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.

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
• Deep understanding of translational strategy, preclinical development, and clinical considerations in drug development
• Strong expertise across multiple drug discovery modalities and approaches, with demonstrated ability to apply strategic scientific judgment
• Strong operational mindset with the ability to execute effectively in fast-moving, resource-constrained environments
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills across scientific, executive, and external audiences

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in AI-enabled drug discovery, computational biology, systems pharmacology, or platform biotech environments
• Background working with data-driven discovery approaches and computational infrastructure
• Familiarity with translational biomarkers, precision medicine strategies, and clinical development planning
• Experience building discovery organizations or scaling R&D teams within startup environments
• Prior experience interacting with regulatory agencies, KOLs, or strategic pharma partnerships
• Entrepreneurial or venture-backed biotech experience strongly preferred

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and oversee therapeutic discovery programs from target identification through preclinical development and clinical transition
• 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
• Apply deep drug discovery experience to 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
• Serve as a hands-on scientific leader actively involved in experimental strategy, data interpretation, candidate selection, and program execution
• Help establish scalable discovery and development processes appropriate for a high-growth biotech environment
• 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

Values & Working Style

• Comfortable navigating ambiguity in a fast-moving, high-impact environment
• Strong collaborator across science, engineering, and business teams
• Pragmatic yet ambitious — focused on building category-defining systems, not incremental improvements

Why This Role Matters

This role will help shape how we translate cutting-edge computational capabilities into real drug discovery outcomes — guiding portfolio decisions, advancing programs toward the clinic, and building the foundation of a next-generation discovery organization.

Benefits

• Opportunity to define the future of drug safety and predictive toxicology
• 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