Head of Pre-clinical Development

Exogene Ltd.; Oxford; Hybrid; GBP 80,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

A biopharmaceutical company in Oxford seeks a Head of Pre-clinical Development to lead the innovative TCR-TriTCE pipeline. The role includes managing the pre-clinical drug development process, ensuring validation of drug candidates for clinical studies. Candidates should have a PhD and at least 8 years of relevant industry experience. This challenging position offers a market-competitive salary and stock options, as well as a collaborative work environment.

Benefits

Market-competitive salary and stock option package

25 days holiday plus public holidays and a day off for your birthday

Access to a fully equipped private lab

Flexibility to work from home

Qualifications

• Minimum 8 years industry experience in biopharmaceutical pre-clinical drug development.
• Demonstrated track record guiding drug candidates to IND-enabling studies.
• Proven expertise in pharmacology studies for biologics.

Responsibilities

• Set and execute in vivo and in vitro validation strategy for TCR-TriTCEs.
• Oversee developability assessments including manufacturability.
• Manage CRO relationships for lead optimisation and IND studies.

Skills

Leadership

Cancer immunotherapy

Pre-clinical drug development

Pharmacology

Collaboration with CROs

Communication skills

Education

PhD in Immunology, Cell Biology, Biochemistry, or Pharmacology

Job description

About Exogene

At Exogene, we’re reimagining what’s possible in cancer immunotherapy. Our mission is to engineer T-cell receptor therapies that can precisely and powerfully target advanced, difficult-to-treat, solid tumours.

To do this, we’ve built a proprietary lab-in-the-loop platform that merges generative AI, biophysical modelling, and high-throughput TCR screening to rapidly design, test, and optimise TCRs with exceptional affinity and specificity. This convergence of computation and wet-lab experimentation allows us to go from concept to candidate molecules in record time.

Using our lab-in-the-loop platform, we’re developing TCR-based trispecific T cell engagers (TCR-TriTCEs), a new therapeutic modality designed to overcome the unique challenges of the solid tumour microenvironment. This work spans multiple disciplines, from protein engineering and AI-driven design to in vivo validation and translational development.

We are seeking a visionary and highly experiencedHead of Pre-clinical Developmentto lead our innovative TCR-TriTCE pipeline from early discovery through to IND-enabling studies. This is a critical leadership role that will manage our dedicated lab team, shape our scientific strategy, and play a pivotal role in Exogene’s growth.

You will interact directly with our founders on scientific planning, business development, and fundraising initiatives.

The opportunity

As our Head of Pre-clinical Development, you will be instrumental in translating our cutting-edge AI-discovered TCRs into clinical candidates. You will lead and mentor a talented team, drive the overall pre-clinical drug development pipeline, and ensure our assets are robustly validated and ready for first-in-human studies.

Responsibilities

• Strategic Planning: Set and execute the comprehensive in vivo and in vitro validation strategy for our TCR-based trispecific T cell engagers (TCR-TriTCEs), covering safety, efficacy, developability and full PK/PD characterisation.
• Developability & Manufacturability:Oversee all developability assessments, including stability, aggregation, manufacturability, and immunogenicity risk, to ensure our TCR-TriTCE candidates can be scaled efficiently and safely to GMP.
• CRO Oversight:Design and rigorously oversee all lead optimisation and IND-enabling studies. Effectively manage interactions and relationships with Contract Research Organisations (CROs) to ensure high-quality, timely execution.
• Team Leadership:Provide strong scientific and operational leadership to the pre-clinical lab team, fostering a culture of innovation, collaboration, and scientific rigor.
• External Relations:Liaise closely with Exogene founders on scientific planning, contribute to business development initiatives, and support fundraising efforts.

Skills and Qualifications

• PhD in Immunology, Cell Biology, Biochemistry, Pharmacology, or a closely related field.
• 8+ years of progressive industry experience in biopharmaceutical pre-clinical drug development, with a significant portion dedicated to biologics (T cell engagers, antibodies or any other protein-based therapeutics).
• Demonstrated track record of successfully guiding novel drug candidates from discovery to lead optimisation and through to IND-enabling studies. Experience with submitting and supporting INDs is highly desirable.
• Proven expertise in designing, executing, and interpreting in vivo and in vitro pharmacology studies (efficacy, PK/PD, safety/toxicology) for biologics.
• Deep understanding and practical experience with developability assessments (stability, aggregation, manufacturability, immunogenicity risk).
• Strong experience in managing and collaborating with CROs for key pre-clinical studies.
• Excellent leadership and team management skills, with prior experience in mentoring and developing scientific talent.
• Exceptional written and oral communication skills, with the ability to articulate complex scientific concepts to diverse audiences, including internal teams, founders, potential partners, and investors.
• Proven ability to run effective cross-functional data review processes and ensure rigorous documentation standards for regulatory readiness.
• Experience with T-cell immunology, TCRs, or T-cell engagers is a significant advantage.
• Strong commercial understanding of the T cell engager landscape and peptide-HLA target space is highly desirable.
• Familiarity with AI/ML integration in drug discovery is a plus.

Attributes

• A strategic thinker with a strong scientific vision and the ability to translate strategic goals into actionable pre-clinical plans.
• Highly collaborative, capable of building strong relationships across internal functions and with external partners.
• Inspirational lab leader and mentor who empowers multidisciplinary bench scientists, cultivating rigorous science and continuous learning.
• Results-oriented with a strong sense of urgency and accountability.
• A proactive problem-solver with exceptional analytical skills and attention to detail.
• Adaptable and resilient in a fast-paced, evolving start-up environment.
• Passion for Exogene’s mission to revolutionise cancer immunotherapy.

What We Offer

• Market-competitive salary and stock option package.
• A generous leave policy: 25 days holiday, public holidays, plus a day off for your birthday!
• Access to fully equipped private lab in Oxford.
• Flexibility to work from home as project demands allow.
• A supportive, cross-disciplinary team fostering a highly collaborative work environment.

How to apply

Please send your CV and cover letter (max 400 words) to m.hasan at exogene.co.uk