Staff Scientist/Sr. Staff Scientist, Disease Biology And Translational Sciences

THE COMPANY

Septerna is a biotechnology company with a vision to become the industry-leading G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR)-focused R&D company with a portfolio of life-changing medicines. The company's Native Complex Platform recapitulates GPCRs with their native structure, function, and dynamics outside of the cellular environment to enable new technologies for industrial-scale drug discovery for the entire GPCR target class for the first time. Septerna has an emerging pipeline of GPCR-targeted small molecule drug discovery programs, along with growth potential to reach many GPCRs that have been undruggable and unexploited to date. Septerna was launched by scientific founders who have made groundbreaking GPCR discoveries and by founding investor Third Rock Ventures. For more information see: www.septerna.com.

Join a multidisciplinary team of colleagues focused on creating revolutionary medicines to address significant needs of patients. 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 our mission. At Septerna we embrace diversity of thought, expertise, and background; we share a fearless pursuit of ground-breaking innovations; and our employees learn from each other and succeed as a team.

THE ROLE

We are seeking an experienced scientist and dynamic scientific leader. Reporting to the Director, Disease Biology & Translational Science, this individual will be responsible for establishing and expanding the company's internal capabilities and be hands on running preclinical studies for programs in multiple therapeutic areas. The Staff Scientist will be responsible primarily for the development and conduct of in vivo and/or ex vivo studies in Disease Biology and Translational Sciences to support and advance Septerna's small molecule drug discovery pipeline. They will work both independently and collaboratively as part of a matrixed inter-disciplinary team to develop preclinical in vivo models of disease to understand the therapeutic mechanism of action of Septerna's drug candidates. They will establish in vivo PK/PD and efficacy models to screen and rank candidate compounds for preclinical development. They will conduct studies to understand the compounds' therapeutic mechanism of action and enable biomarker discovery and development. The successful candidate will serve as the Disease Biology lead on cross-functional project teams and may have opportunities to lead drug discovery programs from early discovery through IND filing. The successful candidate will have the opportunity to demonstrate their scientific leadership within our R&D organization, contributing biological and physiological insights to projects as well as ideas for new therapeutic programs.

At Septerna, 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 successful candidate will be motivated to discover new disease-modifying therapeutics for patients and enjoy working in a fast-paced dynamic team environment.

The position is based in South San Francisco, CA. Title and compensation commensurate with experience.

Key Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Design and execute in vivo, ex vivo, and in vitro studies to inform therapeutic programs

• Generate, analyze, and interpret complex data to establish functional PK/PD relationships and elucidate the therapeutic mechanism of action of drug candidates

• Serve as Disease Biology lead on multiple project teams, trouble-shoot experiments, analyze and interpret data and work cross functionally with colleagues to help advance therapeutic programs

• Help build and expand in vivo pharmacology and biomarker discovery capabilities

• Author in vivo/ex vivo protocols, and study reports to support regulatory filings

• Follow all company policies/practices, and maintain accurate records and notebooks

REQUIRED EDUCATION, SKILLS & EXPERIENCE

• PhD or MSc in Diabetes or Metabolic Disorders, Endocrinology, Pharmacology, Immunology / Inflammation, or related biological science field

• At least 8 years (or 12 years with MSc) direct hands-on experience in drug discovery and development leveraging in vivo disease models in biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries

• Ability to be hands on, working in the vivarium and lab, write protocols, and execute studies

• Direct experimental experience and demonstrated expertise developing PK/PD, efficacy, and cell and tissue-based pharmacology or disease biology models

• Experience working on project teams with functional responsibility to organize, analyze, interpret, and present data

• Experience working with vendors and CROs to execute studies externally, analyze data, and generate reports

• Experience authoring in vivo study protocols, reports, and/or regulatory documents including IND filings

• Outstanding communication skills with demonstrated ability to make effective presentations in a broad range of settings

• Detail-oriented and organized, with strong interpersonal skills for clear and effective communication - ability to proactively engage and collaboration with colleagues and mentor more junior staff

PREFERRED SKILLS & EXPERIENCE

• Strong preference for direct hand-on experience with in vivo diabetes or metabolic models to evaluate therapeutic effects

• Experience bringing programs through in vivo proof of concept and into the clinic

• Experience working with primary cells, ex vivo disease models, or in vivo species in addition to mice is a plus

• Evaluation, analysis, and interpretation of multi-omics and complex data sets

• Experience with biomarker development (pharmacodynamic, predictive, and safety) to inform clinical translation and patient selection strategies

• Previous work leading a program in therapeutic discovery/development

• Strong statistical analysis skills including experience analyzing large data sets and an ability to articulate conclusions and recommendations from complex study results

• Experience mentoring more junior scientists, leading cross-functional project teams, and a track record of successful managing external teams or CROs

The anticipated salary range for candidates who will work in South San Francisco, CA is $140,000 - $175,000. 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.