Senior Scientist, Oncology

Science        ·      San Francisco       ·      Full time

Company Overview

Atomwise is a technology-enabled pharmaceutical company leveraging the power of AI to revolutionize small molecule drug discovery. The Atomwise team invented the use of deep learning for structure-based drug design; this technology underpins Atomwise’s best-in-class AI discovery engine, which is differentiated by its ability to find and optimize novel chemical matter. Atomwise has extensively validated its discovery engine, delivering success in over 185 projects to-date including a wide-variety of protein types and numerous “hard-to-drug” targets. Atomwise is building a wholly-owned pipeline of small-molecule drug candidates, with three programs in lead-optimization and over 30 programs in discovery. The company has raised over $174 million from leading venture capital firms to advance its mission to make better medicines, faster.  

To support its mission, further its progress in enterprise building and leverage its robust discovery engine, Atomwise is building biology and pharmacology capabilities to fully leverage its small molecule AI expertise to advance molecules for clinical development. You will work closely with Atomwise interdisciplinary teams to provide guidance on in vitro pharmacology strategy, clinical indications of interest, and other aspects of drug development.

Role Summary

Atomwise is recruiting an experienced Senior Scientist with a focus on discovering and developing the next generation of treatments to address unmet medical need for cancer patients.

The successful candidate will lead and provide strategic and technical insight to teams dedicated to developing early- and late-stage discovery programs for novel oncology targets and supports projects from hit identification to lead optimization. 

This role requires excellent communication skills, in-depth knowledge of preclinical in vitro pharmacology (biophysical, biochemical, and cellular assays) and ability to design translational studies to support future clinical activities. You will work effectively with an interdisciplinary team of computational and medicinal chemists, biologists, cheminformaticians, software engineers, CROs, and program managers to define, build, and optimize our massive, diverse portfolio of preclinical programs.

Key Responsibilities

• Direct the selection, validation, and analysis of quantitative biophysical, biochemical, and cellular assays to evaluate binding and function of Atomwise molecules across diverse target classes and therapeutic areas.
• Manage external in vitro and in vivo research activities and critically analyze and interpret potency, selectivity, and mechanistic assay data, as well as supervise accurate documentation and QC.
• Identify and leverage robust target engagement or downstream translational pharmacodynamic readouts to monitor performance across experimental models, support dose and regimen selection, and establish PK/PD relationships.
• Develop pharmacology criteria for the advancement of programs from hit identification to lead optimization including key milestones/decision points and timelines, identifying risks and mitigation strategies, and study planning and execution. 
• Collaborate with project teams to identify and validate new targets, therapeutic indications, and opportunities for clinical differentiation.

Required Qualifications

• Ph.D. in biochemistry, pharmacology, cell biology or a related scientific discipline plus 5-8 years of relevant industry experience.
• In-depth experience with the development and troubleshooting of quantitative in vitro assays for the selection and advancement of small molecules in a drug discovery setting.
• Deep understanding of in vitro pharmacology and the drug discovery process, with experience advancing small molecule candidates through preclinical development.
• Experience in the management of CROs, including evaluation/selection, setting up processes, and quality control.
• Track record of clear communication and proactive engagement within a multidisciplinary team and with both internal and external stakeholders and partners.
• Expertise designing and executing in vitro pharmacology studies to support preclinical development in oncology/solid tumor biology is preferred.

Compensation & benefits

• Competitive salary, commensurate with experience
• Stock compensation plan – you’ll be an Atomwise co-owner
• Platinum health, dental, and vision benefits
• 401k with 4% match
• Funding for professional development and conference attendance
• Flexible work schedule
• Generous parental leave
• High performance culture
• Great colleagues

Atomwise is an equal opportunity employer and strives to foster an inclusive workplace.  Our mission is to develop better medicines faster, and we know that we need a diverse team to develop medicines that serve diverse populations.  Accordingly, Atomwise does not make any employment decisions (including but not limited to, hiring, compensation, and promotions) on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, veteran status, disability status, or any other characteristics protected by applicable federal, state, and local law.

We strongly encourage people of diverse backgrounds and perspectives to apply.

Pay range for this role is between $135,000 – $140,000

Please click here to apply.