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Vice President Biotech Startup Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Deep Origin

VP/SVP of Drug Discovery

Boston, MA

The role is ideal for a senior biotech leader who wants to help build a next-generation AI-enabled ... Experience building discovery organizations or scaling R&D teams within startup environments

Deep Origin

VP/SVP of Drug Discovery

Boston, MA · On-site

The role is ideal for a senior biotech leader who wants to help build a next-generation AI-enabled ... Experience building discovery organizations or scaling R&D teams within startup environments

Legend Biotech US

VP, Medical Affairs

Bridgewater, NJ · On-site

Legend Biotech is seeking a VP of Medical Affairs as part of the Medical Affairs team based in Bridgewater, NJ. Role Overview The VP of Medical Affairs is an essential role in the company with ...

Legend Biotech USA, Inc.

Legend Biotech is seeking a VP of Medical Affairs as part of the Medical Affairs team based in Bridgewater, NJ. Role OverviewThe VP of Medical Affairs is an essential role in the company with ...

Deep Origin

Head of Product

$238K - $249K/yr

About the company Deep Origin is a biotech startup building an operating system for science that ... About the role We are seeking a VP of Product to fully own, define, build, and scale all of our ...

Legend Biotech US

VP, Medical Affairs

Bridgewater, NJ · On-site +1

Legend Biotech is seeking a VP of Medical Affairs as part of the Medical Affairs team based in Bridgewater, NJ. Role Overview The VP of Medical Affairs is an essential role in the company with ...

Lumanity

Vice President, Regulatory Strategy

Acts as trusted strategic partner to pharmaceutical and biotech C-suite executives and other ... Partners with SVP & Practice Lead to translate regulatory landscape changes (AI/digital submissions ...

Lumanity

Acts as trusted strategic partner to pharmaceutical and biotech C-suite executives and other ... Partners with SVP & Practice Lead to translate regulatory landscape changes (AI/digital submissions ...

Cristcot

Vice President, Sales

Job Summary The Vice President of Sales will be pivotal leader in shaping Cristcot's commercial ... biotechnology industry * Experience managing commercial vendors and agency partnerships * Proven ...

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All JobsVice President Biotech Startup Jobs

Vice President Biotech Startup information

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$157.5K

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How much do vice president biotech startup jobs pay per year?

As of Jul 28, 2026, the average yearly pay for vice president biotech startup in the United States is $157,532.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $115,000.00 and $190,000.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What does a Vice President do at a biotech startup?

A Vice President at a biotech startup is a senior executive responsible for overseeing major company functions, such as business development, operations, or research and development. They help set strategic direction, manage teams, secure funding or partnerships, and ensure that the company meets its growth and scientific goals. Their role often involves both high-level decision making and hands-on management, especially in the dynamic environment of a startup. Collaboration with other executives, investors, and external partners is key to their success.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a Vice President at a biotech startup, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Vice President at a biotech startup, you need deep expertise in life sciences, proven leadership experience, and a track record of scaling businesses, often supported by an advanced degree such as a PhD or MBA. Familiarity with laboratory information management systems (LIMS), regulatory compliance platforms, and knowledge of industry certifications like Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) are typical requirements. Exceptional strategic vision, fundraising ability, and interpersonal skills set outstanding candidates apart. These skills are critical for guiding growth, ensuring regulatory compliance, securing investment, and building high-performing teams in a competitive biotech environment.

What is the difference between Vice President Biotech Startup vs Director of Research & Development?

AspectVice President Biotech StartupDirector of Research & Development
CredentialsAdvanced degrees (PhD, MD), leadership experienceAdvanced degrees (PhD, MSc), research expertise
Work EnvironmentExecutive leadership, strategic planning, cross-departmental oversightResearch labs, project management, scientific development
Employer & Industry UsageBiotech startups, early-stage companies, biotech divisionsBiotech firms, pharmaceutical companies, research institutions

The Vice President Biotech Startup typically holds a senior leadership role focused on strategic growth and company direction, often overseeing multiple departments. In contrast, the Director of Research & Development concentrates on scientific research, product development, and managing research teams. While both roles require advanced scientific credentials, the VP role emphasizes leadership and business strategy, whereas the Director focuses on scientific innovation and project execution.

What are some common challenges faced by a Vice President at a biotech startup, and how can they be navigated?

A Vice President at a biotech startup often faces challenges such as balancing rapid innovation with regulatory compliance, managing limited resources, and steering cross-functional teams through periods of uncertainty. Navigating these challenges requires strong leadership, the ability to prioritize projects effectively, and excellent communication skills to align scientific teams with business goals. Building a collaborative culture and staying adaptable to changing market or research conditions are also crucial for success in this dynamic environment.
What cities are hiring for Vice President Biotech Startup jobs? Cities with the most Vice President Biotech Startup job openings:
What are the most commonly searched types of Biotech Startup jobs? The most popular types of Biotech Startup jobs are:
What states have the most Vice President Biotech Startup jobs? States with the most job openings for Vice President Biotech Startup jobs include:
What job categories do people searching Vice President Biotech Startup jobs look for? The top searched job categories for Vice President Biotech Startup jobs are:
Vice President Biotech Startup jobs near you
Infographic showing various Vice President Biotech Startup job openings in the United States as of July 2026, with employment types broken down into 2% As Needed, 90% Full Time, 1% Part Time, 1% Temporary, and 6% Contract. Highlights an 82% Physical, 3% Hybrid, and 15% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $157,532 per year, or $75.7 per hour.

