Director/Senior Director, In Vitro Biology & Molecular Pharmacology

Schrödinger; New York (NY); On-site; USD 195,000 - 300,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Stock options

Healthcare, dental and vision coverage

401k

Pre-tax commuter benefits

Flexible work schedule

Parental leave

Paid vacation

Job summary

Schrödinger seeks a Director/Senior Director of In Vitro Biology and Molecular Pharmacology to direct strategy and execution across a pipeline of small molecule drug discovery programs. You will focus on undrugged targets, novel modalities, and hit finding approaches while shaping pipeline strategy and mentoring a high-performing team.

You will set vision for IVB/MP capabilities, participate in governance, and oversee assay development, CRO partnerships, and cross-functional collaboration with

Qualifications

• PhD required in Biochemistry, Molecular Pharmacology, Chemical Biology, Cell Biology or related discipline.
• At least ten years of industry experience in drug discovery, including leadership.
• Experience leading in vitro biology teams and managing direct reports.
• Demonstrated background with developing assays and prosecuting programs against undrugged targets.
• Significant experience across hit finding modalities (DEL, fragment screening, HTS/MTS, chemoproteomics).
• Deep expertise in biochemical, biophysical, and cell-based assay design.
• Strong experience managing strategic CRO partnerships, including governance, budgets and FTE planning.

Responsibilities

• Set strategic direction for In Vitro Biology across the Therapeutics Group portfolio and represent the function on governance bodies.
• Assess target tractability and risk during target selection and define the assay cascade to advance a target from hit identification to Development Candidate selection.
• Lead organization-wide hit finding strategy across DEL, fragment-based, HTS/MTS, and chemoproteomic platforms focusing on undrugged targets.
• Provide scientific oversight across multiple programs including challenging target classes such as protein–protein interactions and degraders.
• Tackle complex in vitro biology and molecular pharmacology challenges including biochemical-to-cellular disconnects and in vitro-to-in vivo translatability.
• Act as IVB project lead when needed, coordinating with chemistry and structural biology leads.
• Lead and develop the IVB and MP team, mentoring staff and fostering scientific rigor and collaboration.
• Own the CRO strategy for In Vitro Biology, including partner selection, budget and FTE planning, KPI accountability, and remediation of performance issues.
• Identify capability gaps and drive investment in new technologies and platforms.

Skills

Leadership

Hit finding

Assay development

Molecular pharmacology

Education

PhD in Biochemistry/ Molecular Pharmacology/ Chemical Biology/ Cell Biology

Tools

LiveDesign

Job description

We’re seeking a Director/Senior Director of In Vitro Biology and Molecular Pharmacology to join us in our mission to transform the discovery of novel therapeutics.

Schrödinger has pioneered a physics-based software platform that enables discovery of high-quality, novel molecules for drug development and materials applications more rapidly and at lower cost compared to traditional methods. The software platform is used by biopharmaceutical and industrial companies, academic institutions, and government laboratories around the world. Our multidisciplinary drug discovery team also leverages the software platform to advance collaborative programs and its own pipeline of novel therapeutics to address unmet medical needs.

As a senior member of our Therapeutics Group, you’ll direct strategy and execution across a pipeline of small molecule drug discovery programs, with a particular focus on undrugged targets, novel modalities, and novel hit finding approaches. By setting the vision for IVB/MP capabilities, driving pipeline-level decisions, and managing a high-performing team, you will shape pipeline and program strategy while maintaining scientific depth.

