Location: US (preferably in Boston or NYC)

As our Director of In Vivo Pharmacology, you will provide strategic vision and decisive leadership to the team to characterize the in vivo pharmacological activities of novel chemical matter and select optimal compounds for advancement for therapeutic indications in the mental health space. Every day, you will take ownership of the activities necessary to drive these programs toward critical milestones. To thrive in this job, you must have experience leading drug discovery programs during a tenure of 8 or more years in the biotechnology or pharmaceutical company environment. You have independently and successfully led in vivo pharmacology programs in support of central nervous system disorder drug discovery and have extensive project management experience.

Who we are

atai Life Sciences is a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing novel treatments for mental health disorders so that everyone, everywhere can live a more fulfilled life. We are developing psychedelic and non-psychedelic compounds and cutting-edge digital therapeutic tools and are excited about anything that might mean a true leap forward for patients. We have offices in Berlin, London, New York, Boston, and San Diego. Check out our website here. 

How you will spend your time here

• You will work alongside a talented and experienced team of researchers who are passionate about science and working toward one mission. They believe in the tremendous potential of psychedelic and novel non-psychedelic compounds to dramatically improve the treatment of mental health disorders and are focused on delivering optimized candidate molecules for clinical development as efficiently as possible
• You will independently and strategically plan, manage execution, and provide interpretation of in vivo pharmacology and translational research required for candidate selection, IND enablement, and clinical support across multiple programs, including studies focused on understanding efficacy, translation across species, mechanism of action, safety, and exposure 
• You will identify and oversee qualified CROs and other external resources, and ensure robust results are delivered on time and within budget. This includes study design, protocol development, coordination of study materials, data analysis, interpretation, and presentation, as well as report review and approval 
• You will develop and integrate timelines and budgets for in vivo pharmacology and translational research in close coordination with Medicinal Chemistry, In Vitro Pharmacology, Nonclinical Development, and other stakeholders 

• You will identify appropriate pharmacological and translational research approaches and develop strategies for leveraging such methods across atai programs 
• You will prepare relevant sections of patent filings, regulatory submissions (IND, CTA), etc. 

Those who succeed at atai will be strongly aligned with our values: 

• Conscious Care: We take every action in service of our ultimate goal: to heal mental health disorders for all while caring for ourselves and our team. 
• Bold Entrepreneurship: We are “loosely coupled but tightly aligned” as we strive for excellence over perfection, fast and focused to accelerate innovation for patients.

• Innovative Collaboration: individuals and teams work together with good humor and no drama, valuing different perspectives and diversity of thought, background, nationality, and style.
• Radical Responsibility: We take full responsibility for our circumstances. We grow and learn from failures.

atai embraces diversity and equal opportunity in a serious way. We are committed to building a team that represents a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills. The more inclusive we are, the better our work will be.