VP Oligonucleotide Therapeutics

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Job Type

Full-time

Description

VP Oligonucleotide Therapeutics

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 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
  
  

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.