---
title: 'Director, Oligo Team Lead at Manifold Bio'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/director-oligo-team-lead-manifold-bio-boston-fx7psa85j698'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-10-18'
---

# Director, Oligo Team Lead at Manifold Bio

- **Company:** Manifold Bio
- **Location:** Boston, MA
- **Posted:** 2025-08-04
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-10-18
- **Apply:** https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/manifoldbio/jobs/4815948007

## Job description

Manifold Bio is a platform biotechnology company pioneering AI-guided protein design and massively multiplexed in vivo screening to unlock tissue-targeted medicines and organism-scale models of living systems. Using proprietary molecular barcoding technology, we screen hundreds of thousands of protein designs simultaneously in living systems, producing in vivo-validated datasets at a scale no one else can match. The datasets power our computational models, which leads to better drug  designs, creating a flywheel that gets stronger with every campaign. Our team of protein engineers, biologists, and computational scientists work across this full stack to pursue programs both internally and with leading pharma companies.

Position

Manifold Bio is seeking an experienced drug development leader to guide strategy and execution of our shuttled oligonucleotide therapeutics programs. You will define and execute the strategic vision for our oligonucleotide therapeutic capabilities, leveraging our proprietary shuttle screening technology to discover and develop the next generation of  tissue-targeted oligonucleotide therapeutics. This role combines technical leadership of scientific staff focused on designing, screening, and evaluating tissue-targeted oligonucleotides, with strategic leadership of cross-functional drug discovery teams advancing lead molecules toward clinical testing.

## Responsibilities

- Build and lead a fit-for-purpose oligonucleotide therapeutic discovery team that includes both internal and outsourced expertise and capabilities, as needed.
- Lead 1-2 cross-functional drug discovery project teams, collaborating closely with protein engineers, in vitro biologists, bioconjugation scientists, and in vivo biologists to discover and progress shuttled oligo-based therapeutics.
- Work with company leadership and cross-functional experts to prioritize high-value therapeutic targets for tissue-targeted oligo therapeutics.
- Define best-in-class target product profiles for tissue-targeted therapeutic oligonucleotides. Define workplans and track progress to deliver on those target product profiles.
- Closely track advances in the field and provide strategic direction for continued development and expansion of Manifold’s shuttled oligo discovery efforts.
- Clearly communicate scientific progress and challenges to team members, leadership, and internal/external  collaborators
- Establish and optimize innovative,  efficient screening and production systems that leverage Manifold’s multiplexed in vivo screening capabilities.
- Serve as oligonucleotide therapeutic subject matter expert  in discussions with potential partners, collaborators, and investors

Required Qualifications

- PhD in a relevant field (chemistry, biochemistry, nucleic acid chemistry/biology, biophysics, molecular biology, pharmacology or related discipline)
- Minimum of 10 years post-PhD experience, including experience in industry drug-discovery programs
- Diverse experience with multiple oligonucleotide modalities (ASOs, siRNAs, aptamers, mRNA), different backbone chemistries/modifications
- Knowledge of proven and emerging technologies for delivering oligo medicines to cellular targets (LNPs, passive or active targeting moieties, etc.)
- Experience progressing oligonucleotide therapies from early discovery through IND-enabling preclinical activities / early clinical development
- Demonstrated leadership of effective specialized and cross-functional scientific teams
- Demonstrated ability to mentor junior scientists
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills

## Preferred Qualifications

- Experience designing and interpreting in vitro and in vivo systems assessing oligonucleotide efficacy and safety
- Strong background in the engineering of optimized oligonucleotide conjugates, including linker discovery and bioconjugation optimization
- Experience building and/or optimizing platforms for oligo design, synthesis, and screening
- Understanding of DMPK, toxicology, developability, and CMC considerations specific to oligos
- Track record of successful partnerships and external collaborations

This Role Might Be Perfect For You If:You are energized by the opportunity to shape the future of a therapeutic modality, working at the intersection of cutting-edge shuttle technology and oligonucleotide medicine. You are a strategic scientific leader who thrives on building complex technical platforms and programs from the ground up. You combine deep oligonucleotide chemistry expertise with the vision and drive to establish new capabilities and lead cross-functional teams toward ambitious goals. You excel at balancing scientific rigor with the speed and agility needed in a dynamic biotech environment, making data-driven decisions that advance programs while managing multiple priorities and stakeholders.

If you’re excited to use unique technologies to shape an innovative drug development strategy, build meaningful industry partnerships, and contribute directly to our mission of advancing breakthrough treatments, please apply!

Base Salary Range: $195,000-239,000

This reflects the typical offer range for this role, based on experience, role scope, and internal equity. Final compensation decisions are made using a consistent leveling framework and consider the candidate’s experience, interview performance, and expected impact.

This role is eligible for:

- Annual performance-based target bonus
- Stock options
- Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage
- 401(k) plan
- Flexible paid time off and holidays
- Perks including on-site gym, onsite lunch, and commuter support

Our compensation ranges are reviewed annually to ensure alignment with market trends and internal equity. We value different experiences and ways of thinking and believe the most talented teams are built by bringing together people of diverse cultures, genders, and backgrounds.

