Senior Director, Translational Biology

Cytokinetics is a late-stage, specialty cardiovascular biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering, developing and commercializing first-in-class muscle activators and next-in-class muscle inhibitors as potential treatments for debilitating diseases in which cardiac muscle performance is compromised. As a leader in muscle biology and the mechanics of muscle performance, the company is developing small molecule drug candidates specifically engineered to impact myocardial muscle function and contractility.

Cytokinetics was founded by four pioneers in cell biology whose academic research and discoveries contributed to the scientific platform for our company. For more than 25 years, our scientists have built on their seminal work to pioneer potential medicines targeting muscle function. Today, we continue to look for tenacious scientists who are driven to push the boundaries of innovation for the benefit of patients.

As the Sr. Director of Discovery Translational Biology, the candidate will lead a team focused on causal human biology to identify and validate targets and biomarkers for treatment of cardiovascular and neuromuscular diseases. The candidate will be a member of Biology Research Leadership Team and is expected to have broad impact on strategies in biology, assay development, pharmacology, and clinical development by employing human data from biobanks to identify novel therapeutic targets, biomarkers of disease progression, and patient stratification. Candidate should have strong leadership skills, demonstrated record of identifying and investigating causal genotype-phenotype associations captured from large human datasets, and translating them into novel therapeutic strategies for patients. We are seeking a candidate with background in human genetics and biology to join the vibrant research team at Cytokinetics that values collaboration, rigor, and interdisciplinary approaches to discover and develop novel therapeutics for patients with cardiovascular and neuromuscular diseases. 

Responsibilities:

• Lead a team focused on causal human biology and oversee their research efforts
• Direct investigations in genotype-phenotype associations for cardiovascular and neuromuscular diseases using datasets in public biobanks
• Propose and validate new targets and biomarker strategies
• Provide scientific and clinical insights into on-going discovery and clinical research programs  
• Recruit top talent focused on interrogation of human genetics and biology for therapeutic application
• Enhance our fundamental understanding of cardiovascular and neuromuscular diseases
• Collaborate closely with other scientists in Discovery Biology, Biology Technologies, Pharmacology, Medicinal Chemistry, DMPK, Toxicology, and Discovery Informatics to build Cytokinetics research portfolio
• Promote and prioritize team-driven translational of discoveries into effective therapeutics

Qualifications

• MD/PhD or PhD with training in human genetics, computational biology, molecular and cell biology with proven record of target discovery and validation
• A respected and rising leader in academia and/or industry with 12+ years of professional experience
• Hands-on experience in designing, conducting, analyzing, and interpreting data from large human datasets
• Proven record of executing target validation strategies using cutting-edge technologies
• Experienced team builder and manager of highly engaged scientists
• A critical thinker with demonstrated record of creative scientific achievement
• Demonstrated ability to bridge between basic and clinical research with ease
• Passionate about discovering and developing novel therapeutics for patients
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including presentation skills to peer groups

Our passion is anchored in rigorous and diligent scientific and clinical approaches to the discovery and development of novel mechanism therapeutics. With gratitude for the commitments and convictions of our employees who are inspired by the courage of patients we aim to serve, we believe Cytokinetics will continue to be a pioneering, values-driven, sustainable, fully integrated biopharmaceutical company.

Please visit our website at: www.cytokinetics.com

Cytokinetics is an Equal Opportunity Employer

Actual salary at the time of hire may vary and may be above or below the range based on various factors, including, but not limited to, the candidate’s relevant qualifications, skills, and experience, as well as the service line and location where this position may be filled.

Salary Pay Range$285,000—$315,000 USD

Our employees come from different backgrounds, and we celebrate those differenc