Assoc. Director, DMPK Discovery

COMPANY:

At BioCryst, we are passionate about advancing novel therapeutics for patients with rare and serious diseases. Our structure-guided drug design process leads us to the discovery and development of novel small-molecule drugs. We integrate traditional biology and medicinal chemistry along with a wide array of advanced technologies to understand the three-dimensional structures of active sites of target enzymes. Our scientists then design molecular structures to create bespoke drugs for patients. We focus on therapeutic areas with either no available treatments or large unmet patient needs. BioCryst’s US headquarters are located in Durham, North Carolina, our European headquarters in Dublin, Ireland and our Discovery Center of Excellence in Birmingham, Alabama. We are proud of our culture of engagement and accountability that rewards people for innovative thinking and achievement of key objectives. For more information, please visit the Company’s website at www.biocryst.com.

JOB SUMMARY:

The Associate Director, DMPK will be responsible for the design, execution, analysis, interpretation, and communication of study results to inform ADME/PK profiles and risk assessment of small molecules and protein therapeutics in discovery. This position requires strong scientific leadership with an integrated understanding of strategic DMPK elements in lead generation and lead optimization. The incumbent will be the nonclinical subject matter expert to set and execute the DMPK strategy from lead generation through candidate selection, advise management on the pharmacokinetic aspects of projects and collaborates with partners to bring our drugs to patients as quickly as possible. The individual in this role will be a self-starter who enjoys working in a fast-paced cross-functional environment. This is a unique opportunity to join BioCryst, a company focused on developing life transforming therapies for patients with rare and serious diseases.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Designs, plans, and conducts DMPK studies to support lead identification, lead optimization, and candidate selection in-house and at contract research organizations.
• Applies basic in silico approaches to analyze and integrate early DMPK data to inform Medical Chemistry of structure-property relationships.
• Summarizes and organizes data interpretation in appropriate team sites to enable information sharing with key collaborators in Discovery.
• Through cross-functional interactions, effectively influences chemical optimization strategy by providing scientific guidance to Medicinal Chemistry.
• Interprets DMPK data to inform the design of pharmacology and early toxicology studies.
• Conducts or is accountable for PKPD modeling activities to estimate efficacious dose and exposure range in humans along with therapeutics margins for nonclinical studies.
• Serves on discovery project teams as nonclinical DMPK representative.
• Serves as a liaison between Discovery and Nonclinical Development Functions to ensure a seamless integration and sharing of ADME/PK knowledge across functions.
• Collaborates closely with bioanalytical scientists and toxicologists.

 

EXPERIENCE & QUALIFICATIONS:

• PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences, Pharmacology, Chemistry, or related discipline.
• Minimum 6 years-experience in the pharmaceutical industry in drug discovery and/or development of small molecules and protein therapeutics.
• Good working knowledge of DMPK concepts and basic understanding of Chemistry.
• Experience with PKPD model development and human dose projections preferred.
• Familiarity with Phoenix WinNonlin, GastroPlus or ADMET Predictor a plus.
• Must be detail oriented with strong documentation and organizational skills.
• Excellent interpersonal skills, ability to work in a matrix environment and develop relationships with key stakeholders.
• Proven ability to work independently and be self-motivated.
• Prior experience supervising or managing junior scientists a plus.
• Demonstrated ability to engage in cross functional interactions and influence project team strategy in Discovery.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills to efficiently relay information to project teams and collaboration partners.

 

The statements in this position description are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by people assigned to this classification. They are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of responsibilities, duties, and skills required of personnel so classified. The manager may assign additional responsibilities and assignments from time to time.

BioCryst is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to providing equal employment opportunities with