Drug Discovery Project Leader

With over 35 nationalities and a range of backgrounds represented in our Benevolent team, we aim to build an inclusive environment where our people can bring their authentic selves to work, be respected for who they are and the exceptional work they do. We welcome and actively encourage applications from all sections of society and are committed to offering equal employment opportunities regardless of sex, race, religion or belief, ethnic or national origin, marital, domestic or civil partnership status, sexual orientation, gender identity, parental status, disability, age, citizenship, or any other basis. We see our diversity as an asset as we tackle challenging problems that bridge the gap between drug discovery and technology.

The Role

We are looking for an experienced Project Leader at Senior Principal Scientist level (equivalent to Associate Director) to lead cross-disciplinary drug discovery programmes from our Cambridge location. As a central member of our drug discovery team of more than 170 professionals working on 13 named discovery stage programmes and multiple exploratory programmes, you will support small molecule drug discovery over a range of disease indications from Hit ID through to Lead Optimisation and Candidate delivery.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Responsible/accountable for overall leadership of one or more small molecule drug discovery programmes from Hit ID through to Candidate nomination
• Devise, lead and implement clear strategies to advance assigned programmes through key stage gates within timelines and budget, regularly updating senior leadership with clear strategic recommendations
• Work closely with experts across chemistry, biology, safety & DMPK as well as computational chemistry, cheminformatics and bioinformatics, providing robust scientific challenge to ensure strong decision making
• Coordinate with functions to ensure the appropriate resource and experience are supporting the project team at the required time and that assigned resources are effectively utilised
• Contribute to external collaborative relationships with academic leaders and contract research organisations as needed
• Contribute to departmental leadership to influence wider drug discovery projects and processes/technologies
• Matrix leadership of cross-functional teams will be an essential part of the role and direct supervision of others may also be required

Additional Responsibilities:

• Experience of leading programmes in preclinical development would be advantageous, though not required for the role

We are looking for someone with:

• A PhD or equivalent in a biological or chemical science with >8 years of industry research experience, or a relevant degree with >13 years of industry research experience, and preferably at least 3 years providing overall leadership for drug discovery programmes
• Proven ability to work successfully in multi-disciplinary drug discovery teams and to lead small molecule drug discovery programmes to Candidate nomination
• Ability to work resiliently under pressure, manage complex projects and deliver to defined timelines ensuring all studies and documents are completed as required
• Ability to critically analyse and act upon complex datasets across all disciplines, making pragmatic data-driven decisions to advance assigned projects
• Understanding of all aspects required to position programmes for a successful transition into pre-clinical and clinical phases, as well as for partnering
• Evidence of creative thinking and problem-solving, confidently applying novel strategies to efficiently move projects to important decision points
• Previous line management experience and the ability to motivate and develop team members
• Excellent oral and written communication skills, able to tailor the complexity of communications as and when required, whilst maintaining clarity of communication

About us

BenevolentAI (AMS: BAI) is a leading, clinical-stage AI-enabled drug discovery and development company listed on the Euronext Amsterdam stock exchange. Through the combined capabilities of its AI platform, scientific expertise, and wet-lab facilities, BenevolentAI is well-positioned to deliver novel drug candidates with a higher probability of clinical success than those developed using traditional methods. The Benevolent Platform™ powers a growing in-house pipeline of 13 named drug programmes and over 10 exploratory programmes, and it maintains successful collaborations with AstraZeneca, as well as leading research and charitable institutions. BenevolentAI is headquartered in London, with a research facility in Cambridge (UK) and a further office in New York.

We share a passion for being part of a mission that matters, and we are always looking for curious and collaborative people who share our values and want to be part of our journey. If that sounds like a fit for you, hit the ‘apply’ button and join us.

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