Head Of Biochemical And Cellular Engineering

At  Lyterian Therapeutics, we are committed to developing medicines for patients in need by co-opting physiologically-relevant protein homeostatic mechanisms to regulate genetically-validated targets.

 

As Head of Biochemical & Cellular Engineering, you will be responsible for leading the team designing biochemical assays relevant to our protein degradation drug discovery platform and programs. You will initiate and execute Biochemical and cell-based assays, with expertise in receptor pharmacology, screening assay technologies, and high-throughput screening (HTS).  You and your team will provide hit-to-lead and mechanism of action studies to early-stage research and discovery programs. You will manage research scientists and external partners, including contract research organizations (CROs) to develop appropriate strategies and screening cascades to drive small molecules' lead optimization. By collaborating closely with medicinal chemists, protein biochemists, biophysicists, bioinformaticians, and molecular biologists, you will uncover fundamental biology behind induced protein degradation.

 

We look for teammates who are inspired by our mission and want to work in a collaborative, rigorous, and entrepreneurial environment. We seek candidates who are self-motivated, collaborative, proactive, and possess a strong desire to discover novel biology and new drugs. Efficient time management, excellent organizational and communication skills, and passion for high-quality, translational science are essential. 

Impact You'll Make:

• Lead the scientific direction and operation of the Biochemical and Cellular Engineering Group and promote innovative science through collaboration and teamwork
• Contribute to multiple drug discovery projects via the diesgn, implementation and interpretation of robust Biochemical and cell-based assays for lead optimization, HTS, and mechanism of action studies
• Support projects  and project teams by implementing robust in vitro cascades to deliver drug candidates
• Identify, initiate, and manage collaborations with external collaborators and CROs, including assay development, execution, quality control (QC), and handling of data
• Employ rigorous data analysis techniques and ensure pharmacological data generated by the team is reviewed and reported in appropriate format to enable ease of access in appropriate databases
• Serve as the scientific leader and subject matter expert (SME) in Biochemical and Cellular Engineering on multiple project teams
• Contribute to technical reports to support program reviews, patents, publications and IND submissions
• Stay up-to-date with emerging scientific literature
• Collaborate and communicate across a diverse scientific team to successfully progress Lyterian goals

Qualifications:

• PhD in Biochemistry, Pharmacology, Cell Biology, Biology, Chemical Biology, or related discipline with 10+ years of relevant postdoctoral or industrial experience
• Experience successfully initiating and executing high quality Biochemical and cell-based assays in medium/high-throughput formats for drug discovery
• Strength in experimental design, assay development, execution, and expertise in several assay platforms to analyze target engagement and degradation (such as HTRF, luminescence, NanoBRET, CETSA, High Content Imaging, flow cytometry)
• Research experience with characterization of protein modification and turnover, and Cellular mechanism of action studies.
• In-depth knowledge of modern in vitro pharmacology approaches and principles that contribute to successful delivery of candidate drugs
• Ability to independently define key scientific questions and design rigorous experiments in collaboration with internal and external partners, including CROs
• Familiar with data analysis software and databases for the handling of large datasets
• Knowledge of protein degradation mechanisms and in particular the biochemistry of ubiquitin ligases is a plus
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including strong formal presentation skills and the ability to communicate complex scientific information in an understandable manner
• Evidence of scientific excellence and impact as illustrated by scientific publications and presentations
• Initiative and boldness to dive into a fast-paced new startup

$175,000 - $235,000 a year

We encourage candidates of all levels to apply as there is often flexibility on job title and responsibilities. Compensation will be based on a variety of factors, including experience, qualifications, internal equity and location. Lyterian offers a competitive employment package that includes an annual bonus, significant equity, and a generous benefits package including comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance for our employees and their families, plus a 401K match.

At Lyterian, we believe that a diverse, open, and inclusive environment and culture is key to our success.  We will not be influenced in recruiting, hiring, promoting or any other employment practices by race, color, citizenship status, national origin, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, age, religion, physical or mental disability, medical or genetic condition, marital status, veteran status, or any other characteristics protected under applicable federal, state and local laws. Lyterian will make reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with known disabilities, in accordance with applicable laws.