Job title: AcelaBio - Director, Translational Sciences
Department: AcelaBio
Team: AcelaBio
Location: San Diego, California
All locations: San Diego, California
Work type: Full-time, Permanent
Workplace type: onsite
Salary range: USD 160000 – 200000; per year
We're looking for a Director of Translational Sciences to join our exciting AcelaBio team! As a key member of the expanded leadership team, this role blends scientific leadership and oversight for AcelaBio’s Scientific Operations function, encompassing assay development, digital image analysis, and bioinformatics in support of global clinical study and R&D activities.
Aligned with AcelaBio’s vision, you'll develop and executes strategies to expand scientific service offerings and enhance service delivery quality through the design, development, validation, and operationalization of novel assays, image analysis pipelines, and computational tools that continuously advance AcelaBio’s scientific capabilities. You'll take on the challenge of ensuring scientific rigor, reproducibility, and overall quality of deliverables are achieved in a financially sustainable manner.
This leadership role involves oversight of the Scientific Operations team’s day-to-day technical activities, including managing scientific staff and ensuring compliance with regulatory standards. As a recognized subject matter expert, you'll still be directly engaged in complex technical work.
You'll own department leadership accountabilities, specifically scientific policy and process development, quality and compliance monitoring, staff resource planning, development and performance management, and providing scientific support and expertise to project and unit teams with sponsors/clients throughout the project life cycle.
AcelaBio is executing a planned restructuring with the build out of corporate operations independence from its sister organization, Alimentiv. We are looking for experienced talent who have navigated corporate transitions, restructuring, or startup scaling. If you have thrived during carve-outs, separations, or moments when an organization reset its processes and identity, we want to hear from you. This is an opportunity to shape how a profitable, growing business operates independently—from systems and compliance to culture and strategy.
About the Role
Scientific & R&D Leadership
- Maintain oversight of scientific operations for assay development, digital image analysis, and bioinformatics commercial and R&D programs, ensuring alignment with organizational strategies and client needs.
- Lead the design, development, optimization, and validation of immunostaining including multiplex IHC/IF, ISH, and spatial biology assays, image analysis pipelines, and computational/bioinformatics tools.
- Drive innovation initiatives to expand and differentiate AcelaBio’s scientific service portfolio.
- Ensure scientific rigor, reproducibility, and regulatory alignment (GxP, CAP/CLIA) across all commercial project and R&D activities.
- Perform hands-on assay development work, including designing, optimizing, and validating IHC, multiplex IF, ISH, and spatial biology assays particularly for novel or high-complexity projects.
- Directly develop and validate image analysis algorithms and pipelines for priority programs, maintaining technical depth alongside oversight of the broader team’s development work.
- Serve as the assigned lead scientist on select sponsor projects, taking direct technical ownership of assay and image analysis deliverables as required.
Team Leadership & Development
- Build, lead, and mentor a team of scientists and technical staff supporting assay development, image analysis, and bioinformatics.
- Manage staffing, resource planning, performance management, and professional development for direct reports.
- Foster close collaboration between the Scientific Operations team and the Laboratory, Project Operations, and Business Development team to ensure seamless delivery of scientific services.
- Serve as a role model and mentor, promoting a high-performing, collaborative scientific culture.
Client & Scientific Engagement
- Foster high quality, well-functioning client relationships throughout the project life cycle.
- Serve as the senior scientific point of contact for sponsors, act as a point of escalation as required and support staff in troubleshooting and issue resolution.
- Represent AcelaBio’s scientific capabilities at client meetings, industry conferences, and scientific forums as required.
- Support business development through RFP responses, scientific proposal development, and bid defense activities.
- Review and approve analysis plans, validation reports, study reports, and technical/scientific documentation.
Operational & Strategic Contributions
- Participate as a member of the leadership team in departmental and organizational strategic planning.
- Develop and manage the Scientific Operations budget in coordination with the Executive Team.
- Maintain awareness of industry trends, competitive landscape, and emerging technologies to inform capability development.
- Ensure compliance with quality systems, SOPs, and regulatory requirements across all scientific deliverables.
What we're looking for
- Ph.D. or M.Sc. in pathology, cell biology, molecular biology, bioinformatics, biomedical engineering, or a related scientific discipline.
- 10+ years of experience in assay development, digital pathology/image analysis, and/or bioinformatics within a CRO, biopharma, or regulated research environment.
- Proven scientific and strategic leadership experience, with a track record of translating vision into innovative, scalable solutions and business impact.
- Deep technical expertise in one or more of the following areas: immunostaining/IHC, multiplex IF, ISH, spatial biology, digital image analysis, and bioinformatics, with a demonstrated ability to remain hands-on in complex scientific work.
- Experience building, leading, and developing high-performing scientific or technical teams in a fast-paced, growth-oriented environment.
- Strong client-facing skills, including the ability to communicate complex scientific concepts to a range of technical and non-technical stakeholders and build trusted partnerships.
- Working knowledge of assay validation requirements and regulatory frameworks, including GxP and clinical research standards.
- Proven ability to lead cross-functional initiatives and collaborate effectively across scientific, laboratory, operational, and commercial teams to deliver impactful results.
$160,000 - $200,000 a year
+ Bonus Eligible
AcelaBio also offers:
- Comprehensive health package for all full-time, permanent employees (medical, dental, vision, STD, LTD)
- 401K matching program
- Generous time off in accordance with experience (up to 20 days for new employees, sick days in addition to PTO (up to 5 per year), 2 personal days per year
- A variety of additional monetary and non-monetary programs to support you, including a cash-based employee referral program, flex-working policies, etc.
We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses and identifying potential inconsistencies or verification signals in application materials based on available information. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.