Associate Director, Medical Biology

Variant Bio is a Seattle-based biotech company entering a rapid growth stage having recently closed a $100mm+ Series B. The company was started because we believe that human genetics has the power to transform drug development. We are working towards developing therapies to improve global health by studying the genes of people who are outliers for medically relevant traits. To facilitate this, we have built proprietary genomics and phenotyping platforms that allow us to dramatically reduce the cost of genomic studies and identify genetically-validated targets for therapeutic development.

All of our studies are co-designed with local partners: community groups, academics, and hospitals around the world, and we built Variant Bio from the ground up with ethics at its foundation. We recognize the contribution of our partners through an industry leading benefit-sharing program that dedicates 4% of our revenue and equity value to support local healthcare, sustainable development, education, research, and capacity-building initiatives.

Variant Bio is an equal opportunity employer that guarantees a work environment that respects and values diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.

Job Description

The ideal candidate is a Ph.D. who is passionate about the potential for genetic research to improve the lives of people around the world. We are looking for an epidemiologist with broad interests in a range of human disease areas who is not intimidated by constant research and learning. The candidate will assist with the design of studies across a range of settings involving human populations, including: population outliers, phenotype extremes, clinical outliers, and adaptation studies involving unique global populations, hospital databases and repositories, and extreme environments. Responsibilities will include supporting Variant Bio's recruitment approaches in partnership with international hospital networks as well as contributing to the design of population-based genetic research projects in South America, Europe, Asia, Africa, and Oceania. Our current projects cover areas of positive adaptation to various environmental conditions with relevance to kidney disease, liver disease, autoimmune disorders, and neurodegenerative disorders.

This is a full-time position. Title will be commensurate with experience level.

Responsibilities

• Identify populations of interest based on genetic, medical, and epidemiological data.
• Design genomic drug discovery projects requiring diverse epidemiologic approaches and statistical considerations.
• Support the development of an individual and population outlier recruitment strategies.
• Contribute to modifying Variant Bio's internal phenotyping platform and database creation.
• Develop and lead internal medical questionnaire resources.
• Work closely with the Partnerships team and Variant's ethicists to ensure ethical project design and proper community consultation.

Qualifications

• PhD required with 6+ years of relevant experience in epidemiology, biostatistics, and study design required.
• Experience designing genetic and clinical research studies involving human subjects.
• Experience in establishing international scientific collaborations preferred.
• Independent, creative, detail-oriented, and a critical thinker.
• Compelled by the company's mission of great science, a strong ethical stance, and benefit sharing.

Perks

• Opportunity to be part of a startup entering a rapid growth phase grounded in ethics.
• Competitive salary and equity packages as well as a 401(k) plan that includes an automatic 3% employer contribution.
• Comprehensive benefits including medical, dental and vision with 100% of monthly employee premiums paid for by the company.
• Flexible paid time off to help employees obtain a healthy work-life balance.
• Company paid professional development opportunities to encourage career progression.
• Orca Card provided by the company for work related transportation.
• Centrally located Eastlake, Seattle location in a new Alexandria building with modern facilities, including a gym.