Vice President of Biology
Newark, CA, United States
Job Title: VP, Biology
We are seeking an entrepreneurial, strategic, and visionary scientific leader to join our client’s team as the VP of Biology. Reporting directly to the EVP, Chief Drug Discovery and Pre-clinical Development Officer, this critical role is part of the R&D Leadership Team. The successful candidate will be instrumental in building a discovery pipeline aimed at developing best-in-class medicines and new modalities. The individual will lead the biology team through cutting-edge scientific innovation, strategic planning, and operational excellence to expand the technology platform and generate new clinical candidates.
Key Responsibilities :
Lead the discovery biology team, overseeing target identification, discovery, and pre-clinical development to produce new clinical candidates.
Build and manage a discovery biology group, including the establishment of high-throughput discovery platforms. Develop various in vitro assays and assist with in vivo models and pharmacology experiments to support program objectives.
Provide innovative leadership in discovery biology, translating biological hypotheses into transformative medicines.
Design and lead research and drug discovery projects, including discovery biology, biochemistry, protein sciences, and cell biology.
Collaborate closely with chemistry and DMPK teams to drive discovery, lead optimization, and pre-clinical characterization of multiple candidates across various discovery programs.
Ensure effective communication and interaction between Biology, Chemistry, and DMPK Strategy teams, aligned with leadership goals.
Communicate discovery strategy and progress to executive management, the scientific board of directors, and external partners.
Expand the company’s external network of advisors and establish deep domain expertise in areas such as immunology/inflammation and hematology.
Build and lead a strong team of directors, scientists, and research associates to achieve company milestones.
Manage budgets and project resourcing effectively.
Stay up-to-date with the latest scientific advances, technologies, and trends in hematology and immunology research and development to deliver next-generation therapies.
Basic Qualifications :
Ph.D. in Biology, Biochemistry, Cell Biology, or a related field.
15+ years of experience in biotechnology and pharmaceutical drug discovery R&D.
Proven track record of success in advancing discovery programs from target validation through lead optimization and into early clinical development.
Expertise in target discovery and validation, cell biology, assay and model development, and biomarkers across therapeutic areas and target classes.
Strong focus on utilizing cutting-edge technologies to gain mechanistic insights into disease biology.
Therapeutic domain expertise in hematology, immunology, oncology, and rare diseases.
Experience with advanced peptide display technologies (e.g., phage display, mRNA display). Experience with DNA-encoded libraries for drug discovery is a plus.
Extensive experience managing CROs in drug discovery programs.
Highly engaged, self-starter with creativity, proactivity, and excellent communication skills.
Proven leadership capabilities, including guiding and motivating successful teams.
Strong communication and partnering skills, including identifying new collaboration opportunities and conducting due diligence.
Publication record in top-tier, peer-reviewed journals is desirable.
Contact : If you are a driven scientific leader ready to make a significant impact, we invite you to apply for this exciting opportunity
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