Director, Cancer Biology

Company Summary:

Atavistik Bio is a privately-held biotechnology company accelerating the discovery and development of transformative precision allosteric therapeutics to address serious unmet patient needs, with a focus on oncology. Our proprietary AMPS platform allows us to rapidly unlock functional cryptic pockets across a broad range of target classes to accelerate the development of groundbreaking medicines. We have rapidly established an emerging pipeline of allosteric therapeutics with the potential to achieve superior efficacy and tolerability profiles by leveraging the power of allostery. Atavistik Bio is led by an experienced team of drug hunters with a proven track record of developing marketed small molecule therapies and supported by top-tier investors, including The Column Group, Nextech Invest, and Lux Capital. To learn more, visit us at atavistikbio.com and follow us on LinkedIn.

Position Summary:

We are seeking a strategic and dynamic Director, Cancer Biology, to join our R&D group and work with an enthusiastic team of highly skilled scientists in a fast-paced environment. Reporting to the VP, Head of Biology, this individual will be responsible for leading the discovery and translational research strategy for small molecule oncology drug candidates. The ideal candidate will have extensive experience in oncology drug development, biomarker identification, and the ability to work cross-functionally in a dynamic environment.

Key Responsibilities:

• Program and/or biology lead for oncology small molecule drug discovery programs from screening to DC, IND and into early clinical development.
• Work closely with broader drug discovery scientific team to progress compounds from screening to preclinical animal models.
• Develops and executes the translational science strategy in collaboration with the Clinical Development organization .
• Work with CRO partners on a wide-range of drug discovery efforts including cell-based screening and in vivo efficacy models.
• Designs and implements translational research plans to identify and validate biomarkers for patient selection strategy, treatment response, and disease progression.
• Analyzes and interprets preclinical and clinical data to understand the mechanism of action, pharmacodynamics, and potential for therapeutic efficacy.
• Clearly communicates the biology, translational research strategy, data, and other information to employees, company leadership, and external stakeholders including key opinion leaders, board members, and investors.
• Supports the preparation of regulatory documents, including IND submissions, clinical study protocols, and reports.
• Drafts and submits data for scientific publications and presents our research and development programs at scientific conferences and to regulatory agencies.

Required Qualifications:

• PhD. in Biology with 7+ years of experience in industry, with a strong focus on oncology drug discovery.
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to build strong collaborative relationships in a cross-functional environment is a must.
• Proven record moving therapeutic programs through IND enabling studies and into the clinic, small molecule preferred.
• Deep knowledge of oncology disease mechanisms, preclinical models, and clinical trial design. Expertise in the development and application of biomarkers for patient selection and monitoring therapeutic efficacy.
• Experience working on and co-leading cross-functional teams that span both research and development.
• Ability to think strategically with consideration of translational proof of concept, competitive landscape, and optimal patient populations.
• Strong oral and written communication skills, with experience presenting complex scientific data to both internal and external stakeholders, including regulatory agencies.