Director/Senior Director, In Vivo Pharmacology

Septerna is a biotechnology company based in South San Francisco, CA on a mission to develop life-changing medicines for patients with the vision to become the industry-leading G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR)-focused drug discovery company. The company’s Native Complex Platform™ recapitulates GPCRs with their native structure, function, and dynamics outside of the cellular context. This approach enables novel access to modern structural and screening technologies used in industrial-scale drug discovery for the entire class of GPCRs. Septerna has an emerging pipeline of GPCR-targeted small molecule programs with potential for growth to target many GPCRs that have been undruggable and unexploited to date.

We are excited to expand our multidisciplinary team of individuals focused on creating revolutionary medicines to address the unmet needs of patients. At Septerna we strive to embrace diversity of thought, expertise, and background through collaboration. To join our ambitious team, be prepared to bring your real self to work every day; grow and learn from a talented team of drug hunters, scientists, and business professionals; and contribute your passion, creativity, and energy to accomplish our mission. We share a fearless pursuit of ground-breaking innovations and cultivate an environment where our employees succeed by learning from each other and working as a team.

We are committed to the development of meaningful therapeutics for patients with indications of high unmet need. This is a tremendous opportunity to work with talented individuals on the frontlines of therapeutic discovery and development. You will directly help move therapies through preclinical research, positioning them for success in the clinic. The successful candidate will add their passion, unique talents, and expertise to a dynamic team motivated to discover new disease-modifying therapeutics for patients in a fast-paced environment.

For more information see: www.septerna.com.

The Role:

We are seeking a highly experienced and strategic Director/Senior Director of In Vivo Pharmacology to lead preclinical pharmacology efforts and support the discovery and early development of promising drug candidates through in vivo proof-of-concept studies. This hands-on leadership role will oversee the design and execution of in vivo pharmacology and pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamics (PK/PD) studies in relevant animal disease models. The successful candidate will direct a small team of talented scientists and research associates working in our in-house vivarium and managing relationships with external CROs and academic collaborators. The ideal candidate will possess deep expertise in translational pharmacology, strong leadership skills, and the ability to contribute as a project team leader on cross-functional drug discovery teams.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead the design, execution, and interpretation of in vivo efficacy, mechanism-of-action, and PK/PD studies in animal models of disease
• Develop and refine animal models that reflect human disease pathophysiology for multiple therapeutic areas
• Provide scientific and strategic leadership for a team of in vivo pharmacologists and research associates
• Be engaged in critical experiments, including scientific and technical guidance on surgical procedures and phenotypic assessments, and data interpretation.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with discovery biology, DMPK, chemistry, toxicology, and clinical pharmacology teams to advance compounds from discovery through IND-enabling studies
• Oversee vivarium operations of their team ensuring compliance with IACUC protocols and regulatory standards
• Support studies informing dose selection and prediction of clinical outcomes
• Manage external CRO relationships and academic collaborations
• Author and review preclinical study reports and regulatory submissions (IB, IND)
• Serve as project team leader or in vivo pharmacology representative on drug discovery teams, contributing to program strategy and decision-making

Qualifications:

• PhD in Pharmacology, Physiology, or related life sciences discipline with 10+ years of industry experience in in vivo pharmacology and drug development.
• Experience across multiple therapeutic areas preferred (e.g., endocrine, inflammation, metabolic, CNS).
• Proven track record of people management, leading in vivo pharmacology teams and cross-functional project teams in a biopharmaceutical setting.
• Proven ability to manage CRO relationships and external collaborations.
• Extensive hands-on experience and knowledge of animal disease models, experimental design, and translational science.
• Strong background in PK/PD principles and data interpretation.
• Experience contributing to regulatory filings and understanding of regulatory expectations for nonclinical studies.
• Excellent leadership, mentoring, communication, and interpersonal skills.

The anticipated salary range for candidates who will work in South San Francisco, CA is $250,000 - $270,000. Individual pay may vary based on additional factors, including, and without limitation, job-related skills, experience, work location and relevant education or training. Septerna's compensation package also includes benefits, stock options, and annual target bonus for full-time positions.

We are an Equal Opportunity employer and will consider all qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, or disability status. 

Note to Employment Agencies: Please do not forward any agency resumes. The company will not be responsible for any fees related to resumes that are unsolicited.