VP, Biology & Drug Discovery Strategy

Corcept Therapeutics; Redwood City (CA); Hybrid; USD 340,000 - 375,000; Full time

Job summary

Corcept Therapeutics seeks a veteran leader to own non-clinical biology end to end, directing discovery biology for our small-molecule portfolio. You will partner with the CSO on cortisol modulators, ensure team capacity, and manage CROs and academic collaborations.

The role centers on translating biology strategy into deliverables, guiding in vitro/in vivo studies, and enabling IND submissions while collaborating with clinical development and medical affairs.

Qualifications

• 15+ years in pharmaceutical or biotechnology non-clinical research, including at least five years leading a function, department, or major research group.
• Demonstrated record of advancing small molecules from lead optimization through candidate selection and into clinical development; this is a small-molecule company, and the role will not suit a candidate whose experience is predominantly in biologics
• Direct oncology experience. Neurology, endocrinology, or metabolic disease experience is also an advantage
• Ownership of screening cascade design in a discovery setting
• Proven ability to plan and deliver a research program executed primarily through CROs, including vendor selection, contracting, and budget accountability
• A record of hiring, developing, and retaining scientific staff to build and scale a research function
• Ability to present complex non-clinical data to clinical, regulatory, and executive audiences, and to work effectively in a matrixed environment
• Experience interacting with medical affairs and regulatory functions
• Contribution to successful IND or NDA submissions in a non-clinical leadership capacity

Responsibilities

• Own non-clinical biology strategy across the portfolio and translate it into a research plan with defined deliverables, timelines, and budget
• Serve as the CSO’s primary partner on biology and as a senior internal authority on cortisol modulator pharmacology
• Ensure the biology team has the expertise and capacity the growing portfolio requires, through internal development, new hires, or external partners
• Direct the design of screening cascades for new cortisol modulators, including assay selection, with particular emphasis on oncology and neurology
• Collaborate with clinical pharmacology on exposure-response, biomarker, and translational modeling questions
• Oversee the planning, execution, and interpretation of in vitro and in vivo pharmacology studies supporting lead optimization, candidate selection, and IND-enabling work
• Work with clinical development to understand clinical priorities and to design and advance the non-clinical studies required to support them
• Serve as the scientific point of contact for translational scientists and ongoing non-clinical studies
• Support medical affairs on scientific questions, data interpretation, and the accuracy of scientific communications
• Author and approve non-clinical pharmacology sections of regulatory submissions, investigator brochures, briefing documents, and responses to health authority questions
• Source, select, contract, and manage contract research vendors, including third-party staff; hold vendors to agreed quality and timelines; and allocate and oversee the non-clinical research budget
• Manage existing academic collaborations as appropriate and identify new partnerships that could enhance Corcept’s understanding of cortisol biology
• Maintain a single view of the external research program so that findings from one collaborator reach the internal team and, where appropriate, other collaborators
• Contribute to scientific publications and patents, and represent Corcept science externally

Skills

Non-clinical leadership

Small-molecule leadership

Oncology experience

CRO management

Staff development

Data presentation

Regulatory interactions

IND/NDA submissions

Education

Ph.D. in biology/pharmacology/biochemistry

Job description

Corcept Therapeutics seeks a veteran leader to own non-clinical biology end to end, directing discovery biology for our small-molecule portfolio. You will partner with the CSO on cortisol modulators, ensure team capacity, and manage CROs and academic collaborations.

The role centers on translating biology strategy into deliverables, guiding in vitro/in vivo studies, and enabling IND submissions while collaborating with clinical development and medical affairs.