Vice President, Biology

An exciting Bay Area-based biotech is developing a diversified portfolio of first-in-class and best-in-class small molecule correctors targeting protein misfolding.

Position Overview:

We seek a highly motivated and experienced Head of Biology to lead our Discovery Biology group. The successful candidate will collaborate with the Chemistry team to oversee the internal drug programs from early discovery through IND-Enabling Studies, ensuring excellence in in vitro and in vivo pharmacology, DMPK, and toxicology across several therapeutic areas.

Key Responsibilities:

• Develop a cohesive biology strategy that informs development candidate selection as well as indication selection and builds a clear set of Target Product Profiles (TPPs) for each drug program.
• Operationalize early drug discovery framework and workflows
• Lead Discovery Biology and In Vitro Pharmacology efforts
• Facilitate translational research by working closely with project leads, chemistry, computational biology, KOLs/clinicians, and translational medicine to ensure smooth and effective transitions of project assets into the clinic
• Recruit, train, mentor, and manage a team of biologists to execute and work collaboratively in our matrixed organization.
• Refine and bolster in vivo pharmacology, toxicology, and DMPK strategies.
• Establish external CRO partnerships and recruit collaborators/advisors to augment internal capabilities.
• This role will be a vital part of the R&D leadership team, working closely with the Heads of Platform, Compute, Chemistry, and Translation/Clinical to bring drugs to patients.

Qualifications:

• Ph.D. in molecular or cell biology; immunology; pharmacology; or related field with 10+ years of industry experience and a previous record of pharmaceutical and/or biotech R&D leadership.
• Experience with many therapeutic areas and modalities is preferred. Rare disease knowledge/expertise is highly preferable. Immunology and oncology experience would be beneficial.
• Proven track record of leading projects from early discovery through candidate nomination and solving complex challenges while working within cross-functional, multi-disciplinary teams.
• Strong background in in vitro and in vivo pharmacology, DMPK, and toxicology.
• A motivated team player who can work independently and closely with a multidisciplinary team of biologists, clinical partners, and external collaborators in a dynamic environment.
• Superior leadership, communication, and presentation skills. Able to recruit, develop, and retain a high-performance team.

Key Competencies:

• Solution-oriented thinker: The successful candidate needs to be prepared for bootstrapping and building, with high attention to detail and organization.
• Strong leadership and team management skills.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Strategic thinker with the ability to make data-driven decisions.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced, collaborative, and matrixed environment.

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