What are the responsibilities and job description for the Director of Drug Discovery position at Avetix Bio?
We're retained on a Director of Drug Discovery for a commercial stage biotech based in Cambridge. Candidates coming from MNC or mid size pharma will be preferred.
Key Responsibilities:
- Guide and grow the Immunology Early Discovery team to advance programs across respiratory, dermatologic, rheumatologic, and gastrointestinal indications.
- Define and refine scientific strategy and experimental priorities in alignment with portfolio goals and corporate vision.
- Design, execute, and oversee critical experiments to enable key decision points (e.g., Go/No-Go) and advance candidate molecules through the discovery pipeline.
- Serve as a scientific leader and mentor to junior and senior scientists, fostering a high-performance and inclusive team culture.
- Collaborate closely with cross-functional groups including Medicinal Biologics and Chemistry, Translational Medicine, Preclinical Development, and Clinical teams to ensure seamless program integration.
- Support strategic partnerships and drive scientific due diligence for external innovation opportunities in collaboration with Business Development, IP, and Legal teams.
- Establish and manage collaborations with top academic institutions and external research organizations.
Qualifications
- PhD with 6 years, MS with 12 years, or BS with 14 years of relevant experience in immunology, pharmacology, or a related discipline, ideally within a biotech or pharmaceutical R&D setting.
- Deep expertise in immunology and autoimmune disease biology with a strong publication record and demonstrated impact in advancing therapeutic programs.
- Proven leadership in early-stage drug discovery, including target validation, in vivo/ex vivo pharmacology, and IND-enabling studies.
- Track record of managing, mentoring, and inspiring high-performing scientific teams.
- Experience with biologics, small molecules, or RNA-based therapeutics is highly desirable.
- Excellent organizational, communication, and interpersonal skills, with ability to influence and collaborate across a matrixed environment.
- Demonstrated ability to think strategically, adapt to change, and drive innovation.