Scientist II

Scorpion Therapeutics; United States; On-site; USD 120,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity/RSUs

Health/Dental/Vision/Life/Disability

401k match

Learning stipend

Paid time off

Job summary

Scorpion Therapeutics is seeking a scientific lead in pharmacology to design and execute in vivo experiments, primarily focused on cardiac and cardiovascular biology, to evaluate compound efficacy and guide go/no-go decisions.

The ideal candidate holds a PhD with 5+ years in pharma/biotech, demonstrates independent study design, advanced in vivo and biochemical assays, and strong cross-disciplinary collaboration; leadership and mentoring may be required.

Qualifications

• PhD in Biology, Physiology, Pharmacology, or related field; 5+ years in pharma/biotech preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to independently design, execute, and interpret complex research and propose new therapeutic directions.
• Extensive hands-on rodent handling/dosing (mouse and rat) with multiple administration routes.
• Experience with cardiac functional assessments (echocardiography, ECG, tail-cuff BP, telemetry).
• Hands-on biochemical/molecular assay expertise (Western blotting, qPCR, IHC, enzyme assays).
• Plus: mammalian cell culture or primary cardiomyocytes.
• Track record of publications/patents and experience presenting original work.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary scientific lead on pharmacology projects, designing and executing in vivo experiments to evaluate efficacy.
• Analyze complex problems, develop new investigations, and propose novel therapeutic directions.
• Direct and oversee in vivo pharmacology studies and downstream assays, including dosing strategy and endpoints.
• Quantify biomarkers to assess disease progression and target engagement.
• Collaborate with discovery, DMPK, translational, and G&A teams to advance compounds.
• Present work at meetings; author papers and contribute to patents.
• Provide technical leadership and mentorship; may supervise reports and lead a team.
• Maintain rigorous documentation of methods, datasets, and results.

Skills

Independent research design

In vivo pharmacology

Cross-disciplinary collaboration

Mentorship

Data analysis

Education

PhD in Biology/Physiology/Pharmacology

Tools

Western blotting

qPCR

Immunohistochemistry

Enzyme assays

Echocardiography

ECG

Tail-cuff BP

Telemetry

Job description

Key Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary scientific lead on one or more pharmacology projects (primarily cardiac/cardiovascular; potentially other muscle biology areas), independently designing and executing complex in vivo experiments to evaluate compound efficacy.
• Analyze complex scientific problems, develop new lines of investigation, and propose novel experimental approaches and potential therapeutic programs.
• Direct and oversee in vivo pharmacology studies and downstream biochemical/molecular assays, including cohort planning, dosing strategy, endpoint selection, and compliance with IACUC/institutional guidelines.
• Quantify and interpret biomarkers of disease progression and target engagement, integrating functional and molecular endpoints to assess compound performance and inform go/no-go decisions.
• Collaborate across discovery, DMPK, translational, and G&A teams to advance compounds through preclinical development and support project goals/timelines/budgets.
• Present work at internal/external meetings; author papers and contribute to patent applications.
• Provide technical leadership and mentorship; may supervise direct reports and serve as a team leader.
• Maintain rigorous documentation of experimental methods, datasets, and results.

Qualifications

• Ph.D. in Biology, Physiology, Pharmacology, or related (or equivalent), generally 5+ years relevant experience including postdoctoral training; pharma/biotech experience strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to independently design, execute, and interpret complex research and propose new therapeutic directions.
• Expert rodent handling/dosing (mouse and rat), including multiple administration routes and survival surgery.
• Required: experience with cardiac functional assessments (e.g., echocardiography, ECG, tail-cuff BP, telemetry).
• Extensive hands-on biochemical/molecular assay expertise (Western blotting, qPCR, immunohistochemistry, enzyme-based assays).
• Plus: mammalian cell culture or primary cardiomyocytes.
• Track record of publications/patents and experience presenting original work.
• Strong data analysis/communication and cross-disciplinary collaboration.

Benefits

• Equity (stock options and/or RSUs); comprehensive health/dental/vision/life/disability; 401k match; learning and wellness stipends; paid time off.