GondolaBio Service Co, Inc. - VP Oligonucleotide Chemistry presso GondolaBio Service Co, Inc.

VP, Oligonucleotide Chemistry  

Palo Alto, CA  

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 an accomplished leader in oligonucleotide chemistry and medicinal design, with a deep understanding of oligonucleotide synthesis, modification, conjugation, and structure–activity relationships. You have a proven record of advancing oligonucleotide candidates (antisense, siRNA, and other modalities) from design through optimization, scale-up, and IND-enabling studies. 

You thrive in a hands-on, fast-paced environment and enjoy close collaboration across disciplines, particularly with biology, CMC, and delivery sciences. You bring scientific rigor, creative problem-solving, and a passion for applying chemistry to address unmet medical needs.  

Key?Responsibilities 

• Define and lead the chemical design strategy for oligonucleotide therapeutics for GondolaBio’s programs, collaborating closely with the Head of Oligonucleotide Therapeutics. 
• Drive selection, design, and optimization of oligonucleotide chemistries (backbone, sugar, and base modifications) to achieve potency, stability, delivery, and safety goals. 
• Advise on sequence selection and modification patterns to improve nuclease resistance, pharmacokinetics, and tissue specificity. 
• Collaborate with CMC to ensure efficient discovery to development transitions related to synthetic route design, process chemistry, and scale-up. 
• Evaluate and implement emerging oligo modalities, including conjugates (e.g., GalNAc, peptides, antibodies, lipids), self-delivering chemistries, and stereopure or gapmer designs. 
• Partner with CMC, delivery, and biology teams to integrate chemistry strategy with pharmacology, biodistribution, and translational insights. 
• Identify, evaluate, and manage CRO/CDMO partnerships for synthesis, analytical characterization, and manufacturing of oligonucleotides. 
• Provide focused chemistry leadership on oligonucleotide programs, from early concept through development candidate nomination and IND submission. 
• Maintain deep awareness of the state of the art in oligonucleotide chemistry and apply emerging innovations to GondolaBio programs. 
• Embrace and role model GondolaBio’s values of scientific rigor, collaboration, and patient focus. 

Preferred Education & Experience  

• Ph.D. in organic chemistry, medicinal chemistry, or chemical biology, or equivalent advanced degree. 
• 12+ years of experience in oligonucleotide medicinal chemistry, including 5+ years in a leadership role. 
• Proven track record of advancing oligonucleotide programs from discovery to IND-enabling stages. 
• Expertise in chemical modifications (e.g., PS linkages, 2' modifications, PN linkages, stereopure designs). 
• Demonstrated success in collaborating with biology and translational teams to link chemical design with therapeutic effect. 
• Familiarity with CMC scale-up, analytical characterization, and regulatory documentation related to oligonucleotide manufacturing. 
• Experience managing CROs/CDMOs and building chemistry capabilities in a lean, biotech environment. 
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with ability to clearly articulate chemistry strategy to cross-functional teams and leadership.  

Nice-to-Haves  

• Experience across antisense, siRNA, and emerging RNA-based modalities. 
• Hands-on expertise with conjugation chemistries (GalNAc, peptides, antibodies, lipids). 
• Experience developing solid-phase synthesis processes for oligonucleotides. 
• Background in structure–activity relationships (SAR) for oligo therapeutics. 
• Familiarity with regulatory expectations for oligonucleotide CMC and analytical documentation. 

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 is $290,000 to $340,000 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.