Company Description

Sosei Heptares (the corporate brand of Sosei Group Corporation) is a research-focused biotechnology group, publicly listed in Japan (TSE: 4565) and with sites in Tokyo, London and Cambridge (UK).

Our mission is to make a significant contribution to improving the quality of life and health of people around the world. To achieve this, we will discover, design and develop the most innovative and effective medicines for patients worldwide, through our world-leading patent-protected StaR® technology and platform.

Our primary focus is the discovery and early development of new medicines originating from our proprietary G Protein-Coupled Receptor (GPCR)-targeted StaR® technology and Structure-Based Drug Design (SBDD) platform capabilities. We are advancing a broad and deep pipeline of novel medicines across multiple therapeutic areas, including CNS, immuno-oncology, gastroenterology, inflammation and other rare/specialty indications.

We have established partnerships with some of the world’s leading pharmaceutical companies, including Abbvie, AstraZeneca, Genentech (Roche), Novartis, Pfizer and Takeda; and additionally, with multiple emerging biotechnology companies.

Sosei Heptares has approximately 145 employees based at its new R&D research facility at Granta Park. The size of the company ensures a transparent linkage between all activities from early discovery through to clinical development.

Position

Are you looking for an exciting opportunity to join a dynamic clinical stage biotech where you can develop your career and directly impact at both the project and strategic level? Sosei Heptares is seeking a discovery safety-focussed biology expert to provide support to our growing portfolio across GI, immune and CNS therapeutic areas.

The successful individual will be empowered to manage and lead the discovery safety strategy across a broad range of projects and therapeutic areas, working closely with internal colleagues and our external collaborators. We are interested in hearing from individuals with expertise across, and enthusiasm for all, aspects of discovery safety, including those with expertise in pharmacology and/or modelling and the application of systems biology approaches to understand biological mechanisms related to discovery safety.

Key aspects of this role:

• Oversee and provide leadership of the non-clinical Discovery Safety strategy across the internal and external portfolio from generation of early understanding of the underlying biology through to implementing risk mitigation strategies and studies
• Manage internal and external resources to design and execute both in vitro and in vivo studies to assess the nonclinical safety of compounds in early hit finding, lead optimization and candidate selection
• Coordinate and communicate discovery safety updates and guidance to the leadership of Research and Development and of external collaborations.
• Identify and drive internal and external collaborations and relationships to support the application of cutting-edge approaches, such as quantitative modelling, bioinformatics and systems biology to support informed safety pharmacology decisions

Requirements

·         Ph.D. degree or equivalent in mechanistic pharmacology/biology preferably related to oncology, immunology or CNS areas

·         At least five years of relevant industry experience preferably in areas related to discovery safety pharmacology, safety assessment and/or toxicology

·         Excellent understanding and experience of the drug discovery and development process ideally with scientific project management/leadership experience

·         An innovative thinker with a keen scientific interest in building an informed understanding of biological targets, pathways and mechanisms that underpin safety pharmacology and toxicological processes

·         Ideally the candidate will have some interest and expertise in one of more of the following areas applied to safety pharmacology-related decision making:  PK/PD, modelling and simulation, bioinformatics or systems pharmacology

·         Experience of identifying, working with and managing delivery from CROs

·         Rigorous, quantitative and detail-oriented problem-solving skills

·         Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

·         Demonstrated ability to prioritize options, anticipate challenges, and execute on goals as a member of an interdisciplinary team

Other information

Applicants must be able to demonstrate proof of the right to work in the United Kingdom

We offer a competitive salary, commensurate with qualifications and experience, and benefits package including pension and healthcare schemes. We are open to offering flexible working arrangements for this post.

The successful candidate will be employed by Heptares Therapeutics Ltd, a UK wholly owned subsidiary of Sosei Group Corporation. 

Applications should include a covering letter, providing a short description of the background to their interest in the role, with curriculum vitae including the names and contact details for two referees. Please send your application in pdf format, quoting reference number 2020/3TS.

The closing date for applications is 30th September 2020.

Strictly no agencies.