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Director Drug Discovery Jobs in Niagara Falls, NY

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 job categories do people searching Director Drug Discovery jobs in Niagara Falls, NY look for? The top searched job categories for Director Drug Discovery jobs in Niagara Falls, NY are:
What cities near Niagara Falls, NY are hiring for Director Drug Discovery jobs? Cities near Niagara Falls, NY with the most Director Drug Discovery job openings:
Simons Empire Faculty Fellowship

Simons Empire Faculty Fellowship

University at Buffalo

Buffalo, NY • On-site

$14.25 - $18/hr

Full-time

Posted 18 days ago


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7.2

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Job description

Posting Details
Position Information
Position Title
Simons Empire Faculty Fellowship
Department
Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences
Posting Number
F260003
Posting Link
https://www.ubjobs.buffalo.edu/postings/60616
Employer
State
Faculty Appointment Term
Term
Position Type
UUP Faculty
Posting Detail Information
Fiscal Year
2025-2026
Position Summary
The Simons Foundation (SF) and the Simons Foundation International (SFI) have created the Simons Empire Faculty Fellowship program to stimulate faculty hiring across the state of New York.
With support from the Simons Foundation, the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at the University at Buffalo (UB) is recruiting for a strategically aligned faculty cluster to accelerate human-centered neuroscience, translational discovery, and neurotechnology innovation. These hires directly respond to emerging NIH priorities, SUNY's strategic emphasis on translational and AI-integrated research, and UB's institutional strengths in foundational neuroscience, engineering, and drug development. Anchored in the basic and clinical neurosciences, these positions will insert expertise into high-value translational nodes, bridging laboratory discovery with clinical relevance, and catalyze integrative collaboration across departments, cores, and academic units, including the School of Pharmacy, the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, and the Institute for Artificial Intelligence and Data Science.
The Jacobs School is recruiting for two tenure-track faculty positions:
Assistant Professor - AI-Guided Organoid-Based Neuroscience
The Jacobs School seeks a tenure-track Assistant Professor with expertise in organoid neuroscience and high-content phenotyping. The successful candidate will establish a research program focused on human iPSC-derived cerebral organoids or assembloids to model brain development, neural circuit formation, or disease pathophysiology. A major emphasis will be on the development of scalable imaging pipelines that leverage artificial intelligence to extract structural and functional data from live and fixed organoid systems. The faculty member will collaborate with the Cell Phenotyping Core to implement shared workflows and imaging services and will participate in shaping institutional infrastructure for human model systems. As UB builds its capacity to link biospecimens to clinical data, this hire will be positioned to engage with patient-derived lines and phenotype-linked experimental modeling. Additional responsibilities include mentoring graduate students and postdoctoral fellows, teaching one course per year, and participating in collaborative neuroscience and translational science initiatives across UB and the SUNY Brain Network. A formal mentoring committee and mid-career review in Year 3 will support the candidate's progress toward tenure.
Assistant Professor - Neuroengineer (Lab-on-a-Chip Platforms for Brain Discovery)The Jacobs School seeks a tenure-track Assistant Professor with expertise in neuroengineering and the development of experimental platforms to model human neural systems. The successful candidate will design and apply microphysiological systems, such as lab-on-a-chip or biosensor-integrated constructs, to study neural network dynamics, disease mechanisms, or drug response using in vitro or ex vivo systems. The candidate will collaborate with neuroscientists, stem cell researchers, and pharmacologists to integrate their devices into biological discovery workflows. Their research program will contribute to the development of closed-loop experimental systems that enable high-resolution control and monitoring of neural function. In addition to research responsibilities, the faculty member will support the advancement of UB's core facilities by co-developing shared device platforms and contributing to core training and instrumentation strategies. They will mentor graduate students and postdoctoral fellows and teach one course per year aligned with their area of expertise. The faculty member will receive mentorship from an interdisciplinary team across neuroscience and engineering and will undergo a formal mid-career review in Year 3 to ensure progress toward tenure.
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University at Buffalo is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer and, in keeping with our commitment, welcomes all to apply including veterans and individuals with disabilities.
Minimum Qualifications
PhD or equivalent degree.
Preferred Qualifications
Physical Demands
Driving Requirements
Salary Range
Competitive
Additional Salary Information
Job Type
Full-Time
Campus
As Assigned
Posting Alerts
Special Instructions Summary
Additional Information
Is a background check required for this posting?
No
Background Check Notification
Contact Information
Contact's Name
Kate Levy
Contact's Pronouns
Contact's Title
Director of Research Planning, Office of Biomedical Research
Contact's Email
klevy2@buffalo.edu
Contact's Phone
716-881-8295
Posting Dates
Posted
01/09/2026
Deadline for Applicants
Open Until Filled
Date to be filled
09/01/2026
References
Number of References Required
3
Reference Cutoff Date
Instructions to Applicant

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