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Associate Director, Pharmacology

New York, NY; Boston, MA

About Formation Bio

Formation Bio is a tech and AI driven pharma company differentiated by radically more efficient drug development. 

Advancements in AI and drug discovery are creating more candidate drugs than the industry can progress because of the high cost and time of clinical trials. Recognizing that this development bottleneck may ultimately limit the number of new medicines that can reach patients, Formation Bio, founded in 2016 as TrialSpark Inc., has built technology platforms, processes, and capabilities to accelerate all aspects of drug development and clinical trials. Formation Bio partners, acquires, or in-licenses drugs from pharma companies, research organizations, and biotechs to develop programs past clinical proof of concept and beyond, ultimately helping to bring new medicines to patients. The company is backed by investors across pharma and tech, including a16z, Sequoia, Sanofi, Thrive Capital, John Doerr, Spark Capital, SV Angel Growth, and others. 

You can read more at the following links:

At Formation Bio, our values are the driving force behind our mission to revolutionize the pharma industry. Every team and individual at the company shares these same values, and every team and individual plays a key part in our mission to bring new treatments to patients faster and more efficiently.

About the Position

Formation Bio is seeking an Associate Director, Pharmacology to join our Development team. In this role, you will help shape and execute pharmacology strategy across development programs, applying broad pharmacology expertise, first-principles scientific thinking, and rigorous translational judgment to advance assets efficiently and credibly.

You will contribute to preclinical pharmacology strategy, support drug development and business development activities, and help define the studies and evidence packages needed to make high-quality program decisions. This role is well suited for a scientifically rigorous, intellectually independent pharmacologist who can move fluidly across mechanisms, modalities, disease areas, and stages of development, with particular value placed on familiarity with immunology, animal models, and AI-enabled scientific workflows.

The role reports to the Director of Pharmacology and you will be a key member of the Formation Bio Development team.

Responsibilities

  • Execute and contribute to preclinical pharmacology strategy across development programs, with studies primarily executed through CROs
  • Design, oversee, and interpret pharmacology studies to characterize mechanism of action, target biology, in vivo proof of concept, dose-response, pharmacodynamic activity, exposure-response relationships, and asset progression
  • Develop integrated pharmacology plans covering efficacy, target engagement, receptor binding, selectivity, biomarkers, PK/PD, translational hypotheses, safety margins, therapeutic index, dose rationale, and key decision points
  • Apply first-principles scientific reasoning and broad pharmacology perspective to evaluate biological rationale, identify critical assumptions, pressure-test hypotheses, distinguish decision-critical data from interesting findings, and design focused studies to address key scientific, regulatory, or translational questions
  • Partner with DMPK, Toxicology, Clinical Pharmacology, Clinical Development, Regulatory, CROs, and external partners to integrate pharmacology into development strategy, regulatory materials, in-licensing evaluations, and interactions with regulators, partners, advisors, and internal leadership
  • Manage CRO-executed pharmacology studies and related workflows, including protocol review, vendor oversight, data quality, timelines, budgets, study conduct, interpretation, final reports, organizational tracking systems, and use of technology, modeling, data analytics, literature mining, and AI-enabled tools to improve speed, rigor, reproducibility, and decision-making

About You

  • PhD in Pharmacology, Biology, Immunology, Translational Sciences, or a related field, with 4-6+ years of relevant post-PhD biopharma industry experience; level will be commensurate with experience 
  • Broad, hands-on expertise in preclinical pharmacology, including mechanism of action, disease biology, in vivo efficacy models, dose-response, target engagement, biomarkers, selectivity, and PK/PD
  • Strong first-principles scientific judgment, with evidence of original thinking, rigorous hypothesis generation, incisive experimental design, and the ability to interpret complex or ambiguous data
  • Experience designing, overseeing, and interpreting animal studies, including model selection, endpoint strategy, dosing rationale, exposure-response relationships, and translational limitations
  • Experience developing pharmacology strategies that support candidate selection, IND-enabling work, clinical development, lifecycle management, regulatory submissions, or externally sourced assets
  • Strong understanding of how preclinical pharmacology informs translational hypotheses, dose rationale, safety margins, therapeutic index, biomarker strategy, and regulatory positioning; familiarity with immunology, immune-mediated disease biology, or immunomodulatory mechanisms preferred
  • Experience working cross-functionally with DMPK, Toxicology, Clinical Pharmacology, Clinical Development, Regulatory, CROs, and external partners, including management of CRO-executed studies, protocols, data quality, timelines, budgets, and reports
  • Highly organized, collaborative, and intellectually curious scientist with excellent communication skills, strong scientific rigor, comfort in fast-paced environments, and enthusiasm for using technology, modeling, data analytics, and AI-enabled approaches to improve pharmacology research and decision-making

Compensation Range: $177,500 - $232,000

Compensation Individual compensation is determined by several factors, including role scope, geographic location, and skills & experience. Your offer will reflect where you fall within the range based on these considerations. In addition to base salary, we offer equity, comprehensive benefits, and generous perks. If the posted range doesn't match your expectations, we still encourage you to apply!

Where We Hire Formation Bio is prioritizing hiring in key hubs, primarily the New York City and Boston metro areas, with a hybrid model requiring 3 days per week in office. Applicants from the Research Triangle (NC) and San Francisco Bay Area may also be considered. Please apply only if you reside in these locations or are willing to relocate.

Equal Opportunity Formation Bio is committed to building a diverse and inclusive team. We are an equal opportunity employer and welcome candidates from all backgrounds. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, ancestry, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, and related medical conditions), gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, disability, genetic information, marital status, military or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law.

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