Senior Director, Pharmacology & Assay Development

Permanent employee, Full-time · London

Your mission

Engitix Therapeutics is a pioneering biotech company dedicated to unlocking extracellular matrix biology to develop new therapeutics in fibrosis and oncology. We are seeking an experienced Senior Director of Pharmacology and Assay Development to oversee all aspects of preclinical development for biologic and small molecule drug candidates into clinical development.

What you’ll do:

Lead discovery teams by developing and executing preclinical development strategies for drug candidates, ensuring alignment with the company’s overall R&D and business objectives
Partner with Engitix scientists and external collaborators to develop preclinical screening strategies for discovery programs. This will include developing and optimizing new assays that will support target validation and/or screening of potential therapeutic candidates. These screening assays may also leverage proprietary Engitix platforms and/or be used to support high content screens (eg, CRISPR)
Lead cross-functional discovery teams to design, execute, and interpret critical IND-enabling studies, including ADME, pharmacology, toxicology, pharmacokinetics (PK), pharmacodynamics (PD), and immunogenicity assessments. This will include identifying potential risks and developing mitigation strategies for different workstreams
Oversee and contribute to the preparation of preclinical sections of regulatory documents, including pre-IND meetings, IND submissions, investigator brochures, and briefing packages
Integrate and optimize automation strategies for handling complex cellular and biochemical assays, increasing the efficiency of hit identification, lead optimization, and mechanistic studies
Partner with the team to integrate analysis pipelines for cellular- and patient-derived data sets (including transcriptomics, proteomics, and spatial biology) to identify new targets. Provide strategic input into target validation strategies and plans, including evaluation of enabling technologies
Establish and manage timelines, budgets, and resources for preclinical programs, ensuring efficient and cost-effective execution
Work closely with Engitix leadership to align project goals with corporate strategy and portfolio priorities

Your profile

The ideal candidate will have direct experience in leading teams to advance discovery programs from early discovery (ie, Hit ID) to candidate selection and IND submission. Additionally, has a strong scientific background in assay development for discovery programs, with experience in 3D tissue models related to inflammation, fibrosis, or cancer. They will also have experience managing discovery research units, including managing other people leaders in a biotech or pharma setting.

What you'll need:

Ph.D. in Pharmacology, Immunology, Oncology, Cell Biology or related field with 10+ years of drug development experience
Extensive experience in preclinical development within the biotech or pharmaceutical industry
Experience in leading discovery project teams to advance programs from early discovery (ie, Hit ID/HTL) to candidate selection and IND submission
Deep understanding of preclinical development processes, including pharmacology, toxicology, PK/PD, and translational science
Hands-on experience working with 3D cellular or tissue models to support discovery efforts (eg, target validation, candidate profiling)
Expertise in developing assays to support biologic and small molecule screening, including functional genomics-based target validation platforms (e.g. CRISPR, siRNAs, ASOs)
Proven experience managing CROs and external collaborations
Experience implementing and managing automated screening platforms, liquid handling robotics, and high-throughput assay technologies is desirable
Strong leadership and team-building capabilities, including experience managing other managers
Expertise in fibrosis (and/or oncology) and inflammatory disease biology is highly desirable

Why us?

Be part of a motivated, dynamic and diverse team supporting cutting edge drug discovery
State of the art offices and laboratories at the Westworks, White City
Competitive reward package including private medical insurance, bonus, pension, and much more!

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About us

Engitix is a growing biotech company based in White City Place, West London. We are dedicated to developing better therapies for advanced fibrosis and solid tumours by leveraging our pioneering extracellular matrix (ECM) platform. Our platform allows the synthesis of realistic in vitro 3D models that serve as tools to transform our ability to identify new targets and biomarkers, determine mechanisms of action and more accurately predict the efficacy of therapeutic candidates.

Join us today in our mission to create a healthier future for patients with life-threatening diseases such as fibrosis and cancer.

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We are looking forward to hearing from you!

Thank you for your interest in Engitix. Please fill out the following short form. Should you have difficulties with the upload of your data, please send an email to careers@engitix.com.