Principal Scientist, Nonclinical Drug Safety Program Discovery

About the role

The Discovery Program Leader (DPL) represents Nonclinical Drug Safety (NDS) on discovery research teams and in scientific and strategic review meetings focused primarily on immunology and oncology.

Responsibilities

• Represent NDS on discovery teams and participate in therapeutic area discovery governance committee reviews.
• Promote and facilitate creative thinking from target identification/validation through lead optimization, primarily in the Immunology Therapeutic Area, but also Oncology, Cardiometabolic, Infectious Disease and/or Neuroscience Therapeutic Areas.
• Influence both cross-site disease area aligned groups, as well as functional area disciplines.
• Identify and assess potential risks associated with therapeutic targets or development candidates using available literature, internal data, and external information.
• May also lead early development teams, informing on preclinical studies to support product development.

Qualifications, Skills And Experience Needed

• PhD in Toxicology, Pharmacology, Pathology, Biology, Biochemistry, Immunology, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chemistry, or related STEM field, DVM, MD degree or equivalent.
• Minimum 8+ years of demonstrated pharmaceutical industry experience as a non-clinical safety scientist (e.g. Toxicology, Pathology etc.) and/or as non-clinical safety assessment representative to a cross-functional development and/or discovery teams.
• Demonstrated ability to successfully navigate cross-functional lines and drive team decision making in a matrix organizational structure.
• Highly dedicated, motivated, resilient, and flexible; capable of creative problem solving and delivering on goals and objectives in a timely fashion.
• Excellent team player who can work collaboratively with discovery team members from various functions, other DPLs and scientists responsible for study conduct and portfolio management.
• Excellent interpersonal skills, able to establish good working relationships within networks of employees of all levels.
• Excellent communicator who knows when and how to speak up, and appropriately raise issues to stakeholders and to management.

Preferred Experience

• Background in immunology is preferred.
• Experience with biopharmaceutical and small molecule pharmaceutical development and/or discovery.
• Experience with regulatory submissions and responses.
• Member of pharmaceutical consortia and/or external scientific or professional organizations.