R&D Program Lead

Marengo Therapeutics, an ATP company, is developing the First-in-Class immune activators that stimulate and expand anti-tumor T cells for long-term protection against cancer. Marengo's antibodies induce potent and durable anti-tumor responses in refractory solid tumor models and promote protective tumor immunity ("immune memory"). Marengo's lead project, a first- and -best-in-class therapy with single agent potential, is progressing to IND for several solid tumors with high-unmet medical needs. The company's advanced antibody discovery platform has also generated a pipeline of multi-specific antibody therapies with potential in multiple tumor types.

Job Summary

Marengo is seeking an exceptional R&D Program Lead to join our team. Reporting to the CMO, this is an opportunity to contribute significantly to a small, rapidly evolving company. The ideal candidate will need to understand how to plan the various aspects of a drug development program and oversee its execution across many functional areas (e.g., CMC, clinical, toxicology, discovery etc.). The ideal candidate will need to have experience driving clinical programs across all phases of clinical development across therapeutic indications.

The Program Lead, in partnership with the CSO and CMO, is responsible for managing and driving crossfunctional activities required to advance Marengo's projects from nonclinical development through regulatory submission. This individual will be responsible for providing project management expertise and support to ensure the milestones and deliverables are met and are well managed on a day-to-day basis. The successful candidate will be a highly motivated self-starter with a positive attitude who strives to overcome obstacles. The individual will have a strong Project Management and R&D background, can assimilate new information quickly and has a zest for learning.

Responsibilities and Duties

• Accountable to lead Project Team to translate the R&D project strategy into a robust, competitive development plan covering key cross-functional activities and milestones with clear go/no go decision points and associated milestones
• Defines opportunities for acceleration and manages the assumptions regarding human resources, costs, risk, schedule required to accomplish certain gains in time to next R&D milestones
• Proactively identifies and escalates business issues and considers options to manage implications and risks on project timelines, budgets, and goals
• Monitors progress against approved R&D project plans noting deviations and suggesting corrective actions
• Integrates activities with all functional lines to create alignment of program development plans with functional area plans
• Ensures project plan and other systems reflect the current project plan assumptions to enable integrated planning across the company, and tracks performance against baseline and current plan
• Works closely with financial staff on tracking of project to budget goals and projection of future project spend
• Works closely with external vendors and CROs to oversee and ensure delivery of significant pieces of work/activities that are critical to the project (e.g., outsourced CMC, toxicology and clinical studies).
• Manage program-level team and sub team meetings
• Ensures effective team function including team meetings have structure and purpose including agendas and pre-work
• Documents clear decisions/actions (minutes/decision logs) that are communicated to team members and senior management
• Identifies resource requirements and suggests ways to fill gaps within teams and across company
• Integrates compliance requirements into team operations
• Takes action to maintain effective dynamics and optimal team performance
• Ensures project information is quickly communicated to senior management, in an agreed format

Qualifications and Skills

• Minimum 5 years pharmaceutical/biotech R&D or related industry experience
• Basic knowledge of multi-disciplinary biologic (antibody) drug development required.
• Exceptional computer proficiency - advanced knowledge of and experience with MS-Office applications (including Word, PowerPoint, Excel, and Project)
• Strong written and verbal communication skills and EQ
• Undergraduate degree / advanced degree in life science or business
• Direct experience in bio/pharmaceutical Program Planning
• PMP certification
• Strong experience with Planisware and/or MS Project
• Background in risk, budget, and resource management
• Ability to effectively manage multiple projects and senior management with competing priorities