Director, Integrated Drug Discovery & Project Leadership

Talentmark; Cambridge; On-site; GBP 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Nxera Pharma, in partnership with Talentmark, is seeking an Associate Director/Director to lead integrated drug discovery and project leadership from Cambridge. The role reports to the Head of Molecular Pharmacology and drives scientific strategy across discovery programmes.

The successful candidate will manage multidisciplinary teams, shape target identification and validation strategies, and ensure timely delivery of high-quality assets while developing future scientific leaders.

Qualifications

• PhD (preferred) or MSc in Pharmacology, Biochemistry, Molecular Biology or a related life sciences discipline.
• Extensive, industry-based experience within biotechnology and/or pharmaceutical drug discovery.
• Demonstrated success leading integrated drug discovery programmes.
• Proven experience line managing and developing multidisciplinary discovery science teams.
• Strong understanding of small molecule hit identification and screening strategies.
• Excellent communication, strategic thinking and stakeholder management skills.
• Familiarity with target identification and target validation approaches.

Responsibilities

• Lead integrated drug discovery projects from target validation through hit identification and lead optimisation in partnership with Biology, Chemistry, DMPK, Translational Sciences and Informatics.
• Provide scientific leadership for cross-functional project teams, ensuring robust decision making and project progression to ambitious timelines.
• Support portfolio governance, prioritisation, forecasting and resource planning.
• Line manage and mentor multidisciplinary scientists, fostering a culture of scientific excellence, innovation and accountability.
• Build an inclusive, collaborative and high-performing team.
• Provide strategic oversight of small molecule hit identification campaigns using internal and external capabilities.
• Work closely with medicinal chemistry and biology teams to design effective screening cascades and data-driven progression strategies.
• Provide scientific input into target assessment, translational relevance and portfolio opportunities.

Skills

Leadership

Strategic thinking

Stakeholder management

Communication

Project leadership

Education

PhD or MSc in Pharmacology/Biochemistry/Molecular Biology

Job description

Nxera Pharma, in partnership with Talentmark, is seeking an Associate Director/Director to lead integrated drug discovery and project leadership from Cambridge. The role reports to the Head of Molecular Pharmacology and drives scientific strategy across discovery programmes.

The successful candidate will manage multidisciplinary teams, shape target identification and validation strategies, and ensure timely delivery of high-quality assets while developing future scientific leaders.