Drug Discovery Project Leader

With over 35 nationalities and a range of backgrounds represented in our Benevolent team, we aim to build an inclusive environment where our people can bring their authentic selves to work, be respected for who they are and the exceptional work they do. We welcome and actively encourage applications from all sections of society and are committed to offering equal employment opportunities regardless of sex, race, religion or belief, ethnic or national origin, marital, domestic or civil partnership status, sexual orientation, gender identity, parental status, disability, age, citizenship, or any other basis. We see our diversity as an asset as we tackle challenging problems that bridge the gap between drug discovery and technology.

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The Role

BenevolentAI (BAI) has three opportunities for biological scientists with experience in leading drug discovery programmes. These individuals, depending on experience, will provide biology leadership of technology-enabled small molecule drug discovery programmes optimising lead compounds into candidates for preclinical development.

As a central member of a dynamic, multi-disciplinary team of scientists passionate about the potential of technology assisted drug discovery and development, you will bring your proven resilient leadership and ability to make pragmatic data driven decisions to advance our ever expanding portfolio of small molecule programs. Based at our London offices off Tottenham Court Road, you will work closely with a diverse range of experts in biological sciences, chemical sciences, clinical, commercialisation, artificial intelligence (AI), deep/machine learning (ML) and informatics teams to enrich the BAI portfolio.

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Primary Responsibilities

Responsible/accountable for overall project leadership, regularly reporting progress and issues with clear strategic recommendations to Senior leadership, Board of Directors, and/or Investors as and when required
Provide leadership for small molecule drug discovery programs.
Devise, lead and implement clear concise strategies to develop small molecule drugs
Based on one’s drug discovery experience and input from diverse discipline experts, make data driven decisions to advance programmes through stage gates within timelines and budgets
Coordinate with functions to ensure the appropriate resource and experience are supporting the project team at the required time and that assigned resources are effectively utilised

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We are looking for someone with

BSc / MSc / PhD in biological sciences with 3 - 8 years industry research experience, preferably consisting of at least 1 - 4 years providing either discipline or overall leadership for small molecule drug discovery programmes
Proven ability to lead small molecule drug discovery programmes through stage gates to Candidate nomination with an emphasis on lead optimisation and Candidate seeking
Experience successfully leading/working in multi-disciplinary drug discovery & development teams, with excellent communication skills and the ability to forge productive relationships and collaborations both internally and externally
Sufficient depth of knowledge of medicinal chemistry, DMPK, in-vitro/in-vivo biology and safety pharmacology/toxicology to devise/adapt screen sequences and to make decisions based on screen sequence data and advice from project team experts
Ability to work under pressure, manage different projects and deliver to defined timelines
Evidence of creative thinking and problem solving, confidently applying novel strategies to move projects to important decision points quickly and efficiently

Nice to Have

Preclinical/clinical development experience desirable but not necessary
Experience in one or more areas of human disease or mechanistic pathways associated with disease, such as neurodegeneration, inflammation, fibrosis, diseases of aging or oncology, is desirable

We share a passion for being part of a mission that matters, and we are always looking for curious and collaborative people who share our values and want to be part of our journey. If that sounds like a fit for you, hit the apply button and join us.

About us

BenevolentAI unites AI with human expertise to discover new and more effective medicines. Our unique computational R&D platform spans every step of the drug discovery process, powering an in-house pipeline of over 25 drug programmes. We advance our mission to reinvent drug discovery by harnessing the power of a diverse team, rich with different backgrounds, experiences, opinions and personalities. In our offices in London and New York and research facility in Cambridge (UK), we work in highly collaborative, multidisciplinary teams, harnessing skills across biology, chemistry, engineering, AI, machine learning, informatics, precision medicine and drug discovery.

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