Job Description
Senior/Principal Scientist, Oligonucleotide Discovery (siRNA/ASO)
This range is provided by GondolaBio. Your actual pay will be based on your skills and experience talk with your recruiter to learn more.
Base pay range
$185,000.00/yr - $215,000.00/yr
About GondolaBio
GondolaBio is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing breakthrough therapeutics for genetic diseases. GondolaBio is an independent sister company to BridgeBio, originally carved out in 2024 after securing $300M in private financing from external investors. GondolaBio aims to leverage cutting-edge biological research to discover, create, test, and deliver transformative medicines to treat patients who suffer from genetic diseases.
Who You Are
You are a seasoned industry scientist in oligonucleotide therapeutics, with deep hands-on experience in siRNA and/or antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) discovery and early development. You have direct experience supporting one or more IND submissions, contributing preclinical, DMPK, and/or safety packages that enabled program advancement into the clinic. You bring strong scientific judgment and thrive in a collaborative, fast-paced biotech environment.
You operate as a technical leader and subject-matter expert, capable of critically evaluating oligo design strategies, assay approaches, and complex preclinical datasets. You work effectively with cross-functional partners and are able to influence program direction through rigorous, data-driven scientific insight, particularly in the context of IND-enabling decision-making.
Key Responsibilities
- Preclinical Safety & Off-Target Risk Analysis
- Lead the integration and interpretation of preclinical safety and pharmacology data, with a strong focus on off-target effects to inform program decisions.
- Partner closely with toxicology and biology teams to distinguish target-related versus off-target findings, assess dose-limiting toxicities, and evaluate overall therapeutic index and risk profile.
- Identify data gaps, recommend mechanistic or follow-up studies, and support risk mitigation strategies based on preclinical safety findings.
- CRO & External Partner Oversight
- Provide scientific oversight of CRO-executed studies, including preclinical safety, in vivo pharmacology, and supporting studies relevant to oligonucleotide programs.
- Review and provide input on study designs, protocols, data packages, and final reports to ensure scientific rigor, relevance, and alignment with program objectives.
- Serve as a primary scientific point of contact with external partners to ensure clear communication, high-quality execution, and timely delivery.
- Contribute to scientific evaluation of oligonucleotide DMPK data, including pharmacokinetics, biodistribution, tissue uptake, and durability of effect.
- Collaborate closely with DMPK teams to assess exposureresponse and PK/PD relationships, and to contextualize safety findings relative to systemic and tissue-level exposure.
- Integrate DMPK insights into cohesive preclinical and translational narratives that support candidate selection and development planning.
- Cross-Functional Collaboration & Decision Support
- Collaborate closely with chemistry, DMPK, toxicology, translational, and clinical teams to support data-driven program decisions.
- Clearly summarize and communicate complex preclinical datasets in team meetings and governance forums.
- Oligonucleotide Program Support & Scientific Oversight
- Serve as a senior scientific contributor to siRNA and/or ASO programs, providing expert understanding of oligonucleotide design strategies, chemistry, and biology without direct hands-on design or assay development responsibilities.
- Critically review and contextualize oligo design, modification strategies, and conjugation approaches proposed by internal teams and external partners.
Preferred Education & Experience
- Ph.D. in molecular biology, pharmacology, chemistry, or a related field, or equivalent advanced degree.
- 8+ years of industry experience in oligonucleotide drug discovery and/or development (siRNA and/or ASO strongly preferred).
- Demonstrated hands-on experience in oligo design, assay development, and in vitro/in vivo pharmacology.
- Prior experience contributing to programs advancing toward IND.
- Familiarity with oligonucleotide DMPK concepts, including PK/PD and biodistribution.
- Experience managing and collaborating with external CROs.
- Strong data analysis, presentation, and scientific communication skills.
Nice-to-Haves
- Exposure to conjugated oligos (e.g., GalNAc or other ligand-based approaches).
- Experience supporting translational or biomarker-related studies.
- Experience across both siRNA and ASO modalities.
- Chinese Mandarin language proficiency (spoken and/or written) is a plus.
- Prior experience in a small or fast-growing biotech environment.
No matter your role at GondolaBio, successful team members are
- Patient Champions, who put patients first and uphold strict ethical standards.
- Entrepreneurial Operators, who drive toward practical solutions and have an ownership mindset.
- Truth Seekers, who are detailed, rational, and humble problem solvers.
- Individuals Who Inspire Excellence in themselves and those around them.
- High-quality executors, who execute against goals and milestones with quality, precision, and speed.
What We Offer
- Patient Days, where we are fortunate to hear directly from individuals living with the conditions we are seeking to impact throughout the year and learn how we can improve our efforts.
- A culture inspired by our values: put patients first, think independently, be radically transparent, every minute counts, and let the science speak.
- An unyielding commitment to always putting patients first.
- A de-centralized model that enables our program teams to focus on advancing science and helping patients. Our affiliate structure is designed to eliminate bureaucracy and put decision-making power in the hands of those closest to the science.
- A place where you own the vision both for your program and your own career path.
- A collaborative, fast-paced, data-driven environment where we inspire ourselves and each other to always perform at the top of our game.
- Access to learning and development resources to help you get in the best professional shape of your life.
- Robust and market-competitive compensation & benefits package (Base, Performance Bonus, Equity, health, welfare & retirement programs).
- Flexible PTO.
- Rapid career advancement for strong performers.
- Potential ability to work on multiple GondolaBio Pharma programs across multiple therapeutic areas over time.
- Partnerships with leading institutions.
- Commitment to Diversity, Equity & Inclusion.
The base pay range for this position for the United States is $185,000 to $215,000 per year. The actual compensation offered will be determined based on a number of job-related factors, including experience, skills, qualifications, and location. A bonus plan and equity will also be offered.
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Job Tags
Full time, Flexible hours,