Senior Manager, Cell Journey Operations

About Autolus

Autolus is a biopharmaceutical company, advancing innovative therapies at both clinical and commercial stages of development, focused on next-generation, programmed T cell therapies for the treatment of cancer. Using a broad suite of proprietary and modular T cell programming technologies, the company is engineering precisely targeted, controlled, and highly active T cell therapies designed to better recognize cancer cells, break down their defence mechanisms, and eliminate these cells. Autolus has a pipeline of product candidates in development for the treatment of haematological malignancies, solid tumours, and autoimmune diseases.

Why Autolus

Our team is passionate in the pursuit of excellence and in pushing the boundaries of cancer therapy and autoimmune diseases to deliver life-changing treatments to patients. While working at Autolus you will enjoy a flexible, diverse, and dynamic working environment which actively promotes creativity, leadership, and teamwork. In addition to this Autolus is proud to offer a competitive salary, performance-related bonus as well as private medical insurance, life insurance, and 401-k program.

Our Promise

Autolus is developing complex, breakthrough therapies for a globally diverse market and equally recognizes that diversity amongst our people is critical to our mission. As we draw on our differences, what we’ve experienced, and how we work, we celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.

Role Summary

The Senior Manager, Cell Journey Operations will oversee a team of Cell Journey Operations Managers and Specialists responsible for managing the transportation and logistics throughout the cell journey for both clinical and commercial treatments. Responsibilities include direct and indirect team leadership, managing the relationship with third-party couriers, and engagement with Autolus’ manufacturing site(s). Success in this role will require considerable initiative, proactive planning, real-time logistics problem-solving, and a focus on exceptional customer service to ensure smooth operations and agility in maintaining dynamic cell journeys. Meeting these responsibilities will require close collaboration between authorized treatment centers and internal Autolus functions, including Manufacturing Scheduling and Supply Chain Logistics, to ensure that each patient visit and their CAR T-cells are coordinated seamlessly and effectively through their cell journey.

The Senior Manager, Cell Journey Operations will lead her/his geographically separated team to collaborate with department members and key stakeholders across regions to meet department priorities. Patient Scheduling and Logistics (PSL) is part of Patient Cell and Logistics Management (PCLM), within the Product Delivery Organization (PDO). The Cell Journey Operations team within PSL will operate 7 Days/Week through a varied shift structure. PSL provides 24/7/365 support through standard shift structures and on-call coverage.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead a team Cell Journey Operations Managers and Specialists to execute the Patient Scheduling and Logistics strategy to achieve Autolus' clinical and commercial goals.
• Directly manage and indirectly oversee the transportation and logistics required for cell journeys in both clinical trials and commercial settings.
• Serve as the primary contact and relationship holder for third-party logistics couriers managing Apheresis and Drug Product shipments, and routinely seek to improve courier performance.
• Act as a lead and/or Subject Matter Expert in departmental projects or cross-functional efforts, which may include Commercial and Clinical teams, Treatment Centers, Manufacturing, Logistics, Quality, or other partner organizations.
• Forecasts requirements for and drives distribution of contingency shippers to Treatment Centers.
• Tracks and manages vendor spend through routine review, invoice processing, and coordination with Logistics, Finance, and Procurement.
• Identify and resolve issues or barriers which impact scheduling, logistics and coordination execution, building expertise in troubleshooting and problem management with less experienced team members.
• Provide a first and second-level point of escalation for the Cell Journey Operations team and others within Patient Scheduling and Logistics.
• Training, task and daily operations supervision and line management of other members of the Cell Journey Operations team.
• Act as a functional expert for the cell orchestration platform (Ocellos), providing real-time support for internal and external users.
• Recruit and develop a team with a multi-tiered leadership structure to ensure that team operations meet or exceed all expectations while providing input for improvement efforts.
• Deliver exceptional customer service in every interaction, whether via phone or written communication.
• Highlighting industry practice or legislative changes and reviewing against company procedures to maintain operational quality and delivery.
• Ensure compliance with GxP processes and requirements, maintain patient confidentiality, and adhere to Data Protection requirements.
• Participate in and/or lead the development, review, and implementation of departmental SOPs and processes, as well as documentation for formal discrepancies and deviations.
• Lead and attend internal and external team meetings, as scheduled and necessary.
• Share a rotating on-call schedule with the team after-hours on weeknights and weekends to support live operations. Any required work during unscheduled days/company holidays will be compensated with alternative time-off.
• Travel up to 15% of working time.