VP, Oligonucleotide Therapeutics
Palo Alto, CA
About GondolaBio
GondolaBio is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing next-
generation therapeutics for genetic diseases. Originally launched as BridgeBioX, a subsidiary of
BridgeBio, GondolaBio secured $300M in private financing from external investors in 2024 and
became an independent company within the BridgeBio ecosystem. The company aims to
leverage cutting-edge biological resea0rch to create breakthrough medicines addressing high
unmet needs across multiple therapeutic areas, including neurology, pulmonology, cardiology,
nephrology, and endocrinology. Located on the Stanford Life Sciences campus, GondolaBio
fosters a unique hybrid environment where top scientists from around the world collaborate with
senior leadership and advisors, blending industry expertise with academic innovation.
Who You Are
You are an accomplished leader in oligonucleotide drug discovery and development, with a
strong track record of advancing oligonucleotides (conjugated and unconjugated) from concept
through development candidate (DC) nomination and into IND. You bring deep expertise in
assay development, oligo design, and translational research, and you thrive in owning programs
end-to-end. While hands-on when needed, you excel at setting scientific vision, leading cross-
functional execution, and ensuring rigorous decision-making in a lean, high-impact environment.
Key Responsibilities
• Program ownership: Serve as program owner for oligonucleotide discovery and
development programs, driving them from target validation through DC nomination and IND
submission.
• Oligo design and development: Lead the strategy and execution for antisense
oligonucleotides and siRNAs, with a particular emphasis on conjugated oligos (e.g., GalNAc,
peptide, antibody, or other ligand-based conjugates).
• Assay development: Establish and oversee cellular and biochemical assays to evaluate
oligo potency, specificity, uptake, trafficking, and mechanism of action. Ensure assay
platforms are robust, scalable, and reproducible.
• Conjugation biology: Partner closely with chemistry and delivery teams to design and
optimize conjugated oligos; directly contribute to design hypotheses and screen conjugates
in relevant cellular and in vivo models.
• Development candidate nomination: Drive scientific packages and cross-functional decision-
making to select and nominate oligo development candidates for IND-enabling studies.
• IND-enabling leadership: Guide IND-enabling biology and translational strategy, integrating
preclinical data, biomarkers, and mechanistic insights into regulatory filings.
• Translational strategy: Build and apply translational models that connect preclinical findings
with human biology. Develop and integrate biomarker strategies to guide dose selection,
patient stratification, and early clinical readouts.• Cross-functional leadership: Lead and inspire cross-functional program teams, ensuring
alignment across biology, chemistry, DMPK, CMC, toxicology, and clinical groups to deliver
on program objectives.
• External collaboration: Evaluate and manage CROs and academic partnerships to
accelerate program timelines while ensuring scientific rigor and data quality.
• Regulatory support: Provide biological and translational expertise to regulatory documents,
including IND packages, Investigator’s Brochures, and briefing books.
Preferred Education & Experience
• Ph.D. in molecular biology, pharmacology, or related field, or equivalent advanced degree.
• 12+ years of experience in oligonucleotide drug discovery and development, with at least 5
years in a leadership role.
• Strong track record of nominating oligonucleotide development candidates and driving
programs into IND.
• Expertise in assay development, in vitro and in vivo pharmacology, and
translational/biomarker strategy.
• Demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional programs through IND-enabling studies.
• Regulatory-facing experience strongly preferred.
Nice-to-Haves
• Experience spanning both antisense and siRNA modalities.
• Exposure to multiple conjugation approaches (GalNAc, peptides, antibodies, lipids).
• Direct experience building translational packages and biomarker plans for early-phase
clinical development.
• Proven ability to scale teams and capabilities in a fast-paced 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