Senior Director, Pharmacology & Assay Development

Engitix Therapeutics; London; On-site; GBP 80,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

Join a pioneering biotech company dedicated to advancing drug discovery in fibrosis and oncology. As a Senior Director of Pharmacology and Assay Development, you'll lead teams to develop innovative preclinical strategies and optimize assays that drive therapeutic breakthroughs. You'll collaborate with talented scientists and external partners, ensuring alignment with the company's strategic goals. This role offers a unique opportunity to influence the future of medicine while working in a dynamic and supportive environment. If you're passionate about making a difference in the biotech field, this is the perfect opportunity for you.

Benefits

Private Medical Insurance

Bonus

Pension

State of the art offices and laboratories

Dynamic and diverse team

Qualifications

• 10+ years of drug development experience in biotech or pharma.
• Experience managing discovery project teams and CROs.
• Hands-on experience with 3D cellular models.

Responsibilities

• Lead preclinical development strategies for drug candidates.
• Oversee preparation of regulatory documents for IND submissions.
• Integrate analysis pipelines for cellular and patient-derived data.

Skills

Drug Development

Assay Development

Pharmacology

Team Leadership

3D Tissue Models

Biotech Industry Experience

Automated Screening Platforms

Education

Ph.D. in Pharmacology, Immunology, Oncology, or Cell Biology

Tools

CRISPR

Liquid Handling Robotics

Job description

Your mission

Engitix Therapeutics is a pioneering biotech company dedicated to unlocking extracellular matrix biology to develop new therapeutics in fibrosis and oncology. We are seeking an experienced Senior Director of Pharmacology and Assay Development to oversee all aspects of preclinical development for biologic and small molecule drug candidates into clinical development.

What you'll do:

• Lead discovery teams by developing and executing preclinical development strategies for drug candidates, ensuring alignment with the company's overall R&D and business objectives
• Partner with Engitix scientists and external collaborators to develop preclinical screening strategies for discovery programs. This will include developing and optimizing new assays that will support target validation and/or screening of potential therapeutic candidates. These screening assays may also leverage proprietary Engitix platforms and/or be used to support high content screens (eg, CRISPR)
• Lead cross-functional discovery teams to design, execute, and interpret critical IND-enabling studies, including ADME, pharmacology, toxicology, pharmacokinetics (PK), pharmacodynamics (PD), and immunogenicity assessments. This will include identifying potential risks and developing mitigation strategies for different workstreams
• Oversee and contribute to the preparation of preclinical sections of regulatory documents, including pre-IND meetings, IND submissions, investigator brochures, and briefing packages
• Integrate and optimize automation strategies for handling complex cellular and biochemical assays, increasing the efficiency of hit identification, lead optimization, and mechanistic studies
• Partner with the team to integrate analysis pipelines for cellular- and patient-derived data sets (including transcriptomics, proteomics, and spatial biology) to identify new targets. Provide strategic input into target validation strategies and plans, including evaluation of enabling technologies
• Establish and manage timelines, budgets, and resources for preclinical programs, ensuring efficient and cost-effective execution
• Work closely with Engitix leadership to align project goals with corporate strategy and portfolio priorities

Your profile

The ideal candidate will have direct experience in leading teams to advance discovery programs from early discovery (ie, Hit ID) to candidate selection and IND submission. Additionally, has a strong scientific background in assay development for discovery programs, with experience in 3D tissue models related to inflammation, fibrosis, or cancer. They will also have experience managing discovery research units, including managing other people leaders in a biotech or pharma setting.

What you'll need:

• Ph.D. in Pharmacology, Immunology, Oncology, Cell Biology or related field with 10+ years of drug development experience
• Extensive experience in preclinical development within the biotech or pharmaceutical industry
• Experience in leading discovery project teams to advance programs from early discovery (ie, Hit ID/HTL) to candidate selection and IND submission
• Deep understanding of preclinical development processes, including pharmacology, toxicology, PK/PD, and translational science
• Hands-on experience working with 3D cellular or tissue models to support discovery efforts (eg, target validation, candidate profiling)
• Expertise in developing assays to support biologic and small molecule screening, including functional genomics-based target validation platforms (e.g. CRISPR, siRNAs, ASOs)
• Proven experience managing CROs and external collaborations
• Experience implementing and managing automated screening platforms, liquid handling robotics, and high-throughput assay technologies is desirable
• Strong leadership and team-building capabilities, including experience managing other managers
• Expertise in fibrosis (and/or oncology) and inflammatory disease biology is highly desirable

Why us?

• Be part of a motivated, dynamic and diverse team supporting cutting edge drug discovery
• State of the art offices and laboratories at the Westworks, White City
• Competitive reward package including private medical insurance, bonus, pension, and much more!