Vice President, Head of In Vivo Pharmacology

Company Summary:

Ampersand Biomedicines is an innovative, privately held biotechnology company leading the way in developing multi-specific medicines that direct a wide range of therapeutic molecules to specific cells and biological contexts (www.Ampersand.bio).  Ampersand was founded in Flagship Pioneering’s venture creation engine, where companies such as Moderna Therapeutics (NASDAQ: MRNA) and Seres Therapeutics (NASDAQ: MCRB) were conceived and created.  With a strong emphasis on innovation, Ampersand cultivates a highly dynamic and entrepreneurial environment. We are actively seeking an exceptional in vivo pharmacologist to join our team and make significant contributions to our pioneering work.

Position Summary:

Ampersand is currently seeking an experienced leader with deep expertise in drug development to head our In Vivo Pharmacology team.  The ideal candidate has strong experience in testing of large molecules in preclinical species and has a track record of successfully leading teams in the execution of PK/PD and efficacy studies as well as experiments in translational animal models.  Reporting to the Chief Scientific Officer, the successful candidate will be an enthusiastic, goal-driven, individual who is willing to roll up their sleeves and participate as a strategic leader as well as foster a culture of executional excellence.  Key responsibilities of this role include growing and developing the existing team, excellent communication skills and implementing proven strategic and people leadership skills.  The ability to collaborate closely with the leadership team and other R&D leaders while guiding the in vivo pharmacology team to achieve the company’s objectives is an essential element of the role.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead, manage and mentor the in vivo Pharmacology team.
• Ensuring leadership and oversight for development and implementation of in vivo preclinical efficacy, safety and PK/PD studies.
• Hands on contributions to the design, direction, execution, and analysis of pharmacological studies to screen novel proteins and advance candidates along the developmental pipeline.
• Develop scientific and technical strategy to advance multiple projects in the pipeline.
• Integrate data to provide a detailed understanding of the pharmacology of therapeutic proteins to enable understanding of in vitro MOAs and in vivo correlates of efficacy.
• Identify, initiate, and manage productive collaborations with CROs and academic labs as appropriate to driving projects forward.
• Responsible for the execution of NHP studies.
• Proactively recognize and develop creative solutions for emerging technical and scientific issues.
• Design GLP studies to determine safety/tox and build the preclinical data package for clinical candidate nomination.
• Explore biomarker hypotheses using human samples and pre-clinical animal/cell models.
• Implement procedures for the management of pre-clinical and clinical samples (including sample generation, shipping, tracking, and storing)
• Maintain scientific and technical expertise through familiarity with scientific literature.
• Contribute to building a positive, team-oriented biotech culture.

Qualifications:

• PhD in pharmacology or biological disciplines such as immunology, cellular biology, oncology, or biochemistry, with 10+ years direct pharmaceutical experience beyond postdoctoral work
• Deep understanding of the role of translational research/medicine in drug development
• Deep pharmacology experience, particularly on the design of PK/PD and toxicology studies to define therapeutic index.
• History of translational sciences support for preclinical large molecule programs
• A track record in driving projects along the developmental pipeline.
• Ability to manage multiple projects and balance a broad set of priorities.
• Demonstrated ability to lead teams to drive go/no go decisions.
• Excellent project management skills and the ability to effectively manage CROs and to facilitate interactions with academic labs and companies to ensure project progression.
• Direct experience in supporting IND strategy and documentation, including writing relevant pharmacology sections of INDs.
• Flexibility to dynamically adapt workplans and lead teams through changing priorities and deadlines.
• Experience with working with human blood samples to identify biomarkers of disease.
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively in a team-oriented, dynamic environment.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills across all levels.
• A pioneering mindset to grow a startup venture.
• Prior experience working