Director of Immune Phenotyping Platform

Job description

Title: Director of Immune Phenotyping Platform Location: Upper East Side Org Unit: MCC Laboratories Work Days: Weekly Hours: 35.00 Exemption Status: Exempt Salary Range: $236,300.00 - $287,300.00 *As required under NYC Human Rights Law Int 1208-2018 - Salary range for this role when Hired for NYC Offices Position Summary Responsible for establishing and overseeing the performance, reliability, and scalability of state-of-the-art immune readout technologies. This role ensures operational excellence through instrument and method ownership, assay set up and standardization, workflow optimization, and regulatory compliance. The Director provides cross-functionality with personalized TCR identification, T-cell engineering and clinical translation teams as well as external collaborators to deliver high quality, reproducible immune monitoring data that support translational immunology discovery and clinical translation. Job Responsibilities Establish processing and storage of cell products, PBMCs, tumor biopsies, bone marrow, plasma etc samples. Establish multiparameter flow cytometry for absolute cell counts and phenotype; CyTOF for deep state mapping; high-purity cell sorting of immune populations including tumor-reactive T cells for single-cell -omics. Establish GLP-grade TCR/CAR-T study monitoring assays including bespoke product potency and phenotype analysis; bulk TCR sequencing; VCN analysis (ddPCR); Integration site analysis; plasma cytokines/chemokine assay; plasma inflammatory proteomics; ctDNA. Establish multiparameter microscopy and segmentation-enriched WES/RNAseq immunogenetics analytics to evaluate target antigen expression heterogeneity and tumor genetic alterations mediating immune escape. Establish methods for assessing tumor antigen specificity of T clonotypes including scRNA/TCRseq; and functional HTS methods including massive parallel testing of functional reactivity to autologous tumor, organoids, cell lines, APCs, peptides. Establish a platform for massively parallel TCR cloning and pooled functional screening in reporter and primary T cells for HTS; develop downstream HTS assays of specificity and function including CTL assays. Establish assays for validation of TCR specificity, avidity (Kd, Koff, Kon), function, high-throughput peptide dilution arrays. Establish a state-of-the-art platform for evaluation of alloreactivity and unintended HLA interactions, off-target risk assessment including X-scan, random peptide libraries, library-on-library for HTS; APC lines and normal tissue in vitro surrogates. Establish methods for microscopy-based HTS and deeper cell characterization using time lapse cell imaging; imaging flow cytometry, confocal microscopy, high content imaging, cryo-expansion microcopy. Establish tissue-based immune interrogation assays including spatial -omics coupled with TCR RNAscope and capture of transferred engineered T cells. Education Master’s Degree or Ph.D. in an appropriate field. Equivalent work experience will be considered. Experience More than 10 years of related direct hands-on experience. Approximately 3 years or related experience in GLP/GMP or Pharmaceutical environments. Knowledge, Skills and Abilities In-depth knowledge of immune assay platforms including flow cytometry, ELISA, and cell-based functional assays. Strong understanding of instrument calibration, preventative maintenance, and management. Demonstrates knowledge of assay validation principles including accuracy, precision, specificity, and robustness. Familiarity with institutional and federal regulatory documentation and compliance standards. Effectively manages biospecimen handling and sample integrity practices. Knowledge of data management systems and electronic data integrity principles. Licenses and Certifications Working Conditions/Physical Demands Ability to work flexible hours, evenings and weekends, when requested for special projects. Cornell welcomes students, faculty, and staff with diverse backgrounds from across the globe to pursue world-class education and career opportunities, to further the founding principle of “any person, any study.” No person shall be denied employment on the basis of any legally protected status or subjected to prohibited discrimination involving, but not limited to, such factors as race, ethnic or national origin, citizenship and immigration status, color, sex, pregnancy or pregnancy-related conditions, age, creed, religion, actual or perceived disability (including persons associated with such a person), arrest and/or conviction record, military or veteran status, sexual orientation, gender expression and/or identity, an individual’s genetic information, domestic violence victim status, familial status, marital status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law. Cornell University embraces diversity in its workforce and seeks job candidates who will contribute to a climate that supports students, faculty, and staff of all identities and backgrounds. We hire based on merit, and encourage people from historically underrepresented and/or marginalized identities to apply. Consistent with federal law, Cornell engages in affirmative action in employment for qualified protected veterans as defined in the Vietnam Era Veterans’ Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRRA) and qualified individuals with disabilities under Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act. We also recognize a lawful preference in employment practices for Native Americans living on or near Indian reservations in accordance with applicable law.