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Director Drug Discovery Jobs in Brooklyn, NY (NOW HIRING)

Medicinal Chemist

New York, NY · On-site

$210K - $250K/yr

You have direct experience at all stages of drug discovery projects, and can point to go/no go judgement calls you've made in lead generation and lead optimization. * You've used different approaches ...

Senior Product Manager, Agentic Science

New York, NY · On-site

$138.40K - $182.70K/yr

You have direct experience working in drug discovery, biotech, or AI-driven scientific research. Ideally, you will have worked hands-on with agentic systems (or agents) in a scientific context. You ...

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Director Drug Discovery information

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a Director of Drug Discovery, and why are they important?

To excel as a Director of Drug Discovery, you need deep expertise in medicinal chemistry, pharmacology, and drug development, typically supported by a PhD in a relevant scientific field and substantial industry experience. Familiarity with drug discovery platforms, high-throughput screening systems, and regulatory requirements is essential, and certification in project management can be beneficial. Leadership, strategic vision, and strong collaboration skills are crucial for guiding multidisciplinary teams and advancing projects. These competencies ensure effective pipeline management, innovation, and successful progression of drug candidates from concept to clinical development.

What are the primary challenges faced by a Director of Drug Discovery in managing cross-functional research teams?

A Director of Drug Discovery often manages multidisciplinary teams comprising chemists, biologists, pharmacologists, and data scientists. One of the main challenges is ensuring effective communication and collaboration across these diverse expertise areas to align on project goals and timelines. Balancing scientific innovation with regulatory requirements and resource constraints is also critical. Additionally, prioritizing projects based on pipeline needs while motivating and developing team members is essential for success in this leadership role.

What does a Director of Drug Discovery do?

A Director of Drug Discovery leads and manages teams responsible for identifying and developing new pharmaceutical compounds. They oversee the entire drug discovery process, including target identification, lead optimization, and preclinical testing. Their role often involves setting research priorities, ensuring regulatory compliance, managing budgets, and collaborating with cross-functional teams. Additionally, they work closely with other leaders to align scientific goals with business objectives and may interact with external partners or stakeholders.
What are popular job titles related to Director Drug Discovery jobs in Brooklyn, NY? For Director Drug Discovery jobs in Brooklyn, NY, the most frequently searched job titles are:
What cities near Brooklyn, NY are hiring for Director Drug Discovery jobs? Cities near Brooklyn, NY with the most Director Drug Discovery job openings:

Associate Director, Drug Substance, Biologics

Formation Bio

New York, NY • On-site

Full-time

Posted 24 days ago


Job description

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:
  • Our Vision for AI in Pharma
  • Our Current Drug Portfolio
  • Our Technology & Platform

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
The Associate Director, Drug Substance, Biologics, will provide technical, strategic and hands-on operational leadership for all CMC activities related to drug substance development and manufacturing, with a primary focus on Biologics at all stages of development (IND-enabling to commercialization).
The Associate Director, Drug Substance, will be responsible for overseeing the process development, manufacturing and release of drug substances at CDMOs ensuring manufacturing operations align with program timelines, quality standards, and regulatory requirements. This position requires deep expertise in biologics drug substance manufacturing (either cell culture or downstream purification), strong technical problem-solving abilities, and proven experience managing complex manufacturing operations with external partners. You will play a critical role in accelerating our mission of bringing new treatments to patients faster and more efficiently.
Responsibilities
Development and Manufacturing Strategy, Operations and Oversight
    • Lead drug substance manufacturing strategy and execution for programs from preclinical through commercial stages, ensuring alignment with program objectives, timelines, and budget constraints.
    • Serve as the primary technical interface with CDMOs for drug substance manufacturing activities. Establish and maintain strong partnerships, lead technical discussions, and ensure manufacturing excellence across external manufacturing network.
    • Oversee cell culture and downstream purification activities related to process development and manufacturing for both microbial and mammalian expression systems. Ensure manufacturing processes are robust, scalable, and compliant with cGMP requirements.
    • Provide technical guidance and oversight for manufacturing campaigns including batch record review and approval, deviation investigations, change control assessments, and resolution of manufacturing issues
    • Support scale-up activities from clinical to commercial manufacturing, including process optimization and validation. Identify and implement continuous improvement opportunities.
    • Develop comprehensive manufacturing plans and schedules in collaboration with Project Management, Clinical Supply, and Commercial teams. Track manufacturing timelines and proactively manage risks to ensure on-time delivery of drug substance for clinical trials and commercial supply.
    • Lead technical assessments and qualification of new CDMOs for drug substance manufacturing. Conduct site audits and ongoing performance monitoring. Manage relationships with multiple manufacturing partners across different geographic regions

Additional Core CMC Responsibilities (Quality, Regulatory & Cross-Functional)
    • Ensure all manufacturing activities comply with cGMP regulations, ICH guidelines, and internal quality standards. Support regulatory inspections and audits at manufacturing sites. Review and approve batch records, protocols, and manufacturing-related documentation.
    • Author and review CMC sections of regulatory submissions (INDs, BLAs, CTAs) related to drug product manufacturing, process validation, and manufacturing site changes. Support responses to health authority questions.
    • Partner closely with Drug Product Manufacturing, Analytical Development, Quality Assurance, Regulatory Affairs, Clinical Supply, and Program Management leads to ensure seamless integration of manufacturing activities into overall program execution.
    • Collaborate with procurement to ensure timely contracting for drug substance manufacturing.

About You
  • MS or Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Biochemistry, Biotechnology, or related discipline.
  • 6+ years of experience in the biopharmaceutical industry with hands-on experience in biologics drug substance manufacturing (either cell culture or downstream purification)
  • Demonstrated track record of successfully managing drug substance manufacturing campaigns for biologics (proteins, monoclonal antibodies, antibody-drug conjugates, or other large molecules) from preclinical through late-stage clinical or commercial manufacturing.
  • Technical expertise in either cell culture or downstream purification for process development, manufacturing, process characterization and process validation for biologics.
  • Extensive experience working with CDMOs, including site selection, technology transfers, manufacturing oversight, and performance management. Proven ability to troubleshoot complex manufacturing issues and drive continuous improvement initiatives.

Total Compensation Range: $185,000 - $235,000
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.