Principal Scientist, DMPK

VidaVinci, Inc. is a venture-backed, privately held biotech company on a mission to pioneer “a new modality to end all modalities.” Our goal is to revolutionize drug discovery at scale, address the toughest challenges of existing modalities, and unlock high-impact therapies for patients.

Backed by top-tier investors, the Company is co-founded by Drs. Gregory Verdine and Hal Barron, renowned industry leaders known for taking on the most daring scientific challenges. Built on a bold vision to redefine therapeutic innovation, we are pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in medicine. Join us to shape the future of drug discovery.

Summary

We are seeking an experienced and scientifically rigorous Principal Scientist, DMPK to partner across chemistry, biology, and computational teams to advance our discovery portfolio and modality platform. This individual will apply strong ADME/PK expertise, mechanistic disposition insights, and translational thinking to inform modality design, compound optimization, drug delivery, and program progression. The role spans early hit identification through candidate selection and IND-enabling studies and requires scientific excellence, sound judgment, collaboration, and clear communication. This is a full-time, on-site role in Watertown, MA.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the DMPK representative on cross-functional project teams and contribute to discovery and early development strategy across programs.
• Design, execute, and interpret in vitro ADME studies, including metabolism, transporter, protein binding, and DDI assessments, to guide compound optimization and candidate selection.
• Plan and interpret in vivo PK studies and integrate findings to build mechanistic understanding of exposure, disposition, and PK/PD relationships.
• Apply translational DMPK principles to support dose projections, exposure-response understanding, and program advancement.
• Partner closely with medicinal chemistry, biology, and other discovery functions to provide DMPK-driven insight for compound and modality design.
• Contribute to development of DMPK strategies for nontraditional modalities and help address modality-specific disposition challenges.
• Oversee outsourced ADME, PK, and bioanalytical studies at CROs, including study design, data review, timeline management, and delivery of high-quality results.
• Analyze, synthesize, and clearly communicate DMPK data and recommendations to project teams and leadership to support data-driven decisions.
• Contribute to regulatory and technical documentation, including study reports, investigator-facing summaries, and sections of IND-enabling documentation when needed.
• Mentor junior scientists or associates and contribute scientific expertise across the broader research organization.

Qualifications

• Ph.D. in drug metabolism, pharmacokinetics, pharmaceutical sciences, pharmacology, or a related discipline with significant industry experience in DMPK; biopharma experience is required, and biotech experience is strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated success supporting discovery programs from early lead optimization through candidate selection, with exposure to IND-enabling studies preferred.
• Deep expertise in in vitro ADME, in vivo PK, metabolism, transporters, and PK/PD interpretation, with strong mechanistic understanding.
• Experience contributing to translational strategies, including dose projection and exposure-response assessment, is preferred.
• Experience with nontraditional modalities is strongly preferred.
• Strong scientific problem-solving skills, with the ability to work effectively in a fast-paced, milestone-driven environment.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to present complex data clearly in cross-functional settings.
• Track record of collaboration, sound judgment, and high-quality execution; publications and/or patents are a plus.