem-solving skills and ability and desire to oversee multiple projects simultaneously in a fast-paced environment.
• Outstanding interpersonal and communication skills (written and oral) with ability to communicate complex information succinctly across diverse audiences.
• Ability to drive collaboration, achieve results, influence, and resolve conflicts across internal and external project teams.