VP/SVP of Drug Discovery

Deep Origin

San Francisco, CA • On-site

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision

Posted 27 days ago

Job description

About the Company
Deep Origin is building an operating system for science that transforms how life science research is conducted. Led by Michael Antonov, co-founder of Oculus, and backed by Formic Ventures, we are redefining the infrastructure behind modern drug discovery.
We are now building the next-generation platform for predicting drug toxicity in silico, transforming how pharmaceutical companies evaluate safety before clinical trials. Our mission is to reduce failure rates, accelerate drug development, and eliminate unnecessary animal testing through high-fidelity computational models of human biology.
We are not building incremental QSAR tools. We are building foundational infrastructure for predictive toxicology in the age of AI, systems biology, and large-scale computation.
About the Role
We are seeking an experienced and highly strategic VP/SVP of Drug Discovery to lead and scale our discovery organization across target identification, hit discovery, lead optimization, translational strategy, and clinical transition.
This is a critical executive leadership role for a hands-on scientific leader who has spent significant time navigating the realities of drug discovery and development - someone who understands not only what can work scientifically, but what actually translates into successful therapeutic programs.
This individual will serve as a key scientific and operational leader inside the company, partnering closely with computational scientists, experimental scientists (own lab), platform teams, translational biology, external collaborators, and executive leadership to prioritize programs, guide strategic decisions, and accelerate pipeline execution.
This is not a purely managerial role. We are looking for someone who remains deeply engaged in scientific reasoning, program review, experimental strategy, and portfolio decision-making.
The role is ideal for a senior biotech leader who wants to help build a next-generation AI-enabled discovery organization from the ground up while directly influencing the future direction of therapeutic development.
Requirements
  • PhD, MD, or equivalent advanced scientific degree in biology, pharmacology, chemistry, immunology, translational medicine, or related field
  • 15+ years of experience in drug discovery and development within biotech, mid-size biotech, platform biotech, and/or pharmaceutical environments
  • Solid proven experience with small molecules
  • Significant leadership experience in discovery organizations, including VP, SVP, CSO, CEO, or equivalent leadership roles
  • Proven experience building, scaling, and leading multidisciplinary discovery teams, including managing senior scientific leaders rather than only operating as an individual hands-on contributor
  • Proven track record advancing therapeutic programs from early discovery through IND-enabling development and/or into the clinic
  • Deep understanding of translational strategy, preclinical development, and clinical considerations in drug development
  • Experience working closely with clinical development teams and supporting programs through clinical transition
  • Strong expertise across multiple drug discovery modalities and approaches, with demonstrated ability to apply strategic scientific judgment
  • Experience leading cross-functional and multidisciplinary discovery teams
  • Strong operational mindset with the ability to execute effectively in fast-moving, resource-constrained environments
  • Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills across scientific, executive, and external audiences.
Preferred Qualifications
  • Experience in AI-enabled drug discovery, computational biology, systems pharmacology, or platform biotech environments
  • Background working with data-driven discovery approaches and computational infrastructure
  • Experience across multiple therapeutic areas and modalities
  • Familiarity with translational biomarkers, precision medicine strategies, and clinical development planning
  • Experience building discovery organizations or scaling R&D teams within startup environments
  • Prior experience interacting with regulatory agencies, KOLs, or strategic pharma partnerships
  • Entrepreneurial or venture-backed biotech experience strongly preferred.
Key Responsibilities
  • Lead and oversee therapeutic discovery programs from target identification through preclinical development and clinical transition
  • Drive scientific strategy, portfolio prioritization, and stage-gate decision-making across discovery programs
  • Partner closely with translational and clinical teams to ensure strong alignment between discovery strategy and clinical development pathways
  • Apply deep drug discovery experience to evaluate program risk, mechanism validity, biomarker strategy, developability, and probability of technical and clinical success
  • Build and lead multidisciplinary teams spanning biology, chemistry, pharmacology, translational medicine, computational biology, and external collaborators
  • Serve as a hands-on scientific leader actively involved in experimental strategy, data interpretation, candidate selection, and program execution
  • Help establish scalable discovery and development processes appropriate for a high-growth biotech environment
  • Contribute to corporate strategy, investor discussions, partnering opportunities, and scientific positioning
  • Evaluate and integrate emerging technologies, external innovation, and AI-enabled methodologies into discovery workflows where appropriate
  • Mentor scientific leaders and help cultivate a culture of scientific rigor, urgency, accountability, and innovation.

Values & Working Style
  • Comfortable navigating ambiguity in a fast-moving, high-impact environment
  • Strong collaborator across science, engineering, and business teams
  • Pragmatic yet ambitious - focused on building category-defining systems, not incremental improvements.

Why This Role Matters Now
Deep Origin is entering a phase where scientific innovation, platform infrastructure, and commercial partnerships must scale simultaneously.
This role will help shape how we translate cutting-edge computational capabilities into real drug discovery outcomes - guiding portfolio decisions, advancing programs toward the clinic, and building the foundation of a next-generation discovery organization.
Benefits
  • Opportunity to define the future of drug safety and predictive toxicology
  • Competitive compensation package with meaningful equity
  • Comprehensive health, dental, and vision coverage
  • Remote-friendly culture with optional onsite work
  • Annual team gatherings and company events.

Apply