## About Manifold Bio

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: Manifold Bio is a platform therapeutics company building the first AI-guided direct-to-vivo discovery platform to design tissue-targeted biologics.
- **Entity Type**: Private (Series A)
- **Headquarters**: Boston, Massachusetts, United States
- **Founded**: 2019
- **Founders**: Gleb Kuznetsov (CEO), Pierce Ogden (CTO), Shane Lofgren (Head of Business Development)

## Core Business
- **Primary industries**: Biotechnology, Drug Discovery, Artificial Intelligence for Protein Design
- **Target customers**: B2B – large pharmaceutical companies (via partnerships and collaborations) and internal pipeline for novel therapeutics
- **Mission or purpose statement**: “Tissue-targeted medicines, designed in vivo” – building a predictive model of living systems to enable rational design of biologics that precisely reach intended tissues.

## Products & Services
- **mDesign Engine**: Integrated platform combining AI-guided protein design with massively multiplexed in vivo screening to measure pharmacokinetics, biodistribution, and target engagement directly in living systems.
- **mCodes**: Multiplexed protein barcodes decoded via NGS, enabling high-throughput tracking of millions of protein variants in a single experiment.
- **mShuttle Portfolio**: Modular library of brain shuttles engineered and optimized in vivo to deliver payloads across the blood-brain barrier with high specificity and exposure.
- **mBER**: Open-sourced AI model for designing epitope-specific antibodies, validated in million-scale experiments. (SaaS/model, not a product per se)
- **Internal Pipeline**: Tissue-targeted biologic candidates for Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, rare CNS diseases, and cardiometabolic disease.

## Market Standing
- **Valuation/Market Cap**: Not publicly disclosed
- **Total Funding**: $78.18M (CBInsights) / $61.4M (Apollo.io) – conflicting reports; latest available data shows multiple rounds including a $15M Series A in April 2024.
- **Notable Investors/Partners**: Playground Global, Fifty Years, Amazon Web Services, and a strategic collaboration with Roche announced in November 2025.
- **Growth Signals**: Headcount grew 58.1% YoY to 54 employees; published a joint study with NVIDIA validating million-scale AI-driven protein binder design; active job postings up 100% monthly.

## Competitive Advantages
- **Direct-to-vivo platform**: Unlike most AI-driven drug discovery companies that rely on in vitro data, Manifold tests protein designs directly in living systems, capturing physiologically relevant properties like PK, biodistribution, and toxicity.
- **Massively multiplexed experimentation**: Proprietary molecular tracking (mCodes) enables simultaneous testing of millions of protein variants against hundreds of targets, closing the loop between generative AI design and experimental validation at scale.
- **High-profile collaborations**: The Roche partnership and NVIDIA validation provide external credibility and access to industry-leading resources.

## Strategic Focus
- **Expanding tissue-specific delivery**: Starting with brain (CNS) through mShuttle, then moving to peripheral tissues (adipose, cardiometabolic).
- **Building the “virtual organism”**: Integrating high-throughput in vivo data to train a predictive model of how biomolecules behave in the body, enabling fully rational design.
- **Deepening pharma partnerships**: Leveraging platform capabilities to co-develop next-generation biologics with partners like Roche.
- **Open-sourcing AI models**: Releasing mBER and other tools to attract talent, drive adoption, and set industry standards.

## Why Work Here
- **Culture**: Flat, science-driven organization where ML engineers, computational biologists, and wet-lab scientists collaborate closely. Emphasis on “hybrid computational/wet lab science” and library-guided design.
- **Growth trajectory**: 58% employee growth YoY, active hiring across AI/ML, protein engineering, biology, and operations – signals rapid scaling.
- **Work environment**: Boston-based (Seaport area), likely office-first with some flexibility; job postings don’t mention remote but roles are Boston-listed.
- **Notable perks**: Opportunity to work at the frontier of AI + biology, access to cutting-edge wet lab infrastructure, and direct impact on pipeline decisions from early discovery through IND-enabling studies.

## Sources
1. [manifold.bio](https://www.manifold.bio/) (Company website)
2. [linkedin.com](https://www.linkedin.com/company/manifold-bio) (LinkedIn company page)
3. [cbinsights.com](https://www.cbinsights.com/company/manifold-bio) (CBInsights profile)
4. [boards.greenhouse.io](http://job-boards.greenhouse.io/manifoldbio) (Careers page)
5. [manifold.bio/news](https://www.manifold.bio/news) (News – Roche collaboration, NVIDIA study)
6. [apollo.io](https://www.apollo.io/companies/Manifold-Bio) (Apollo.io revenue/funding data)

## Other roles at Manifold Bio

- [(Contract) Research Technician, Pre-clinical Pharmacology](https://feeny.ai/job/contract-research-technician-pre-clinical-pharmacology-manifold-bio-boston-w1sedywb9a2k) — Boston, MA
- [Associate Scientist/Senior Associate Scientist, In Vivo Pharmacology – Study Coordinator](https://feeny.ai/job/associate-scientist-senior-associate-scientist-in-vivo-pharmacology-study-3ptd3fq79378) — Boston, MA
- [Computational Scientist, Assay Development](https://feeny.ai/job/computational-scientist-assay-development-manifold-bio-boston-4qvj0atdygfs) — Boston, MA
- [Product Manager, AI Platform & Partnerships](https://feeny.ai/job/product-manager-ai-platform-partnerships-manifold-bio-boston-pghg83twvq9t) — Boston, MA / San Francisco, CA
- [AI/ML Research Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/ai-ml-research-engineer-manifold-bio-boston-ma-or-san-francisco-0qe65tmrvvjb) — Boston MA OR San Francisco, CA
- [Scientist, cDNA Display](https://feeny.ai/job/scientist-cdna-display-manifold-bio-boston-k20s594tsp1s) — Boston, MA