(Senior) Director Translational Medicine // (Senior) Translational Medicine Expert (m/f/d)

(Senior) Director Translational Medicine // (Senior) Translational Medicine Expert (m/f/d)

Job Description:

Location: Heidelberg, Germany (Hybrid)

Start Date: Immediate

Responsibilities

• Develop preclinical and early clinical pharmacology strategies for large molecule drug candidates (ADCs and TCEs) at VERAXA Biotech GmbH.
• Lead all early-stage pharmacology and toxicology activities across our pipeline programs.
• Translate program needs into actionable work packages and project plans.
• Endorse, plan, coordinate, execute, and monitor pharmacology/toxicology activities at CROs, ensuring adherence to scope, budget, timeline, and quality expectations.
• Collaborate closely with Program Leaders, the Head of Translational Research, and colleagues from Bioinformatics and Data Sciences.
• Represent pharmacology/toxicology in cross-functional project teams and ensure strategic alignment with ADC and TCE project goals.
• Support indication and patient population selection and contribute to dose and posology decisions up to First-in-Human (FIH) starting dose, through submission and beyond.
• Communicate complex scientific data clearly and concisely to both scientific and cross-functional audiences.
• Establish efficient communication flows, including routine reporting, risk assessments, and project reviews.
• Drive successful achievement of program goals while ensuring alignment with the company’s overall vision and strategic objectives.

Requirements

• PhD in a relevant field such as preclinical/clinical pharmacology, pharmacometrics, pharmaceutics, statistics, engineering, or mathematics.
• Minimum of 5 years of experience in the (bio)pharmaceutical industry, managing preclinical pharmacology programs and collaborating with CROs for large molecules (e.g., multi-specific antibodies, TCEs, ADCs), ideally up to IND submission.
• Strong understanding of clinical development strategies, including regulatory and quality requirements in GxP environments.
• In-depth knowledge of PK/PD modeling, ADME, posology, and translational quantitative sciences.
• Solid grounding in safety pharmacology, toxicokinetics, and toxicology.
• General understanding of oncology, immuno-oncology, and/or immunology.
• Hands-on modeling expertise (e.g., pharmacometrics or simulation tools) is considered a strong asset.
• Proven ability to work cross-functionally and influence without authority; ideally experienced in matrix team environments.
• Commitment to fostering a strong quality-driven culture.
• Excellent communication, presentation, and project management skills.
• Fluency in English (spoken and written) is required. German skills are a plus.

Working at VERAXA

Working at VERAXA Biotech offers the chance to be part of a passionate team dedicated to making a positive impact. Our focus on innovation and quality drives us to develop cutting-edge biotherapeutics aimed at improving patient outcomes. We seek ambitious and talented individuals to join us and help transform targeted therapies. Our culture emphasizes flat hierarchies and efficient processes, ensuring scientific excellence remains our top priority.

VERAXA is building a premier platform for discovering and developing next-generation antibody-based therapeutics, including bispecific ADCs, bispecific T cell engagers, and other innovative formats. Powered by advanced technologies and guided by rigorous quality-by-design principles, we are advancing our pipeline of ADCs and proprietary BiTAC formats into clinical development. Founded on scientific breakthroughs from the European Molecular Biology Laboratory, VERAXA is committed to pioneering life science research and innovative therapies.