VP/SVP, Drug Discovery

Deep Origin

VP/SVP of Drug Discovery leading and scaling discovery programs in a biotech company focused on AI-enabled drug safety. Overseeing strategic decisions, team collaboration, and scientific leadership in therapeutic development.

Posted 6/1/2026full-timeBoston • California, Massachusetts • 🇺🇸 United StatesLeadWebsite

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Lead and oversee therapeutic discovery programs from target identification through preclinical development and clinical transition
Drive scientific strategy, portfolio prioritization, and stage-gate decision-making across discovery programs
Partner closely with translational and clinical teams to ensure strong alignment between discovery strategy and clinical development pathways
Apply deep drug discovery experience to evaluate program risk, mechanism validity, biomarker strategy, developability, and probability of technical and clinical success
Build and lead multidisciplinary teams spanning biology, chemistry, pharmacology, translational medicine, computational biology, and external collaborators
Serve as a hands-on scientific leader actively involved in experimental strategy, data interpretation, candidate selection, and program execution
Help establish scalable discovery and development processes appropriate for a high-growth biotech environment
Contribute to corporate strategy, investor discussions, partnering opportunities, and scientific positioning
Evaluate and integrate emerging technologies, external innovation, and AI-enabled methodologies into discovery workflows where appropriate
Mentor scientific leaders and help cultivate a culture of scientific rigor, urgency, accountability, and innovation.

Requirements

What you’ll need

PhD, MD, or equivalent advanced scientific degree in biology, pharmacology, chemistry, immunology, translational medicine, or related field
15+ years of experience in drug discovery and development within biotech, mid-size biotech, platform biotech, and/or pharmaceutical environments
Significant leadership experience in discovery organizations, including VP, SVP, CSO, CEO, or equivalent leadership roles
Proven experience building, scaling, and leading multidisciplinary discovery teams, including managing senior scientific leaders rather than only operating as an individual hands-on contributor
Proven track record advancing therapeutic programs from early discovery through IND-enabling development and/or into the clinic
Deep understanding of translational strategy, preclinical development, and clinical considerations in drug development
Experience working closely with clinical development teams and supporting programs through clinical transition
Strong expertise across multiple drug discovery modalities and approaches, with demonstrated ability to apply strategic scientific judgment
Experience leading cross-functional and multidisciplinary discovery teams
Strong operational mindset with the ability to execute effectively in fast-moving, resource-constrained environments
Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills across scientific, executive, and external audiences.
Preferred Qualifications
Experience in AI-enabled drug discovery, computational biology, systems pharmacology, or platform biotech environments
Background working with data-driven discovery approaches and computational infrastructure
Experience across multiple therapeutic areas and modalities
Familiarity with translational biomarkers, precision medicine strategies, and clinical development planning
Experience building discovery organizations or scaling R&D teams within startup environments
Prior experience interacting with regulatory agencies, KOLs, or strategic pharma partnerships
Entrepreneurial or venture-backed biotech experience strongly preferred.

Benefits

Comp & perks

Opportunity to define the future of drug safety and predictive toxicology
Competitive compensation package with meaningful equity
Comprehensive health, dental, and vision coverage
Remote-friendly culture with optional onsite work
Annual team gatherings and company events.

ATS Keywords

✓ Tailor your resume

Applicant Tracking System Keywords

Tip: use these terms in your resume and cover letter to boost ATS matches.

Hard Skills & Tools

drug discoverypreclinical developmentclinical transitiontranslational strategybiomarker strategycomputational biologysystems pharmacologyAI-enabled methodologiestherapeutic programsIND-enabling development

Soft Skills

leadershipcommunicationstakeholder managementstrategic judgmentmentoringteam buildingoperational mindsetscientific rigoraccountabilityinnovation

Certifications

PhDMD