Research Associate / Senior Research Associate, In Vivo Pharmacology (Contract)

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:

This is a contracted position requiring 40 hours per week for a 12-month term. The Research Associate / Senior Research Associate will primarily be responsible for the development and conduct of in vivo, ex vivo, as well as in vitro studies in Disease Biology and Translational Sciences to support the advancement of Septerna’s small molecule drug discovery pipeline. They will work independently and collaboratively in an inter-disciplinary setting to design and execute experiments in preclinical models to understand in vivo pharmacology, establish PK/PD relationships, and inform the efficacy of Septerna’s therapeutic candidates.  They will help generate and analyze functional in vitro, in vivo, and ex vivo data to determine the therapeutic mechanism of action, and rank candidates for preclinical development.  They may also engage in biomarker discovery efforts by utilizing a variety of in vitro, in vivo and ex vivo models to enable and inform effective therapeutic development.  This role is expected to be primarily in the lab with some desk work. 

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 help move therapies through preclinical development, positioning them for success in the clinic.  The successful candidate will add their passion, unique talents, and expertise to a dynamic team on the frontlines of innovative therapeutic development.

The position is based in South San Francisco, CA.

*Title commensurate with experience

Key Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Design and execute in vivo pharmacology studies to understand therapeutic mechanism in relevant disease models
• Generate, analyze, document, and help interpret data to establish functional PK/PD relationships
• Work collaboratively to determine the mechanism of action of drug candidates in in vivo, in vitro and ex vivo models
• Be a member of multiple project teams and present results in lab, team and department meetings
• Perform in literature searches, read and interpret papers to help design and trouble-shoot in vivo and in vitro experiments
• Help in authoring in vivo pharmacology study designs, protocols, and reports to support regulatory filings
• Follow all company policies/practices, and maintain accurate records and notebooks 

REQUIRED EDUCATION, SKILLS & EXPERIENCE

• BSc or MSc in Pharmacology, Toxicology, or related biological science
• 2- 4 years of direct full-time hands-on experience with in vivo studies or disease models in academia or the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries
• Demonstrated ability to be hands on and work directly with rodent models (mice and rats), including multiple routes of administration (e.g. oral, subcutaneous, intraperitoneal, intravenous, intramuscular) and sample collection (e.g. submandibular bleed, tail vein bleed, cardiac puncture, etc).
• Experience working with other scientists to analyze, interpret, and present data
• Ability to collaborate in writing protocols and trouble-shooting biological experiments
• Detail-oriented and organized, with strong interpersonal skills for clear and effective communication – ability to proactively engage and collaboration with colleagues

PREFERRED SKILLS & EXPERIENCE

• Experience working with protein and RNA/DNA (e.g. ELISA, qPCR)
• Experience working with primary cells or ex vivo models or in vivo species
• Experience measuring and interpreting rodent behavior
• Experience working with generation of surgical models in rodents
• Previous work on therapeutic discovery and development programs in the field of endocrine, inflammatory, neuroscience or metabolic diseases
• Experience working with vendors and CROs to execute studies, analyze data, and generate reports

The anticipated salary range for candidates who will work in South San Francisco, CA is $37.00/hr - $45.00/hr. Individual pay may vary based on additional factors, including, and without limitation, job-related skills, experience, work location and relevant education or training.