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Calico Life Sciences · 2 hours ago

Director/Senior Director, In Vitro Pharmacology

South San Francisco, CA

Full-time

Onsite

Director/Executive

$272K/yr - $351K/yr

10+ years exp

Calico Life Sciences LLC is an innovative research and development company focused on understanding human aging. They are seeking a Director/Senior Director, In Vitro Pharmacology to lead drug discovery efforts, manage teams, and ensure the successful translation of targets into high-quality data packages.

Biotechnology

Comp. & Benefits

H1B Sponsor Likely

Responsibilities

Define and execute the overall in vitro pharmacology strategy to support the organization's drug discovery pipeline across diverse therapeutic areas and projects

Establish and nurture a culture of scientific excellence, innovation, and accountability within the in vitro pharmacology group, directing external CROs and indirect resources while strategically building a dedicated internal team to lead core assay execution within matrixed environments

Provide scientific and strategic leadership across project teams, influencing decision-making at key portfolio inflection points (e.g., hit-to-lead, candidate selection)

Manage departmental budgets, resource allocation, and workflow prioritization to meet project milestones and timelines

Lead the strategic deployment of internal and external resources in a matrix structure to ensure the rigorous design, development, and validation of relevant biophysical, biochemical and cell-based assays (e.g., binding, mechanistic, functional, phenotypic) supporting HTS and comprehensive compound profiling

Direct all primary and secondary screening and profiling efforts (including SAR, selectivity, mechanism of action and target engagement characterization) across the drug discovery pipeline, ensuring data quality and analysis to support progression from hit identification through to preclinical candidate nomination

Work closely and collaboratively with cross-functional matrixed partners (e.g., Medicinal Chemistry, Therapeutic areas, In Vitro Technology groups, In Vivo Pharmacology) to guide hit-to-lead and lead optimization efforts toward selection of high-quality preclinical candidates

Identify, evaluate, and manage external CROs (Contract Research Organizations) and academic partners to augment internal capabilities

Collaborate with In Vitro Technology groups, In Vivo Pharmacology, DMPK, and Toxicology teams to develop the necessary pharmacological data package for IND-enabling studies

Ensure the timely generation, rigorous analysis, and effective presentation of all in vitro pharmacology data to project teams and senior leadership

Author and provide expert review for sections of IND-enabling reports and regulatory submissions (e.g., pre-IND briefing documents, IND application modules) related to in vitro pharmacology

Serve as the subject matter expert for in vitro pharmacology on internal project teams and external collaborations

Qualification

Vitro PharmacologyDrug DiscoveryAssay TechnologiesLeadership ExperienceData AnalysisHTS MethodologiesRegulatory DocumentationStrategic PlanningCommunication SkillsProblem-Solving Skills

Required

Ph.D./postdoctoral in Pharmacology, Biochemistry, Cell Biology, or related discipline, with 10+ years of industrial experience in drug discovery

Demonstrated leadership and management experience, with a track record of successfully managing teams and mentoring scientists within a matrix environment of internal and/or external resources

Deep expertise in modern assay technologies (e.g., SPR, ITC, DSF, FRET, AlphaScreen, Ca2+ Flux and cAMP measurement assays, APC, Reporter, MSD, HCA, CellTiter-Glo) and HTS methodologies (Fragment, DEL, HTS)

Proven ability to design and drive drug discovery programs from target validation through preclinical candidate selection

Strong working knowledge of data analysis, statistical methods, and informatics tools (e.g., StarDrop, CDD Vault) used in compound screening and profiling

Exceptional critical thinking, strategic planning, and problem-solving skills applied to complex scientific challenges

Demonstrated success in leading and influencing cross-functional matrixed teams to achieve shared program goals

Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to present complex scientific data clearly and effectively to diverse audiences (scientists, management, regulatory bodies)

Direct experience with writing and contributing to IND-enabling reports and regulatory documentation

Must be willing to work onsite 5 days a week

Benefits

This position is also eligible for two annual cash bonuses.

Company

Calico Life Sciences

Glassdoor4.1

Calico is an Alphabet-founded research and development company whose mission is to harness advanced technologies.

Founded in 2013

South San Francisco, California, USA

201-500 employees

http://www.calicolabs.com/

H1B Sponsorship

Calico Life Sciences has a track record of offering H1B sponsorships. Please note that this does not guarantee sponsorship for this specific role. Below presents additional info for your reference. (Data Powered by US Department of Labor)

Distribution of Different Job Fields Receiving Sponsorship

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Trends of Total Sponsorships

2025 (12)

2024 (12)

2023 (7)

2022 (10)

2021 (5)

2020 (14)