Principal Scientist – Global Drug Discovery Full-time

Principal Scientist – Global Drug Discovery

Facility: Research Location: Lexington, MA, US

Our Research & Development organization brings together the best minds in life science innovation. The teams located in facilities in Lexington, Watertown, Cambridge and Plainsboro reflect the full R&D continuum, from early research through late-stage clinical development. Here, we are building for the future, creating a distinct R&D community based on collaboration, partnerships, and cutting-edge research across multiple modalities and therapeutic areas. We recognize that improving human health starts here and that patients rely on us. Our R&D hub merges biotech speed and agility with large pharmaceutical company quality, resources, and stability, uniting the best of both worlds to develop new medicines for patients.

The Position

The Principal Scientist will provide scientific leadership in the identification, validation, and advancement of new drug targets related to CNS-obesity biology and appetite regulation. The role will drive in vivo pharmacology strategies across early and late-stage pipeline programs, enabling translation of novel biology into therapeutic opportunities. As a subject matter expert, the individual will define experimental strategies, guide cross-functional teams, evaluate emerging targets and technologies, and lead external collaborations. The role also includes mentoring colleagues and representing the organization through high-impact scientific contributions, advancing novel therapies to the clinic, and developing technologies to accelerate drug research. This will be achieved by functioning as a subject matter expert that provides strategic guidance to project teams, evaluates emerging targets and technologies, and proposes and oversees external collaborations and strategic partnerships. The Principal Scientist will be responsible for in vivo pharmacology supporting both the early and late obesity pipeline and mentor junior colleagues in the department wrt. Biology and pharmacology. Furthermore the principal scientist will represent the organization to the external scientific community through communication of highly impactful research.

Relationships: Reports to the Director of Obesity Pharmacology US. Internal relationships include working closely with technical staff & other members of the scientific leadership team, regular collaborations with members of other research departments, and frequent interaction with project managers and other colleagues across global R&D. Individual may mentor team members and will interact with external research collaborators both academia- & industry-based.

Essential Functions

• Hands-on for planning and designing in vivo pharmacology studies, working with technical scientists, and advising on the execution, interpretation, as well as communication of results of complex state of the art in vivo experiments.
• Proven subject matter expertise related to CNS-obesity biology and appetite regulation.
• Demonstrates a specialized depth and/or breadth of expertise, and engages relationships with other key areas related to drug development in the pharmaceutical industry
• Provide expert-level guidance for project team related to experimental strategies to evaluate emerging targets, biology or technologies
• Effectively communicate and collaborate across global sites and set project strategy by providing leadership of cross-functional project teams (in vitro, omics, translational, clinical teams)
• Contribute subject matter expertise to develop the research agenda with a clear understanding of the link between scientific project goals and overall long-term business needs
• Propose new projects that support the strategic agenda and address gaps in technological capabilities and therapeutic areas, related to obesity and appetite regulation
• Representing the organization through external communication of impactful scientific research in the form of presentation at external conferences and publication in scientific journals and patents
• Maintains a deep understanding of theoretical knowledge and a connection to the external scientific community through continuous evaluation of relevant literature
• Guides and/or leads global, cross-functional experimental teams to achieve project goals. Provides mentorship and training to colleagues within field of expertise
• Maintains, identifies, and initiates key relationships with KOLs and academic partners
• Guides other research teams regarding suitable assays/techniques to interpret and translate in vivo studies to progress the obesity pipeline

Qualifications

Bachelor's degree with 22+ years' relevant experience required, or Master's Degree with 16 years relevant industry experience required, or PhD with 10 years' relevant industry or post-doctorate experience can be considered Relevant required experience includes: insert subject matter expertise Preferred experience includes: insert subject matter preferred experience Demonstrates excellent verbal and written communication skills