Principal Scientist/Associate Director | Cancer Biology

tl;dr
Weatherwax Biotechnologies is a seed-stage startup developing the next generation of induced-proximity medicines. Our OmniTAC drug discovery engine yields molecules that co-opt existing cellular machinery to overcome exigent therapeutic challenges which have remained unapproachable to other modalities for decades.

We are seeking first-rate cancer biologists to help us pioneer this uncharted frontier of drug discovery.
Our Story
A long-standing challenge in drug discovery is the development of molecules capable of modulating difficult or "undruggable" targets. Disease-causing proteins can be dysfunctional in many different ways, but our armamentarium for modulating them is typically limited to inhibition[1]. There are, however, many other possible perturbation types whose potential remains unrealized.

Weatherwax Biotechnologies is a seed-stage drug discovery company developing a novel platform technology to solve this problem. We make bifunctional drugs that induce the modification of drug targets by existing cellular machinery (rather than through direct modulation by the drug, the classical approach), unlocking the ability to go after high-value oncology targets. Historically, the development of technologies that allow one to push new buttons in biology has been an incredibly fertile field for the discovery of new medicines[2, 3, 4], and our approach will be no different.
The Position
We are seeking an exceptional cancer biologist to join our Biology Team. In this position you will work in close conjunction with our Platform Team in the development of our core drug discovery technology. Your responsibilities will include phenotypic assay development, establishing pre-clinical in vitro / in vivo studies, performing mechanistic studies on lead drug molecules, and spearheading forays into new oncology indications.

Qualifications:

• PhD in Cancer Biology, Cell Biology or related field
• 5-7+ years of industry experience
• Proficiency in:
  • Mechanistic studies of cancer cell signaling and PTM status analysis
  • Phenotypic assay development for cancer drug discovery (assay development and low/med throughput screening experience)
  • Small molecule drug development campaigns (hit finding, hit validation, dose/response studies, MOA studies)
  • Excellent cellular and molecular biology knowledge/experience (cancer cell lines, generation of stable cell lines using lenti/CRISPR systems, IP/pull down assays, flow cytometry, plasmid design)
• Experience with:
  
  • Target/indication selection
  • Pre-clinical and IND-enabling studies
  • Animal models of cancer (GEMM, orthotopic, xenograft models)
  • Managing CROs for in vivo studies
  • Managing a team of exceptional scientists and research associates
• Nice-To-Haves:
  • Prior experience on teams that have successfully advanced research to the clinic
  • Strong written and oral communication skills.

Benefits:

• Strong equity incentives. We are looking for candidates who will bring a strong sense of ownership to drive their project areas forward, and we believe that you deserve to be compensated accordingly.
• Top tier medical, dental, and vision coverage + One Medical membership.
• 401(k) retirement plans.
• Reading budget! We will buy you books