Project Leader, Virology

Project Leader, Virology

Canton (Greater Boston), MA

Pledge Therapeutics is a drug discovery engine combining a powerful technical platform with an innovative business model. Pledge is founded by a group of preeminent scientists and veteran biotech entrepreneurs with a track record of venture development and drug discovery. Straddling both US and EU sites, the Pledge team oversees the advancement of high-value drug discovery programs across various therapeutic indications. We are developing multiple, first-in-class, small molecule medicines against challenging drug targets across oncology, viral, and immune diseases.

Our efforts have given rise to a constellation of exciting discoveries, spanning early drug hits to preclinical candidates. At the core of our effort is integrating structural and biophysical knowledge of disease targets to accelerate the pace and success of drug development. We pride ourselves on working with the brightest researchers and partnering with leading drug development teams across the globe to realize our mission of improving patients' lives.

Job Description:

We strongly believe that unlocking innovative medicines requires the close cooperation of dynamic teams spanning disease biology, protein biochemistry, data science, structural biology, biophysics, and medicinal chemistry.

Interlinking all these nodes at Pledge is a Project Leader who is accountable for the success of a project. The Project Leader will have autonomy and resources to prosecute projects rapidly, efficiently, and to the highest scientific standards. Project leaders are vital pillars of our operational model and success.

We seek a highly motivated, experienced R&D Project Leader with a track record of leading antiviral and infectious diseases therapeutic projects across the discovery and preclinical spectrums. The Project Leader will be responsible for advancing our antiviral drug programs, setting project strategy, and leading execution. The candidate will have a "roll-up-your-sleeves" attitude and will be comfortable with bench-work just as much as driving the program forward through the deployment of internal and external resources. The successful candidate will define the path to drug discovery from hit-generation to candidate selection with compelling data packages in line with our corporate goals.

The Project Leader will work closely with medicinal and computational chemistry colleagues, biophysicists, and a team of research associates in identifying, characterization, and advancing high-quality drug candidates through preclinical development and IND studies, including proof-of-mechanism endpoints. The candidate will develop collaborative partnerships within the company and with external collaborators, including academic investigators and contract research organizations (CROs).

Key Responsibilities

• Directly lead small-molecule, infectious and antiviral drug discovery programs, overseeing all phases of project execution with a focus on R&D outcomes.
• Develop and establish assays (antiviral, cytotoxicity, and/or intracellular assays) to support hit-to-lead (H2L) and lead optimization as well as antiviral high throughput screening (HTS) campaigns.
• Deploy sophisticated virology techniques for high-volume, high-speed drug discovery deriving unique insights from biological data
• Design and perform mechanism of action studies.
• Create and implement project strategies to identify high-quality development drug candidates, identify key decision points, and manage risk.
• Identify and develop short-, mid-, and long-term R&D objectives alongside senior management.
• Prioritize and coordinate research activities and allocate resources between internal staff and external contract research organizations (CROs).
• Proactively communicate project strategy, anticipate potential issues, and recommend appropriate resource decisions.
• Communicate closely with internal and external team members across multiple disciplines to achieve project goals.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE/QUALIFICATIONS

• Ph.D. degree in cell biology, molecular biology, infectious diseases or related discipline.
• 10 years of hands-on drug discovery experience in an industrial setting in the antiviral and/or infectious therapeutic areas.
• Proficiency with molecular biology and virology techniques: recombinant DNA techniques, RNA isolation, cell culture, transfections, virus production, amplification, viral quantitation, identification of optimal virus MOI etc. Possess a deep and broad understanding molecular biology and infectious diseases, including knowledge of preclinical and translational models.
• Demonstrable hands-on experience in all aspects of hit-generation, advancing small molecule or antiviral drugs through lead optimization to candidate selection.
• A clear understanding of drug discovery stage gates. Basic knowledge of or exposure to pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, medicinal chemistry, ADME, and toxicology.
• Demonstrated leadership qualities with the ability to define strategy, develop project goals, and drive a program.
• Experience working in dynamic, productive, cross-functional internal and external teams.
• Track record of initiative and execution while maintaining the highest scientific rigor.
• Possess outstanding organizational abilities with a collaborative, tactful, and goal-oriented working style.
• Desire to work in a fast-paced start-up and a multitasking environment.

If you are ready to contribute to innovative research projects and be part of a growing company that is tackling some of the most pressing healthcare issues in modern medicine, please send us your CV and cover letter to mmartin(@)pledge-tx.com

Job Type: Full-time, USA work permit, Equal Opportunity Employment

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $85,000.00 - $185,700.12 per year

Ability to commute/relocate:

• Canton, MA 02021: Reliably commute or planning to relocate before starting work (Preferred)

Experience:

• Virology or/and Infectious diseases: 10 years (Required)

Work Location: One location