Vice President, Engineering

Vice President, Engineering

New York, NY; Boston MA; San Francisco, CA

About Formation Bio

Formation Bio is a tech and AI driven pharma company differentiated by radically more efficient drug development.

Advancements in AI and drug discovery are creating more candidate drugs than the industry can progress because of the high cost and time of clinical trials. Recognizing that this development bottleneck may ultimately limit the number of new medicines that can reach patients, Formation Bio, founded in 2016 as TrialSpark Inc., has built technology platforms, processes, and capabilities to accelerate all aspects of drug development and clinical trials. Formation Bio partners, acquires, or in-licenses drugs from pharma companies, research organizations, and biotechs to develop programs past clinical proof of concept and beyond, ultimately helping to bring new medicines to patients. The company is backed by investors across pharma and tech, including a16z, Sequoia, Sanofi, Thrive Capital, John Doerr, Spark Capital, SV Angel Growth, and others.

At Formation Bio, our values are the driving force behind our mission to revolutionize the pharma industry. Every team and individual at the company shares these same values, and every team and individual plays a key part in our mission to bring new treatments to patients faster and more efficiently.

About the Position

We're looking for a Vice President of Engineering to lead and grow the team that builds the AI-native software platform behind our drug development engine. Reporting to the CTO, you'll partner closely with leaders across Clinical, R&D, BD, and Data Science to translate hard biological and operational problems into computational leverage.

This is a builder's seat. We're past the era where AI is something you bolt on to engineering — we're actively rethinking how teams are shaped, how work flows, and how engineers spend their time when agents handle a meaningful share of the build. We want a leader who is excited to do that rethinking with us, not someone looking for the next predictable VP step.

Responsibilities

• Set the technical vision for an engineering organization that prioritizes high-leverage computational capability over feature factories.
• Design and evolve how the team uses agents, MCP-based tool orchestration, and LLM-integrated systems — not just for developer productivity, but as a fundamental shift in how engineering work gets done.
• Partner with the CTO, Data Science, and the broader leadership team to translate clinical and BD bottlenecks into engineering bets that move asset value.
• Ship LLM-integrated features and autonomous agents into production in support of R&D, clinical operations, and trial execution.
• Build platforms for ingesting and operationalizing complex external, clinical, and biological datasets — the foundation our Data Science partners rely on.
• Embed engineers inside Business Development, Clinical, and R&D so technology partners with the science from the start.
• Own GxP-validated clinical environments and automated security and compliance — making rigor a property of the platform rather than a checkpoint.
• Hire, mentor, and shape an engineering organization of 15+ with high talent density, refactoring team structure as the work itself evolves.

What You Bring

• An AI-native point of view. You have hands-on experience shipping LLM- or agent-powered systems that own meaningful workflows in production, and you have a clear perspective on how AI is reshaping the role of the engineer and the shape of engineering teams over the next few years.
• Deep biotech or pharma context. Ideally you've led engineering inside an in-house drug development organization and understand the rhythm of the drug-development lifecycle — clinical trials, GxP environments (GCP, GLP, GMP), and the kinds of decisions a sponsor makes about its own assets. Adjacent experience (CRO, EDC, diagnostics, devices) is welcome if you can articulate how it transfers to a sponsor context.
• 10+ years across software and data engineering, with meaningful time as a hands-on builder before stepping into leadership, and a track record managing 15+ engineers in technical, interdisciplinary settings.
• Comfort operating as a peer to clinical, BD, and commercial leaders — including the ability to engage in BD diligence, asset-level ROI conversations, and the business of drug development.
• A driver's posture. You shape the agenda rather than wait for it. You reason from first principles, push back constructively on the leadership team, and bring an opinion about where engineering should go next.
• Mission alignment. You care about solving the drug-development bottleneck and want your engineering work to compound into better outcomes for patients.

Total Compensation Range: $347,000 - $435,000

Individual compensation is determined by several factors, including role scope, geographic location, and skills & experience. Your offer will reflect where you fall within the range based on these considerations. In addition to base salary, we offer equity, comprehensive benefits, and generous perks. If the posted range doesn't match your expectations, we still encourage you to apply!

Formation Bio is prioritizing hiring in key hubs, primarily the New York City and Boston metro areas, with a hybrid model requiring 3 days per week in office. Applicants from the Research Triangle (NC) and San Francisco Bay Area may also be considered. Please apply only if you reside in these locations or are willing to relocate.

Formation Bio is committed to building a diverse and inclusive team. We are an equal opportunity employer and welcome candidates from all backgrounds. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, ancestry, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, and related medical conditions), gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, disability, genetic information, marital status, military or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law.