Scientist, Mechanistic Biology

About The Position

We are seeking an experienced mechanistic biologist to join our Discovery Biology Team. In this position, you will work closely with our Platform and Chemistry Teams to drive mechanistic understanding of our lead compounds and support core drug discovery efforts. This is an opportunity to help elucidate novel pharmacological mechanisms of our next-gen IPMs.

Responsibilities

• Designing and executing mechanistic studies on hit compounds
• Dissecting signaling pathways to map compound mechanism of action
• Interrogating protein-protein interactions
• Preparing and analyzing NGS libraries
• Developing and deploying functional cell-based assays to characterize novel pharmacology

About You

• High Agency. Initiative, independence, and self-accountability are some of our most valued traits.
• Enthusiastic. We love people who are excited about what they are doing and are generally attempting to build a high-energy team.
• Intensity and Grit. Early-stage startups are hard. Drug discovery is doubly so. We are looking for candidates who have a demonstrated ability to stick with complex problems for the long haul, with a team that has your back along the way.
• Prosocial. We are here to create life-saving medicines for the patients who need it most. You should be, too.

Qualifications

• BS, MS or PhD in Cell Biology, Biochemistry, or related field. Candidates without a PhD should have 5-7+ years of relevant industry experience.
• Previous experience elucidating novel biology underlying small-molecule mechanism of action in a drug discovery context.
• Top-notch written and oral communication skills.
• Strong experience with:
  • Cellular and molecular biology, including extensive experience with mammalian cell line work and associated assays, stable cell line generation (lentiviral and CRISPR-based systems), co-IP/pull-down assays, RNA-seq, global proteomics, flow cytometry, plasmid design/cloning, etc.
  • Small molecule drug development campaigns (hit discovery, hit validation, dose-response studies, SAR and MOA studies)
  • Mechanistic studies of cell signaling, pathway analysis, and PTM analysis
  • Protein-protein interaction techniques (e.g., BRET, APEX/BioID, AlphaScreen, etc.)
  • NGS library prep, sequencing, and analysis
• Nice to have:
  • Experience with PROTAC/next-gen IPM technologies
  • Experience working at the interface of mechanistic biology and chemistry
  • Experience working on teams that have successfully advanced research to the clinic
  • Experience managing CROs

Benefits

• Strong equity incentives. We are looking for candidates who will bring a strong sense of ownership to drive their project areas forward, and we believe that you deserve to be compensated accordingly.
• Top tier medical, dental, and vision coverage + One Medical membership.
• 401(k) retirement plans.
• Education and health/fitness incentive programs.
• Meditation retreats—do a ten-day Vipassana retreat without counting towards vacation days.
• Reading budget! We will buy you books. 📚

About Us

• Work Hard/Play Hard. We believe time is our most valuable commodity, so we strive to create a culture that reflects this. We won't drag you through unnecessary meetings or email you at 7 PM on a Saturday. When we're at work, we're there to get things done, and when we're off, we're really off. 🌴
• Strong Communication. We like well-written documents over PowerPoints, OKRs over vague mission statements, and weekly one-on-ones over yearly reviews.
• Writing First. We have a "writing-first" culture. We believe that clarity of writing reflects clarity of thinking and that the benefits of well-written documentation in a scientific environment are innumerable: democratization of ideation and decision-making, increased reproducibility, quicker scaling and onboarding, and better company-wide alignment, to name a few.
• Growth. As an early-stage startup, we value scientists with an independent, can-do attitude. The more hats you can wear, the better. Our job as employers is to put you in positive feedback loops so you can grow in the direction of your choosing.