About Us:

Founded in 2017 by a team from Harvard Medical School and UCSF, Autonomous Therapeutics is developing new classes of target-activated medicines from pandemic influenza to metastatic cancers.

Our platform is built on a simple idea: precision therapeutics that only activate in diseased cells and avoid healthy cells.

We are looking for a hands-on in vivo cancer biologist to join our growing team of 25 PhD scientists and engineers with a 20,000 sq ft R&D facility in Rockville, Maryland.

The Role:

Imagine developing a chemotherapy that only targets cancer cells and avoids healthy cells.

This role is focused on the in vivo development of these next-generation therapeutics that would fundamentally alter the selectivity index of cancer medicines.

The position combines:

• Model development (e.g., in vivo metastatic cancer models)
• Surgery-based orthotopic cancer models
• Therapeutic safety and efficacy modeling
• Cancer immunology

You will work under the direction of the Head of In Vivo Biology and regularly present to senior scientific leadership, including the CEO and CSO.

About You:

You’re a hands-on and creative in vivo cancer biologist, who wants to radically improve the safety and efficacy of existing cancer medicines (especially for often untreatable metastatic cancers).

Required Qualifications

• PhD (or equivalent experience) in cancer biology, immunology, or a related field
• 4+ years of in vivo research experience in academia or industry
• Demonstrated expertise executing technically challenging in vivo studies, including survival surgeries and/or orthotopic cancer models
• Comfort working in a fast-paced, highly collaborative startup environment

Nice to Have (Not Required)

• Experience with liver, metastatic, or advanced solid tumor models
• Experience with immune-competent and/or immune-deficient cancer models
• Familiarity with immuno-oncology, cell therapy, or other cutting-edge therapeutic approaches in preclinical models
• Familiarity with GLP-like rigor or regulated research environments
• Experience contributing to translational or IND-enabling datasets

Ultimately, your specific cancer biology area of expertise matters less than your creativity and drive.

What You’ll Do

• Establish clinically relevant metastatic tumor models to test and optimize first-in-class cancer medicines
• Perform technically demanding in vivo procedures, including survival surgeries and orthotopic tumor implantations, in accordance with approved protocols
• Analyze and interpret survival, tumor burden, imaging and immunology readouts (e.g., flow cytometry, IVIS/BLI), and PK/PD data
• Work closely with our team to plan studies, troubleshoot experiments, and iteratively improve therapeutic designs

Why Join Autonomous Therapeutics:

• Work on first-in-class oncology therapeutics developed in-house
• Join a deeply driven and collaborative team that values rigor, ownership, and mentorship
• Competitive salary and equity packages
• Health, dental, and vision insurance
• 401(k) with employer matching

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $90,000.00 – $150,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• 401(k) matching
• Dental insurance
• Flexible schedule
• Health insurance
• Paid time off
• Relocation assistance
• Stock options
• Vision insurance

Work Location: In person