Director/Senior Director, In Vitro Biology & Molecular Pharmacology

The role

You will direct strategy and execution across a pipeline of small molecule drug discovery programs. You will set the vision for In Vitro Biology and Molecular Pharmacology capabilities and manage a high-performing team.

What you will do

• Set the strategic direction for In Vitro Biology across the Therapeutics Group portfolio
• Represent the function on governance bodies for portfolio prioritization and resource allocation
• Assess target tractability and risk during target selection
• Define the assay cascade to advance a target from hit identification to Development Candidate selection
• Spearhead the organization wide hit finding strategy across multiple platforms
• Provide scientific oversight across multiple programs including protein–protein interactions and degrader programs
• Tackle complex in vitro biology and molecular pharmacology challenges
• Act as the IVB project lead in partnership with medicinal chemistry, computational chemistry and structural biology leads
• Lead and develop the In Vitro Biology and Molecular Pharmacology team
• Own the CRO strategy including partner selection, budget, FTE planning, and KPI accountability

Required qualifications

• PhD in Biochemistry, Molecular Pharmacology, Chemical Biology, Cell Biology or a related discipline
• At least ten years of industry experience in drug discovery, including leadership experience
• Experience leading in vitro biology teams and managing direct reports
• Demonstrated background with developing assays and prosecuting programs against undrugged targets
• Significant experience across multiple hit finding modalities (DEL, fragment screening, HTS/MTS, chemoproteomics)
• Deep expertise in biochemical, biophysical, and cell-based assay design
• Strong experience managing strategic CRO partnerships, including governance, budgets and FTE planning

Nice to have

• Understanding of protein degrader biology (PROTACs, molecular glues) and associated assay formats
• Familiarity with data platforms such as LiveDesign
• Experience contributing to organizational strategy and governance committees
• Experience designing and interpreting in vivo PK/PD and efficacy studies

Benefits

• competitive salary
• stock options
• healthcare (with dental and vision)
• 401k
• pre-tax commuter benefits
• flexible work schedule
• parental leave program
• over a month of paid vacation time

About the company

Schrödinger has pioneered a physics-based software platform that enables discovery of high-quality, novel molecules for drug development and materials applications. Their multidisciplinary drug discovery team leverages the software platform to advance collaborative programs and its own pipeline of novel therapeutics.