Senior Director, Disease Biology

Arcinstitute; Palo Alto (CA); On-site; USD 264,000 - 326,000; Full time

Job summary

Arc Institute, based in Palo Alto, seeks a Senior Director of Disease Biology to lead target discovery through preclinical development for the Alzheimer's Disease Initiative. This role builds a new team, directs in vivo and cellular models, and collaborates with computational centers to validate targets and prioritize candidates.

The role demands senior leadership, a strong genetics and neurobiology background, and the ability to drive IND-enabling studies while aligning programs across

Qualifications

• PhD in neuroscience, immunology, cell biology, genetics, pharmacology, or a related field is required.
• Extensive experience leading target discovery in neurodegeneration from disease biology and human genetics through validation.
• Track record advancing programs from validated target to lead optimization and IND enabling studies.
• Deep expertise in developing or applying advanced 3D cellular models of neurodegenerative disease.
• Proven people leadership, building new teams and running cross-functional programs.
• Strong partnership with computational biology and machine learning teams for target discovery.
• Experience in a fast-paced biotech or nonprofit research institute environment.
• Ability to work onsite in Palo Alto at least four days per week.

Responsibilities

• Build a new team to carry targets through drug discovery into preclinical programs.
• Guide programs to lead optimization, generating in vitro and in vivo proof of concept data.
• Lead target discovery translating genetics and disease mapping into targets.
• Lead existing in vivo and in vitro ADI discovery teams to sharpen target validation.
• Partner with computational biology and ML teams to surface pathway insights and test hypotheses.
• Align priorities across discovery and preclinical teams for coordinated programs.
• Coordinate across the Arc community to deepen understanding of Alzheimer's biology.
• Manage CRO and external partner relationships to advance model generation and studies.
• Represent discovery and preclinical strategy in cross-functional portfolio reviews.

Skills

Team leadership

Target discovery

Neurodegeneration

In vivo models

In vitro models

3D cellular models

Genetics data analysis

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

PhD in neuroscience, immunology, cell biology, genetics, pharmacology, or related field

Job description

About Arc Institute

Arc Institute is an independent nonprofit research organization at the interface of artificial intelligence and biology, working to accelerate scientific progress and understand the root causes of complex diseases. Founded in 2021 and based in Palo Alto, Arc partners with Stanford University, UC Berkeley, and UC San Francisco.

Unlike academia, our scientists have long-term funding and industry-like resources. Unlike industry, they're free to pursue high-risk, long-term research without commercial pressures. Arc's Technology Centers and Core Investigator labs work side by side, integrating experimental and computational biology under one roof to tackle problems neither could solve alone.

Our two Institute Initiatives reflect this model in action:

• Virtual Cell Initiative: Building a full-stack virtual cell model to identify disease mechanisms and nominate drug targets, accelerating the path from biological insight to clinical trials.
• Alzheimer's Disease Initiative: Mapping the genes, pathways, and environmental factors behind Alzheimer's disease to develop drug candidates that address root causes.

More than 300 Arconauts work together at our Palo Alto headquarters, backed by substantial long‑term philanthropic funding.

About the position

Arc is seeking an experienced Senior Director of Disease Biology to lead target discovery through preclinical development for the Alzheimer's Disease Initiative (ADI). The core of the role is building a new team and the workflows that carry validated targets through hit to lead progression and into IND enabling studies. Alongside that build, this leader will direct Arc's existing in vivo and advanced cellular model teams to identify and validate novel targets, partnering with Arc's computational technology center to apply causal modeling and assemble a prioritized portfolio. The role also looks outward, drawing on expertise across the Arc community and engaging the broader Alzheimer's disease field so that the Initiative both learns from and contributes to progress beyond Arc.

Why this position could be the best job you’ve ever had

You will work alongside a world class team of biologists, functional genomics scientists, machine learning researchers, and technology developers united in building and interrogating virtual cells to identify first in class interventions for disease. The role calls for a long range strategy and the appetite for scientific risk that transformative innovation demands.

About you

We are looking for a driven, resilient leader who is passionate about advancing how we understand disease and fearless in pursuing therapeutic opportunities that change patients' lives. Someone who builds, grows, and mentors strong teams, sets clear direction, and brings creativity and rigor to complex, ambiguous problems to accelerate discovery into the clinic.

In this position you will

• Build a new team to carry validated targets through drug discovery into preclinical programs.
• Guide those programs through to lead optimization, partnering with chemistry and ADI model teams to prioritize candidates and generate in vitro and in vivo proof of concept data.
• Lead target discovery for the Initiative, translating genetic, functional genomics, and disease mapping findings into biologically grounded therapeutic targets.
• Lead Arc's existing in vivo and in vitro ADI discovery teams, shaping their work to sharpen target identification and validation.
• Partner with computational biology and machine learning teams to surface new pathway insight, apply causal modeling to test target hypotheses, and draw on patient genetics and sample databases to validate and prioritize candidates.
• Align priorities across the target discovery and preclinical teams so concurrent programs move in a coordinated way.
• Collaborate across the Arc community to coordinate experimental approaches and analysis, and to deepen our collective understanding of Alzheimer's disease biology.
• Manage CRO and external partner relationships, with support from Program Management, to advance AD model generation and preclinical studies.
• Represent discovery and preclinical strategy in cross functional target review and portfolio prioritization discussions.

Requirements

• PhD in neuroscience, immunology, cell biology, genetics, pharmacology, or a related field.
• Extensive experience leading target discovery in neurodegeneration, from disease biology and human genetics through target validation.
• Track record advancing programs from validated target through lead optimization, in vivo proof of concept, and IND enabling studies, including building or partnering with the supporting toxicology and pharmacokinetics capabilities.
• Deep expertise developing or applying advanced 3D cellular models of neurodegenerative disease.
• Proven people leadership, including mentoring established scientific teams, building new teams and capabilities from the ground up, and running matrixed, cross functional programs.
• Strong partnership with computational biology and machine learning teams, applying causal modeling and human genetic data to target discovery and validation.
• Experience in a fast paced biotech or nonprofit research institute environment.
• Ability to work onsite in our Palo Alto office a minimum of four days per week.

Preferred Qualifications

• Direct experience in Alzheimer's disease drug discovery.
• Hands‑on experience generating and validating animal models of Alzheimer’s disease, including genetic risk variant models such as APOE4 and TREM2.
• Experience integrating computational and machine learning driven target prioritization into discovery strategy.
• Experience partnering with high throughput biology teams.

The base salary range for this position is $263,500 to $325,500. These amounts reflect the range of base salary that the Institute reasonably would expect to pay a new hire or internal candidate for this position. The actual base compensation paid to any individual for this position may vary depending on factors such as experience, market conditions, education/training, skill level, and whether the compensation is internally equitable, and does not include bonuses, commissions, differential pay, other forms of compensation, or benefits. This position is also eligible to receive an annual discretionary bonus, with the amount dependent on individual and institute performance factors.