Who Will Love This Job

• An experienced drug hunter with hands-on experience across several hit finding modalities, including DEL, fragment screening, HTS/MTS, and chemoproteomics
• A seasoned in vitro biologist and molecular pharmacologist with a track record of developing assays and prosecuting programs against difficult-to-drug targets
• A portfolio-level thinker with a broad strategic view who enjoys remaining scientifically close to individual programs
• A leader with a passion for managing cross-disciplinary teams and developing talent
• An excellent scientific communicator who is comfortable presenting and defending innovative strategies to senior leadership

What You’ll Do

• Set the strategic direction for In Vitro Biology across the Therapeutics Group portfolio, and represent the function on governance bodies covering portfolio prioritization, resource allocation, and Go/No-Go decisions
• Assess target tractability and risk during target selection, and define the assay cascade needed to advance a target from hit identification through Development Candidate selection
• Spearhead the organization wide hit finding strategy, collaborating across functions to design and execute screening campaigns across DEL, fragment-based, HTS/MTS, and chemoproteomic platforms, focusing on novel methods for undrugged targets
• Provide scientific oversight across multiple programs, including challenging target classes such as protein–protein interactions, undrugged targets, and degrader programs
• Tackle complex in vitro biology and molecular pharmacology challenges including resolving difficult challenges like biochemical-to-cellular disconnects and in vitro to in vivo translatability
• Act as the IVB project lead when needed, guiding timelines and strategy in close partnership with medicinal chemistry, computational chemistry and structural biology leads
• Lead and develop the In Vitro Biology and Molecular Pharmacology team, mentoring direct reports and building a culture of scientific rigor and collaboration
• Own the CRO strategy for In Vitro Biology, including partner selection, budget and FTE planning, quarterly reviews, KPI accountability, and remediation of performance issues
• Identify capability gaps and drive investment in new technologies and platforms, and feed practical, assay-driven requirements back into Schrödinger's platform and data infrastructure

What You Should Have

• PhD in Biochemistry, Molecular Pharmacology, Chemical Biology, Cell Biology or a related discipline
• At least ten years of industry experience in drug discovery, including leadership experience
• Experience leading in vitro biology teams and managing direct reports
• Demonstrated background with developing assays and prosecuting programs against undrugged targets
• Significant experience across multiple hit finding modalities (DEL, fragment screening, HTS/MTS, chemoproteomics) and a track record of advancing hits for challenging target classes
• Deep expertise in biochemical, biophysical, and cell-based assay design
• Strong experience managing strategic CRO partnerships, including governance, budgets and FTE planning

We’d Prefer To Hire Someone With

• Understanding of protein degrader biology (PROTACs, molecular glues) and associated assay formats
• Familiarity with data platforms such as LiveDesign
• Experience contributing to organizational strategy and governance committees
• Experience designing and interpreting in vivo PK/PD and efficacy studies

Pay And Perks

Schrödinger understands it’s people that make a company great. Because of this, we’re prepared to offer a competitive salary, stock options, and a wide range of benefits that include healthcare (with dental and vision), a 401k, pre-tax commuter benefits, a flexible work schedule, and a parental leave program. We have a company culture that is relaxed but engaged, and over a month of paid vacation time. New York is home to our largest office, but we have teams all over the world. Schrödinger is honored to have been selected as one of Crain's New York Best Places to Work for the past three years running.

Estimated base salary range: $195,000 - $300,000. Actual compensation package is dependent on a number of factors, including, for example, experience, education, degrees held, market data, and business needs. If you have any questions regarding the compensation for this role, do not hesitate to reach out to a member of our Strategic Growth team.

As an equal opportunity employer, Schrödinger hires outstanding individuals into every position in the company. People who work with us have a high degree of engagement, a commitment to working effectively in teams, and a passion for the company's mission. We place the highest value on creating a safe environment where our employees can grow and contribute, and refuse to discriminate on the basis of race, color, religious belief, sex, age, disability, national origin, alienage or citizenship status, marital status, partnership status, caregiver status, sexual and reproductive health decisions, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, or any other protected characteristic. To us, "diversity" isn't just a buzzword, but an important element of our core principles and key business practices. We believe that diverse companies innovate better and think more creatively than homogenous ones because they take into account a wide range of viewpoints. For us, greater diversity doesn't mean better headlines or public images - it means increased adaptability and profitability.