Director, Biologics Discovery (Oncology)

Company Description

Zai Lab Limited (NASDAQ: ZLAB; HKEX: 9688) is an innovative, research-based, commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company based in China and the United States focused on bringing transformative medicines for oncology, autoimmune disorders, infectious diseases, and neurological disorders to patients in China and around the world. Our goal is to leverage our competencies and resources to positively impact human health worldwide.

Founded in 2014, our experienced team has secured partnerships with leading global biopharmaceutical  companies, generating a broad and late-stage pipeline of innovative drug candidates. Based on our proven  track record of  success, Zai Lab has earned the reputation as a trusted partner of choice for global biopharmaceutical companies seeking to not only access the Chinese market but also find a long-term strategic partner for global clinical development.  Our unique business model builds on our in-licensed assets and innovative partnerships to expand our internal discovery and development capabilities and has created a portfolio of potential best-in-class and/or first-in-class therapies. Zai currently has four products on the market in China

Zai Lab was successfully listed on the Nasdaq Stock Market in September 2017 and completed secondary listing on Hong Kong Stock Exchange in September 2020. In 2022, Zai Lab became dual-primary listed on both the Nasdaq and the Hong Kong Stock Exchanges. Since its inception, Zai Lab has expanded significantly with several offices across China. In 2021, Zai Lab established its U.S. Headquarters in Cambridge, Massachusetts.  As of January 2022, the Company has a global team of approximately 2000 employees.

Job Description

This Director of Biologics Discovery leads biologics discovery project(s) from antibody discovery to IND filing. This role works with global biologics discovery team members and CROs to develop biologics drugs including naked antibodies/ADC/fusion proteins for cancer. The Director provides scientific and technical expertise in efforts to understand mechanism of action (MOA) and biology rationale to guide advancing first-in-class & best-in-class cancer therapeutics to the clinic and supports the BD team in evaluating in-license and partnership opportunities.

• Lead internal and external team of scientists in designing and executing experiments to assess mode of action and therapeutic potential of biologics drug candidates
• Identify cell surface targets for cancer therapy, strive to understand biology of the targets
• Identify and integrate technologies that improve or expand the ability to assess the mechanism of action of biologics drug candidates
• Ensure timely delivery of data set to support key decision-making
• Identify appropriate animal models and execute pharmacology studies
• Actively contribute to oncology drug discovery research programs
• Establish and manage relationships with external research collaborators and CROs
• Ensure the high quality of research conducted externally at CROs and be willing to work flexible hours to provide guidance to CROs to maintain high productivity
• Support identification and prioritization of high-impact research activities
• Serve as scientific leader on biologics programs and collaborate with leaders from other functional areas to advance biologics products to human clinical trials
• Review, edit and approve technical reports; draft publications; present scientific finding and result at internal and external meeting
• Support BD team to identify high value in-license and collaboration opportunities

Qualifications

REQUIRED:

• PhD in Immunology, Biology, Biochemistry, Cellular Biology, or related field with postdoctoral training and 5 years of relevant pharma or biotech industry experience managing programs in the field of oncology; or equivalent combination of higher education, training and experience.

PREFERRED:

• Proven track record of success in leading oncology programs to clinical trials  
• Current knowledge of oncology research, drug discovery and development, with emphasis of biologics development, ADC, immune-oncology, immune-inflammation, as well as in vitro and in vivo models to evaluate anti-tumor activity
• Prior IND filing experience
• Great attention to detail with the ability to multitask; excellent troubleshooting and data analysis skills
• Collaborative and team-oriented, prosses excellent oral and written communications and organizational skills, and carry a strong commitment to excellence; self-motivated, flexible, and able to manage multiple tasks and deliver high-quality results under tight timelines

Additional Information

The pay range for this position at commen