VP/SVP of Drug Discovery

About the role

We are seeking an experienced and highly strategic VP/SVP of Drug Discovery to lead and scale our discovery organization across target identification, hit discovery, lead optimization, translational strategy, and clinical transition.

Responsibilities

• Serve as a key scientific and operational leader inside the company, partnering closely with computational scientists, experimental scientists (own lab), platform teams, translational biology, external collaborators, and executive leadership to prioritize programs, guide strategic decisions, and accelerate pipeline execution.
• Drive scientific strategy, portfolio prioritization, and stage-gate decision-making across discovery programs.
• Partner closely with translational and clinical teams to ensure strong alignment between discovery strategy and clinical development pathways.
• Evaluate program risk, mechanism validity, biomarker strategy, developability, and probability of technical and clinical success.
• Build and lead multidisciplinary teams spanning biology, chemistry, pharmacology, translational medicine, computational biology, and external collaborators.
• Contribute to corporate strategy, investor discussions, partnering opportunities, and scientific positioning.
• Evaluate and integrate emerging technologies, external innovation, and AI-enabled methodologies into discovery workflows where appropriate.
• Mentor scientific leaders and help cultivate a culture of scientific rigor, urgency, accountability, and innovation.

Requirements

• PhD, MD, or equivalent advanced scientific degree in biology, pharmacology, chemistry, immunology, translational medicine, or related field
• 15+ years of experience in drug discovery and development within biotech, mid-size biotech, platform biotech, and/or pharmaceutical environments
• Significant leadership experience in discovery organizations, including VP, SVP, CSO, CEO, or equivalent leadership roles
• Proven experience building, scaling, and leading multidisciplinary discovery teams, including managing senior scientific leaders rather than only operating as an individual hands-on contributor
• Proven track record advancing therapeutic programs from early discovery through IND-enabling development and/or into the clinic
• Strong expertise across multiple drug discovery modalities and approaches, with demonstrated ability to apply strategic scientific judgment
• Experience working closely with clinical development teams and supporting programs through clinical transition
• Comfortable navigating ambiguity in a fast-moving, high-impact environment
• Pragmatic yet ambitious — focused on building category-defining systems, not incremental improvements.

Benefits

• Competitive compensation package with meaningful equity
• Comprehensive health, dental, and vision coverage
• Remote-friendly culture with optional onsite work
• Annual team gatherings and company events.