Sr. Scientist - Associate Director, in vitro Biology Lead

Senior Scientist/ Associate Director, in vitro biology lead

Alkahest is developing novel therapeutic approaches to target diseases of aging via modulation of the plasma proteome. We are seeking an in vitro biology expert who is excited to explore, identify and validate new targets/mechanisms and to drive the screening and evaluation of therapeutic candidates. This position will impact the strategy of the company, while remaining close to the lab and the science. The candidate should be an independent and creative researcher passionate about building a platform to elucidate mechanisms of aging diseases, including neurodegeneration, blood brain barrier, and cellular metabolism. This individual needs to be both a scientific leader and a technical expert, actively contributing to drug discovery efforts that span a wide range of target classes and therapeutic areas. He/she will have a key role in a multi-disciplinary drug discovery team and will provide robust scientific/technical support and leadership for projects. This individual is also expected to be a strong innovator who can drive technology advancement, as well as champion new drug discovery proposals.

Responsibilities:

• Participate in the evaluation of targets and projects to continually build the pipeline and progress the platform
• Lead assay development, including CNS specific and peripheral model systems
• Actively engage in new target identification, validation, bioactive screening, pathway discovery and elucidation of mechanism of action 
• Responsible for the generation of in vitro data packages to support advancement of projects into development
• Lead a group of talented discovery scientists and research associates
• Interact and collaborate with scientists across Discovery and Development

Requirements:

• PhD degree required in a relevant field (Neuroscience, Cell Biology or similar degree) with a minimum of 8 years' experience, including previous industry experience
• Broad drug discovery experience in multiple therapeutic areas and target classes is required
• First-hand experience with in vitro cellular techniques including:
  • primary cell culture (proficiency with CNS cell types and models required)
  • experience with iPSC-derived cells and MEA functional assays desired
  • experience with inflammatory and/or brain endothelial setups desired
  • solid molecular techniques for identification of new targets 
  • functional and biochemical assays 
  • imaging techniques
• Experience in practical applications of stem cell technology to target validation and drug prioritization, as well as automation and assay development, are desired
• Robust experimental design and troubleshooting skills necessary, and excellent data analysis/mining/statistics capabilities highly desired
• Direct supervisory experience with a successful track record of mentoring is required
• Must be a creative, organized, strategic, fearless, resilient, and motivated self-starter capable of driving a portion of the discovery strategy
• Experience leading a group and collaborating effectively within cross-functional teams
• Excellent communication skills and the ability to work in a highly collaborative, fast-paced, dynamic environment
• Able to balance creativity and risk-taking with drug discovery/development considerations in the design and execution of program strategies
• Experience integrating data from both internal and external sources to proactively recognize and direct problem solving for complex technical/scientific issues
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple competing priorities with a high degree of self-motivation
• Flexibility and an ability to drive go/no go decisions