Project Leader, Biology
Exscientia, United Kingdom
Job Description
Exscientia is an AI-driven pharmatech company committed to discovering, designing and developing the best possible drugs in the fastest and most effective manner. Exscientia developed the first-ever functional precision oncology platform to successfully guide treatment selection and improve patient outcomes in a prospective interventional clinical study, as well as to progress AI-designed small molecules into the clinical setting. Our pipeline demonstrates our ability to rapidly translate scientific concepts into precision-designed therapeutic candidates, with more than 25 projects underway. By designing better drugs, faster, we believe the best ideas of science can rapidly become the best medicines for patients. At Exscientia we understand the benefit of flexible working which is why this role can be based in any of our offices in Oxford, Dundee, Cambridge, Vienna, Miami or Boston. Additionally, you can work remotely from any country where we have a legal business entity and there’s a sufficient time zone overlap with your team. Speak with our talent team to learn more about how we encourage flexibility and work life balance.
As the Project Leader, Biology you will be responsible for:
Being a proven drug-hunter, providing project leadership to small-molecule drug discovery programmes in oncology and/or immune disease. You will work with partners and project teams to set and deliver overall strategic objectives for discovery and translational delivery (including target candidate profiles) and be responsible for lead and clinical candidate milestones. By providing leadership to multi-disciplinary teams, you will advance programs from the partnered and internal pipeline to deliver clinical candidates, leading the biology, ensuring relevant and robust data is generated to drive discovery forward.
The successful individual will plan and provide effective coordination of functions, ensuring appropriate resourcing and timing of activities to maximise the impact of the project team. They will regularly report progress to collaborators and internal decision-making bodies and use data-driven approaches to guide project strategy. The development of successful internal and external relationships with partners, academic leaders and contract research organisations is critical.
The Project Leader will use their experience in drug discovery biology to design and implement screening cascades, using assay systems and endpoints which are relevant to and inform on target mechanism and disease biology. They will work with our internal biology teams and external partners to ensure project assay data is robust and that compound activity translates across assay systems.
The influence of this position extends beyond Exscientia’s drug discovery portfolio. You will provide biology input on potential new biological targets to support decisions on their inclusion in the Exscientia portfolio (e.g. translational, tractability, strategic approach).
Finally, as a seasoned drug hunter, you will provide mentorship to less experienced team members as they build their careers within Exscientia.
Requirements
- Likely educated to PhD level with 10+ years’ experience of drug discovery biology
- Highly motivated with a track record of successful project leadership and delivery of clinical candidates
- Evidence of leadership of multi-disciplinary teams
- A data-driven approach to decision-making
- Excellent communication skills in verbal and written English, with the ability to provide clarity of message across a wide range of audiences
- Domain knowledge in pharmacology/biology as applied to contemporary drug discovery
- Prior involvement with late pre-clinical/early clinical teams
- Knowledge and experience in oncology or immune disease
Benefits
- Work together to make a positive contribution to patients by revolutionising the pharmaceutical industry through AI-driven discovery.
- We will work with you to kick-start or further grow your career from funding for professional development and conference attendance. To the opportunity to acquire valuable skills, work on problems that matter, and learn from world-class technological and scientific leaders.
- Opportunity to join an inclusive, collaborative and intellectually stimulating culture
- We will work with you to provide a highly competitive compensation as we continue to grow and thrive.
- Our team’s health and well-being is important to us. We offer a generous holiday allowance, provide flexible working and remote working to encourage all of our team to manage their own work, time and life along with wellbeing and mindfulness support.
- When you are in the office, you will have access to a kitchen stock