Vice President, Head – Nonclinical Development

Lycia Therapeutics; South San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 235,000 - 256,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual bonus

Equity

Generous benefits package

Job summary

Lycia Therapeutics in South San Francisco seeks a dedicated scientific leader to advance our LYTAC degraders pipeline. The role requires a Ph.D. and over 10 years of experience in drug development, with a proven track record in nonclinical strategy. Responsibilities include overseeing nonclinical plans, collaborating with leadership and CROs, and ensuring effective communication of results. Competitive compensation ranging from $235,000 to $256,000, including bonuses and benefits, is offered to the right candidate.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of industry experience in drug development and 5+ years of successful functional area management/leadership.
• Strong knowledge of nonclinical drug development and FDA/ICH guidelines.
• Experience in writing nonclinical sections of regulatory documents and direct interaction with FDA.

Responsibilities

• Build and oversee the nonclinical/translational strategy for programs.
• Guide early clinical dosing strategy integrating nonclinical data.
• Ensure timely and clear communication of study results.

Skills

Drug development track record

Strong leadership skills

Strategic thinking

Excellent communication skills

Problem-solving abilities

Education

Ph.D. in toxicology, pharmacology or other pharmaceutical or biological science

Job description

Lycia Therapeutics is a biotechnology company using its proprietary lysosomal targeting chimera (LYTAC) platform to discover and develop best-in‑class therapeutics that degrade extracellular and membrane‑bound proteins. These proteins drive a wide range of difficult‑to‑treat diseases, including autoimmune and inflammatory conditions. Lycia was established in 2019 in collaboration with academic founder and Nobel Laureate Carolyn Bertozzi, Ph.D., professor of chemistry and HHMI investigator at Stanford University. In May 2024, Lycia Therapeutics completed a $106.6 million Series C financing to advance its pipeline of LYTAC extracellular protein degraders to the clinic. Lycia is headquartered in South San Francisco.

Visit https://lyciatx.com/ for more information.

Position Summary

Highly motivated, creative scientific leader to advance our pipeline of LYTAC degraders and help establish Lycia as the industry leader in endosomal‑lysosomal degradation and delivery. A successful candidate can effectively work cross‑functionally and has a strong drug development track record of advancing programs from target discovery through IND/clinical stage.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Fully accountable for building and overseeing the nonclinical/translational strategy for company programs. Responsible for the design and execution of nonclinical (safety/toxicology, bioanalysis, PK/PD/ADME) plans to efficiently advance molecules at all stages of drug development; including non‑GLP and GLP‑compliant studies
• Build the nonclinical development function with the requisite scientific, safety/toxicology, PK/ADME and regulatory expertise
• Guide early clinical dosing strategy by integrating relevant nonclinical data
• Work in close collaboration with the Lycia Leadership team and project team leads, contract research organizations (CROs) and external consultants to advance multiple drug candidates into and through clinical development
• Serve as a departmental representative and/or project leader for pipeline programs
• May also support clinical pharmacology activities for development programs
• Ensures timely, clear and accurate communication and interpretation of study results to facilitate productive discussion and effective decision making
• Coordinate and contribute to the preparation of documents required for regulatory meetings and submissions
• May serve as the company representative or subject matter expert in meetings with external stakeholders (business partners/collaborators, vendors, investigators, regulatory agencies)
• Maintain a current understanding of drug development and translational science literature and methodology relevant for the advancement of drug discovery projects
• Member of scientific leadership team that will work effectively and collaboratively with other departments and cross‑functional teams, and contribute to building a positive, team‑oriented culture

Qualifications:

• Requires a Ph.D. in toxicology, pharmacology or other pharmaceutical or biological science
• 10+ years of industry experience beyond postdoctoral work in drug development and 5+ years of successful functional area management/leadership
• Experience and accomplishment in progressing large‑molecule, small‑molecule, and antibody drug conjugate candidates from research through development (resulting in successful INDs and/or BLA/NDA/MAAs)
• Strong knowledge of nonclinical drug development, FDA and ICH guidelines and GLP/GMP regulations
• Experience in designing, conducting and interpreting nonclinical pharmacology, PK/PD/ADME and toxicology studies
• Experience in working with external CROs with timely and successful delivery of studies and well‑written deliverables; experience collaborating and managing consultants in various areas of nonclinical sciences
• Understanding of CMC, QA, clinical and regulatory stages to effectively support nonclinical and project activities throughout development
• Experience in writing nonclinical sections of regulatory documents and direct interaction with the FDA/health authorities
• Demonstrated ability to build and lead high‑functioning, collaborative and driven teams (both internal and external), and mentoring direct reports and/or junior cross‑functional colleagues as applicable
• Excellent strategic thinking, problem‑solving and analytical skills
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to build collaborative relationships both internally and externally
• Flexible and dynamic interpersonal approach, entrepreneurial by nature, a collaborative team player who works well with physicians, scientists, managers, peers, and staff
• Ability to manage in a consensus environment through teamwork, trust and shared expectations, influencing strategic direction of complex global regulatory issues, solicit information, listen well, persuade others, make important decisions and shape outcomes

Salary: $235,000 – $256,000 a year. We encourage candidates of all levels to apply as there is often flexibility on job title and responsibilities. Compensation will be based on a variety of factors, including experience, qualifications and internal equity. Lycia offers a competitive employment package that includes an annual bonus, equity, and a generous benefits package.

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.

Lycia and other biotech companies have recently noticed an increase in email and social media scams targeting job candidates in our industry. Please note Lycia will post any legitimate job openings directly on our website or through our recruitment partner, Lever. If you wish to verify the legitimacy of a job opening, you may contact us.