Senior Scientist I, Biological Sciences

Company Description

Deciphera, a member of ONO, is a biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering, developing and commercializing important new medicines to improve the lives of people with cancer. We are leveraging our proprietary switch-control kinase inhibitor platform and deep expertise in kinase biology to develop a broad portfolio of innovative medicines.

Enabled by our proprietary drug discovery platform, Deciphera has developed a diverse pipeline of wholly-owned drug candidates. QINLOCK® (ripretinib) is Deciphera’s switch control inhibitor developed for the treatment of fourth-line GIST. QINLOCK is approved in Australia, Canada, China, the European Union, Hong Kong, Switzerland, Taiwan, the United States, and the United Kingdom.  We wholly own QINLOCK and all of our drug candidates with the exception of a development and commercialization out-license agreement for QINLOCK in Greater China. In addition to QINLOCK, we have identified and advanced multiple product candidates from our platform into clinical studies, including vimseltinib and DCC-3116.  

See here for more details on our portfolio.

We offer an outstanding culture and opportunity for personal and professional growth guided by our “PATHS” Core Values and how we work together. We are proud to be Great Place to Work Certified 2023 and rank #25 on Fortune’s Best Places to Work Small and Midsized Biotech Companies in 2023. Find more details about our award-winning culture here.

Job Description

We are seeking a highly motivated, creative, and collaborative Senior Scientist to join our Biological Sciences drug discovery group. This position will be responsible for designing, performing, coordinating, and interpreting structural biology, biochemical, biophysical, and cellular experiments for our drug discovery programs. This includes the development of relevant model systems for the identification, validation, and screening of compounds against novel therapeutic targets. The successful candidate will work independently, but also as an integral part of a larger team to achieve collective goals. The ideal candidate will have a deep understanding of biochemistry and structural biology and will apply this this to challenging ongoing and new drug discovery programs.

This position will report to a Senior Director, Biological Sciences, and work onsite at our research facility in Lawrence, Kansas.

What You’ll Do:

• Conceive, develop, and optimize biochemical and cellular assays to determine the therapeutic potential of rationally designed targeted small molecules
• Design and conduct rigorous experiments to identify and validate potential novel drug targets
• Work collaboratively with biologists, medicinal chemists, and external partners to deliver high quality structures of macromolecular complexes, custom proteins, and reagents
• Document experimental design, analysis, and interpretation of data in an ELN and LIMS system
• Stay abreast of the latest scientific and technological advancements in the field
• Author technical reports and presentations to communicate data and analyses effectively
• Add to Deciphera culture of collaboration and shared mission to solve complex biological problems
• Adhere to corporate policies including safety and compliance

Qualifications

What You'll Bring:

• A PhD in Biochemistry or related field with 4+ years of biotech or pharma industry experience
• An ability to think independently to design high-throughput experiments and generate robust, reproducible results
• Experience working with automated laboratory instruments including ECHO, Bravo, and multi-mode plate readers
• Expertise in biochemistry, HTS assay development, molecular biology, protein purification, X-ray crystallography or Cryo EM. Familiarity with biophysical techniques such as protein MS, SPR, ITC, MST, DSF is preferred
• Adaptability to work in a dynamic, fast-paced environment
• Excellent communication and presentation skills

Additional Information

Deciphera offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes but is not limited to the following:

• Non-accrual paid time off
• Summer vacation bonus
• Global, company-wide summer and winter shutdowns
• An annual lifestyle allowance
• Monthly cell phone stipend
• Internal rewards and recognition program
• Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance
• 401(k) retirement plan with company match
• Life and Supplemental life insurance for family
• Short and Long Term Disability insurance
• ESPP offering
• Health savings account with company contribution
• Flexible spending account for either health care and/or dependent care.