Head Of Discovery

BioTalent; Paris; Sur place; EUR 100 000 - 125 000; Plein temps

Résumé du poste

A biotech company in Paris is hiring a Head of Discovery in Natural Products Chemistry & Bioactivity. The role includes leading small-molecule discovery efforts, managing multidisciplinary teams, and driving strategies for drug development. Candidates should have strong leadership experience in biotech, be skilled in bioassays, and fit in a fast-paced environment. This full-time position offers a chance to shape significant discoveries that address challenges in health and agriculture.

Qualifications

• Proven ability to advance small-molecule programs to the lead stage.
• Expertise in bioassays, mechanism-of-action, and target deconvolution.
• Strong scientific leadership in biotech or pharma environments.

Responsabilités

• Lead small-molecule drug discovery programs from early hits to lead development.
• Guide assay development and validation across different systems.
• Manage and mentor a multi-disciplinary team.

Connaissances

Small-molecule programs advancement

Bioassays expertise

Leadership in biotech

Data-driven decision-making

Fluency in English

Description du poste

📢 We’re Hiring : Head of Discovery – Natural Products Chemistry & Bioactivity

📍 Paris, France

🕒 Full-time, Permanent

📅 Start : Flexible, 2026

Are you ready to lead ground breaking small-molecule discovery at the intersection of biology, chemistry, and computational innovation?

We’re building a platform that uncovers the vast, untapped diversity of microbial natural products—unlocking new molecular scaffolds and novel modes of action to address major challenges in human health and agriculture. With a rapidly growing team and an industrial-scale discovery engine, we’re creating the next generation of bioactive molecules.

🎯 The Opportunity

As Head of Discovery, you will lead small-molecule drug discovery programs from early hits through lead development. This is a senior scientific leadership role where you will shape strategy, guide multidisciplinary teams, and drive high-quality decision-making across bioassays, mechanism-of-action studies, target deconvolution, and lead refinement.

You’ll work closely with leadership to prioritize programs, allocate resources, and maintain both speed and scientific rigor.

Perfect for a hands-on discovery leader who thrives in fast-paced biotech environments and is excited by the unique power of microbial natural products.

🧪 What You’ll Lead

Discovery Program Leadership

• Drive strategy and execution from hit confirmation to lead optimization
• Define milestones, go / no-go criteria, and ensure scientific robustness
• Integrate chemistry, biology, and platform insights into cohesive discovery paths

Biology, Mechanism & Target Work

• Guide assay development and validation across microbiology, biochemical, and cell-based systems
• Oversee mode-of-action and target deconvolution efforts
• Translate multi-layer datasets into clear decisions and priority leads

Candidate Refinement

• Partner with chemistry to support structure elucidation and SAR
• Steer potency, selectivity, and developability improvements
• (Bonus) Design or oversee in vivo proof-of-concept studies

Team Leadership

• Manage and mentor a growing multi-disciplinary team
• Lead hiring for future discovery scientists
• Act as the key interface between discovery, platform, computational, and operations teams

👤 About You

Must-have experience :

• Proven ability to advance small-molecule programs to the lead stage
• Expertise in bioassays, mechanism-of-action, target deconvolution , and candidate refinement
• Strong scientific leadership in biotech, pharma, or deeptech environments
• Excellent judgment, rigor, and data-driven decision-making
• Fluency in English

Bonus :

• Background in natural products
• Experience with in vivo models
• Ability to collaborate across chemistry, biology, and computational disciplines

If you're passionate about turning complex biology into actionable therapeutic leads—and helping shape a transformational discovery platform—this role offers rare impact and scientific breadth.

Interested? Happy to share more—reach out!