Career Areas
EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT
Feel our passion for creating transformative results.
We have a strong belief that the results of our work have potential to create positive change. But we think it’s best to hear from our employees regarding the kind of impact you can make with Atara—and why it matters.
Quality
Bethany Frey
Specialist QA
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Why did you join Atara?
I joined Atara because the company’s mission of transforming the lives of patients with serious medical conditions aligns perfectly with my passion for making peoples’ lives better and is the reason I pursued biomedical science as a career. Also, I’ve been interested in immunology and biotechnology since I was in college and I was very excited to join a company that is actively pioneering breakthroughs in these fields.
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What excites you about your role?
The thing that excites me most about my role is that it presents me with numerous opportunities to learn and grow. I am able to leverage my experience and skills to deliver consistent results and support production, while also being challenged to tackle new projects and learn new things.
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What inspires you on a daily basis?
I am inspired on a daily basis by the knowledge that the work I’m doing can have meaningful impact to individuals with serious medical conditions and their families, and that I am playing a part in that.
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Which TRAIT value do you relate to the most?
One of Atara’s values is accountability, and to me that means having the privilege of being entrusted with the ownership of my projects and my contributions to Atara’s mission. Being accountable for my work and accountable to my coworkers motivates me to work hard and makes me feel like I am an equal player in a team effort.
Research
Sharon Chen
Sr. Scientist
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Why did you join Atara?
Atara has a promising platform for allogeneic T-cell therapy. I also see a strong commitment in Atara’s leadership team to transform the treatment of cancer and autoimmune diseases to improve patients’ lives. The company fosters a culture of transparency, respect, accountability, integrity, and trust while tackling the world’s most complex challenges.
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What excites you about your role?
My job allows me to contribute to the research and development of novel therapies that can have a meaningful impact and that means a lot to me.
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What excites you about our Science?
Atara is a leading player in the allogeneic cell therapy field that seeks to harness the power of the immune system to develop novel treatments for patients with cancer and autoimmune diseases. The non-gene editing approach of using EBV specific T cells for allogeneic cell therapy really differentiates us from other platforms.
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What excites you about your function?
In my function, I get to work with talented people, constantly learning new things, solving problems, and working on the forefront of scientific discovery to accelerate innovations.
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What TRAIT value to you relate with the most?
Accountability is very important to me. It means taking ownership and responsibility for each task’s completion. With accountability, growth can occur, and trust can be built toward added value and ultimately overall success.
IT
Jonathan Lantz
Computer Systems Analyst
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Why did you join Atara?
I was looking for a fresh start at a new location. Although I moved primarily for the warmer weather, I couldn’t be more grateful for discovering a great company like Atara.
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What excites you about your role?
What excites me is the opportunity to help streamline the business process and workflows that can make the company more efficient.
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What excites you about your function?
Being with a group that is not afraid of change, and uses the latest, greatest cutting-edge technology to solve problems efficiently.
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What excites/inspires you to be part of Atara?
What excites me is the opportunity and potential of what Atara can and will become, by pushing boundaries in the cell therapy industry.
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Which TRAIT value do you relate to the most?
One of our values is Integrity. Although I feel all the values overlap and complement each other, I feel Integrity is the glue that holds them all together.
Clinical Development
Heather Kidman
Manager, Cell Therapy Operations
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Why did you join Atara?
I was eager to be a part of a smaller company with a higher-level platform and to obtain experience in cell therapy.
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What excites you about your role?
In my specific role, I get to be on the front lines of cell selection all the way through their treatment journey.
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What inspires you on a daily basis?
I really enjoy the environment at Atara. The opportunity to be able to work with such fantastic professionals in the industry has allowed me to grow professionally and learn so much about T-cell therapies.
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What excites you about your function?
Knowing that my role at Atara can help make a difference in patient’s lives is very inspiring and rewarding to me.
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What excites/inspires you to be part of Atara?
This company inspires me because Atara is a company that is deeply committed to the well-being and professional development of its employees.
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What excites you about our Science?
Atara’s off-the-shelf approach is cutting-edge science and it’s exciting to be part of a leading allogeneic T-cell company.
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What TRAIT value to you relate with the most?
Integrity and Accountability. To me that means being able to collaborate and consult weekly with the cross functional teams across the Atara portfolio to ensure one common goal.
Process Sciences
Eden Tekeste
Sr. Research Associate
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Why did you join Atara?
I joined Atara because I saw a unique investigational approach to targeting cancer and autoimmune diseases with advanced technology. Allogeneic T-cell immunotherapy could potentially treat different types of diseases that were hard to treat before. I want to be part of that by learning, growing, and doing my part in the development process in giving hope to patients.
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What excites you about your role?
Being part of the Process Development organization gives me the opportunity to design the process and characterization to be used in manufacturing.
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What inspires you on a daily basis?
Working in collaboration with my colleagues inspires me the most, where I can share ideas and get their feedback in a positive environment. We are the Atara-family, and we care and support each other dearly.
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What excites/inspires you to be part of Atara?
Atara has great values where my voice and opinion matters. I also have the flexibility to do my work that best fits my schedule. We are always included in company news, celebrations, and all-hands meetings to get current updates.
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What excites you about our Science?
The most exciting part about our science is the technology used. Using bioreactors and high-tech instruments make our daily work exciting and adventurous. From designing experiments to using special programming to analyzing data in different ways and methods.
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What TRAIT value to you relate with the most?
One of the TRAIT values is INTEGRITY, and to me that means to always have a “patients first” mentality in doing what is right. In addition, I always try to incorporate all the TRAIT values in my daily work because they all go together one way or another.
FUNCTIONS
Explore our many roles. Help achieve one major objective.
Our quest is to discover, create and deliver breakthrough biotherapeutic solutions through pioneering science, teamwork and a commitment to excellence. Yet we contribute in many different and engaging ways. Regardless of role, you’ll play an important part in helping us to realize our long-term objectives and do work of significance and impact.
Platform Sciences & Development
Find your potential in our Platform Sciences and Development Organization where you will work as one team harmonizing communication, collaboration and accountability across Preclinical, Early Platform Research, Translational, Process and Analytical Development and Viral Vector.
Tech Ops
Maximize your talent and ambition with Technical Operations. This cross-functional support team features opportunities in Process Sciences, Viral Vector, Supply Chain and Quality.
Research & Development
Within Research & Development, we pursue the discovery, creation and delivery of new treatments designed to fight cancer and other autoimmune conditions. Play a vital role in HEOR/Epi, Safety, Regulatory Affairs, Medical Affairs, Clinical Development or Program/Project Management.
General Administration
Provide the support our teams need to create targeted treatments for cancer and other autoimmune diseases as part of our General Administration team. Whether you contribute in Finance, People, IT or Legal, you’ll help to advance our mission.
Internship
Join a team that never stops learning.
Atara is committed to partnering with graduate and undergraduate programs to find the most promising talent. We begin recruiting in the fall for internship programs that take place the following summer. These opportunities feature real-world projects and the potential to build a career with our innovative organization.