About the role
Profluent is an AI-first protein design company. Founded in 2022, we develop deep generative models to design and validate novel, functional proteins to revolutionize biomedicine. Based in Emeryville, CA, we are backed by leading investors including Altimeter Capital, Bezos Expeditions, Spark Capital, Insight Partners, Air Street Capital, AIX Ventures, and Convergent Ventures, and have raised over $150M to date. Profluent is seeking a rigorous and highly collaborative Associate Director - Director to lead in vivo pharmacology strategy and execution for our customized base editor therapeutics. You will oversee rodent and non-human primate (NHP) studies designed to evaluate editing activity, delivery, biodistribution, durability, tolerability, biomarker response, and translational potential. The successful candidate will serve as the in vivo pharmacology lead on cross-functional program teams, partnering closely with gene editing, protein engineering, delivery, computational biology, bioanalytics, translational science, and external CROs. You will generate and interpret decision-quality in vivo datasets that guide editor selection, dose strategy, candidate nomination, and IND-enabling development plans. This is an excellent opportunity to help build the in vivo pharmacology function for a new class of AI-designed gene editing medicines and to shape how Profluent advances therapeutic candidates from discovery into development.
Responsibilities Lead in vivo pharmacology strategy for Profluent’s customized base editor programs, spanning rodent and NHP studies from early proof-of-concept through candidate nomination and IND-enabling planning. Initial programs will focus on liver-targeted therapies for inborn errors of metabolism, with opportunities to expand into extrahepatic indications over time Design and oversee studies evaluating editing efficiency, delivery performance, tissue biodistribution, exposure, dose response, durability, pharmacodynamic biomarkers, tolerability, and translational relevance Serve as the in vivo pharmacology representative on cross-functional program teams, translating complex datasets into clear recommendations for program strategy, candidate selection, dose rationale, and development path Lead and manage external study execution with CROs and vivarium partners, including protocol development, vivarium operations, vendor selection, study monitoring, sample logistics, data QC, troubleshooting, and report review Partner with bioanalytical, molecular biology, computational, and translational teams (or CROs) to integrate NGS, ddPCR/qPCR, RNA/protein, histology, clinical chemistry, cytokine, immunology, and other study readouts Build scalable in vivo pharmacology capabilities, including study design templates, decision criteria, CRO/vendor workflows, sample management processes, and data review standards Contribute to regulatory-facing pharmacology packages, including summaries of study design, dose selection, biodistribution, pharmacodynamics, durability, and translational rationale Mentor researchers and help establish a high-performing, collaborative, and analytically rigorous in vivo pharmacology function
