Director of Biochemistry

Company Description   

Eikon Therapeutics is a new biopharmaceutical company employing revolutionary technology at the intersection of chemistry, engineering, computation, and biology to discover novel treatments for life-threatening diseases. Eikon’s discovery platform is built on groundbreaking innovations from its founders (Nobel Prize, 2014), culminating in the creation of microscopes which enable real time, molecular-resolution measurements of protein movement in living cells, thereby unlocking otherwise intractable classes of proteins as drug targets. 

Position    

As Director of Biochemistry, you will manage a team of talented scientists to design, develop and implement novel biochemical and biophysical assays to help advance small molecule drug discovery programs.  

About you 

You are an experienced and highly skilled biochemist/biophysicist that has a demonstrated track record of success in managing scientists and research associates in a pharmaceutical or biotech setting. 

• You have demonstrated ability in leveraging biochemical/biophysical assays for small molecule drug discovery to support hit identification, hit-to-lead, and lead optimization activities; experience with allosteric inhibitors is a plus
• You have experience in a wide array of biochemical and biophysical assay formats including FI, FP, TR-FRET, AlphaScreen, MST and DSF and have the interest to innovate and develop new assay technologies
• You can provide expert knowledge on the biochemical mechanisms of small molecule interactions with protein targets of interest
• You are a hands-on manager who thrives in a fast-paced, dynamic environment and is excited with the prospect of leading biochemical/biophysical research at Eikon
• You are well-organized, detail oriented, and take pride in your ability to analyze complex data sets and experimental results
• You are capable of cross-function collaborations with colleagues in cell biology, engineering, software, and medicinal chemistry
• You are current with new technologies and relevant scientific advancements in biochemical and biophysical assay formats and technologies
• You have strong written and oral communication skills, excellent interpersonal skills, and a demonstrated ability to work collaboratively in multidisciplinary teams 

What you’ll do  

• Lead the biochemistry department in the design, development, validation, and implementation of novel biochemical/biophysical assays for profiling small molecule compounds
• Advance departmental capabilities, internal and external, as needed to support Eikon drug-discovery projects
• Help teams establish workflows of biochemical/biophysical assays to support a variety of small molecule drug discovery programs
• Provide guidance and expertise on protein production to support assay development
• Contribute to multiple projects simultaneously and manage diverse team interactions
• Mentor junior department members in aspects of all the above responsibilities
• Collaborate and communicate across a diverse research team to successfully progress scientific goals

Key Qualifications 

• Ph.D. in biochemistry, biophysics, or related discipline with at least 8+ years of relevant industrial pharmaceutical experience
• Experience in building and managing a team of biochemistry/biophysicist scientists with diverse levels of experience
• Demonstrated ability to grow and develop the careers of team members
• An exemplary track record of impacting all stage of the drug discovery process through biochemical/biophysical experimental design
• Direct experience in working with and characterizing challenging proteins
• Self-motivated with high attention to details, ability to analyze, summarize and present data and significant conclusions to key stakeholders and decision makers
• Good organizational skills with ability to work in a fast-paced team environment
• Proven success in building and leading high-performing, diverse, and inclusive teams
• Ability to communicate clearly and build open collaborative relationships is essential 

Eikon is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and will consider all qualified applicants for employment. 

In accordance with the Company’s duty to provide and maintain a safe workplace, the Company requires all employees to be Fully Vaccinated with one of the FDA approved COVID-19 vaccines, which includes those vaccines that have received the FDA’s emergency use authorization.  You will be expected to be Fully Vaccinated as of your Start Date.  If you believe that you are exempt from this requirement under an applicable law or regulations, including Americans with Disabilities Act and California’s Fair Employment and Housing Act, you will need to contact the Company’s Human Resources group. For purposes of this section, Fully Vaccinated means (i) the completion of the vaccination regimen as approved by the FDA (by way of example, 2 doses of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine and 1 dose of the Johnson and Johnson vaccine), and (ii) timely receiving booster vaccination, as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.