Senior Scientist/Staff Scientist, Disease Biology and Translational Sciences
Septerna
Septerna is a biotechnology company based in South San Francisco, CA on a mission to develop life-changing medicines for patients with the vision to become the industry-leading G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR)-focused drug discovery company. The company’s Native Complex™ Platform recapitulates GPCRs with their native structure, function, and dynamics outside of the cellular context. This approach enables novel access to modern structural and screening technologies used in industrial-scale drug discovery for the entire class of GPCRs. Septerna has an emerging pipeline of GPCR-targeted small molecule programs with potential for growth to target many GPCRs that have been undruggable and unexploited to date.
We are excited to expand our multidisciplinary team of individuals focused on creating revolutionary medicines to address the unmet needs of patients. At Septerna we strive to embrace diversity of thought, expertise, and background through collaboration. To join our ambitious team, be prepared to bring your real self to work every day; grow and learn from a talented team of drug hunters, scientists, and business professionals; and contribute your passion, creativity, and energy to accomplish our mission. We share a fearless pursuit of ground-breaking innovations and cultivate an environment where our employees succeed by learning from each other and working as a team.
We are committed to the development of meaningful therapeutics for patients with indications of high unmet need. This is a tremendous opportunity to work with talented individuals on the frontlines of therapeutic discovery and development. You will directly help move therapies through preclinical research, positioning them for success in the clinic. The successful candidate will add their passion, unique talents, and expertise to a dynamic team motivated to discover new disease-modifying therapeutics for patients in a fast-paced environment.
For more information see: www.septerna.com.
The Role:
We are seeking an experienced scientist and dynamic scientific leader. This individual will be responsible for establishing and expanding the company’s internal capabilities and running preclinical studies for programs in multiple therapeutic areas. The Senior Scientist will be primarily responsible for the development and conduct of in vitro and/or ex vivo studies in Disease Biology and Translational Sciences to support and advance Septerna’s small molecule drug discovery pipeline. They will work both independently and collaboratively as part of a matrixed inter-disciplinary team to develop preclinical models to elucidate disease pathobiology and understand the therapeutic mechanism of action of Septerna’s drug candidates. They will establish dose/activity relationships to inform efficacy, rank candidates for preclinical development, and enable biomarker discovery and development. The successful candidate will have the opportunity to serve as Disease Biology lead on cross-functional project teams and have opportunities to lead cross-functional projects and drug discovery programs. The successful candidate will have the opportunity to demonstrate their scientific leadership within our R&D organization, contributing biological and physiological insights to inform disease biology efforts as well as ideas for new therapeutic programs.
At Septerna, we are committed to the development of meaningful therapeutics for patients in indications of high unmet need. This is a tremendous opportunity to work with talented individuals on the frontlines of therapeutic discovery and development. You will help move therapies through preclinical research, positioning them for success in the clinic. The successful candidate will add their passion, unique talents, and expertise to a dynamic team on the frontlines of innovative therapeutic development. The successful candidate will be motivated to discover new disease-modifying therapeutics for patients and enjoy working in a fast-paced dynamic team environment.
The position is based in South San Francisco, CA. Title and compensation commensurate with experience.
Key Responsibilities include but are not limited to:
- Design and execute functional cell based assays and in vitro studies to elucidate disease pathobiology and inform therapeutic mechanisms of action
- Generate, analyze, and interpret complex data to establish functional dose/activity relationships and biologically differentiate drug candidates
- Serve as Disease Biology representative on multiple project teams, trouble-shoot in vitro/ex vivo experiments, analyze and interpret data, and work cross functionally with colleagues to help advance therapeutic programs
- Help build disease based functional cell biology, and biomarker capabilities
- Author protocols, and study reports to support therapeutic MOA and regulatory filings
- Follow all company policies/practices, and maintain accurate records and notebooks
REQUIRED EDUCATION, SKILLS & EXPERIENCE
- PhD in Endocrinology, Metabolism, Pharmacology, Immunology / Inflammation, or related biological science
- At least 6 years (or 10 years with MSc) relevant direct hands-on experience in drug discovery and development leveraging complex 2D and 3D disease models in biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries
- Ability to be hands on and working in the lab, write protocols, execute studies
- Direct experimental experience with establishing and leveraging in vitro disease models to demonstrate efficacy and differentiate compounds
- Experience working on project teams with functional responsibility to analyze, interpret, and present data
- Ability to collaborate in writing protocols and trouble-shooting biological experiments
- Experience working with vendors and CROs to execute studies, analyze data, and generate reports
- Outstanding communication skills with demonstrated ability to make effective presentations in a broad range of settings
- Detail-oriented and organized, with strong interpersonal skills for clear and effective communication – ability to proactively engage and collaboration with colleagues
PREFERRED SKILLS & EXPERIENCE
- Experience with discovery and therapeutics programs in diabetes/obesity preferred
- Experience working with in vitro functional cell or primary cells/ex vivo models a must
- Evaluation, analysis, and interpretation of multi-omics and complex data sets desired
- A strong record of scientific accomplishment and demonstrated experience working with cross-functional project teams
- In vivo experience or understanding biomarker discovery to inform clinical translation and patient selection strategies a plus
- Strong statistical analysis skills including experience analyzing large data sets and an ability to articulate conclusions and recommendations from complex study results
The anticipated salary range for candidates who will work in South San Francisco, CA is $130,000 - $160,000. Individual pay may vary based on additional factors, including, and without limitation, job-related skills, experience, work location and relevant education or training. Septerna's compensation package also includes benefits, stock options, and annual target bonus for full-time positions.