Director, In-Vitro Quantitative Biology and Assay Development

About Tonix*

Tonix is a biopharmaceutical company, publicly traded on NASDAQ (ticker: TNXP). The Company is focused on commercializing, developing, discovering and licensing therapeutics to treat and prevent human disease. Tonix markets Zembrace SymTouch (sumatriptan injection) 3 mg and Tosymra (sumatriptan nasal spray) 10 mg. Zembrace SymTouch and Tosymra are each indicated for the treatment of acute migraine with or without aura in adults. Tonix's development portfolio is composed of central nervous system (CNS), rare disease, immunology and infectious disease product candidates. Tonix's CNS development portfolio includes both small molecules and biologics to treat pain, neurologic, psychiatric and addiction conditions. The Company's immunology portfolio includes biologics to address organ transplant rejection, autoimmunity, and cancer. Tonix's infectious disease pipeline consists of a vaccine in development to prevent smallpox and monkeypox, which also serves as the live virus vaccine platform or recombinant pox vaccine platform for other infectious diseases.

Position Overview

Tonix is looking for a Director of Assay Development / in-vitro biology with extensive experience in antibody and live virus vector research and discovery responsible for developing therapeutics in oncology, infectious diseases, and other antibody or protein-reachable targets. The position is at Tonix's Research and Development Center (RDC) which is the innovation and development arm of Tonix Pharmaceuticals. The RDC is responsible for providing efficient and cutting-edge treatment methods for various diseases including infectious diseases, oncology, and other indications. The individual in this position will work as part of the research team to deliver and optimize biological pipelines for clinical investigation.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the design, standardize, and execution of biochemical and cell-based assays to support drug discovery, screening, and biomarker identification.
• Collaborate with HTS (High-Throughput Screening), automation, and bioanalytical teams to develop and implement efficient assay workflows.
• Play a pivotal role in compound screening strategies, including mechanism of action (MOA) studies and hit-to-lead optimization.
• Direct mechanistic biology research utilizing cell-based models, disease models, and phenotypic assays to elucidate drug activity.
• Investigate target biology, cellular pathways, and therapeutic mechanisms to enhance drug development efforts.
• Utilize CRISPR-based functional genomics, iPSC-derived models, primary cell systems, and 3D organoid platforms to drive innovative drug screening approaches.

This is a fast-paced challenging position offering competitive compensation and benefits package. This position will report to the EVP, Infectious Diseases and will be based at the Tonix Research and Development Center in Frederick, Maryland.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

• Design, optimize, and standardize novel in-house assays, ensuring consistent reliability and reproducibility of screening outcomes.
• Provide scientific leadership and expertise in cell-based, molecular, and biochemical assays, while ensuring rigorous experimental data analysis.
• Independently troubleshoot, problem-solve, and execute experiments, while effectively incorporating feedback and adapting to evolving project needs.
• Mentor and lead the in-vitro Screening and Assay Development Team, fostering a collaborative, results-driven, and innovative research culture.
• Work cross-functionally in a matrix environment, partnering with project and functional teams to drive research objectives forward.
• Characterize and assess binding properties of novel proteins and antibodies using cutting-edge technologies, including Octet, high-content plate-based imaging, and novel reporter-based assays.
• Perform antibody and protein engineering, including affinity maturation, to optimize potency and therapeutic potential.
• Lead or support clonal selection, process optimization of viral vectors and proteins, process characterization, and scale-up for protein or antibody production using systems such as Ambr 15.
• Lead and participate in cross-functional project teams, proposing innovative discoveries and optimization strategies that align with industry's best practices.
• Integrate cross-functional inputs to develop a robust, strategic R&D plan, ensuring alignment with Tonix's innovation goals.
• Uphold company mission and values, emphasizing accountability, innovation, integrity, quality, and teamwork.
• Support special projects and business initiatives as needed to contribute to Tonix's broader corporate strategy.

Supervisory Responsibilities

• Recruits, interviews, hires, and training new staff
• Provides constructive and timely performance evaluations
• If necessary, handles discipline and termination of employees in accordance with company policy
• Contributes to performance and compensation decisions such as merit raises, bonuses, and promotions
• Supervise and mentor members of the team and be able to communicate well with peers

Minimum Qualifications

• Ph.D., or equivalent doctoral degree required plus 10 years' experience
• Able to use robotics and automation to support novel engineered proteins and antibody designs, production, purification, and screening required

• Experience with large molecule screening and tissue culture systems
• Leadership experience with the capacity to build, develop, and lead teams, both as a manager and cross-functionally through the organization

• Implement assay funnels for compound testing, set up workflows at various stages of drug development, prioritize and allocate resources within the biology team departments

• Experience with large molecule screening and tissue culture systems

• Expert knowledge in automation of biochemical and cell-based assays including reporter gene and high content screening (HCS) assays.
• Hands-on experience working with complex biological models (e.g. iPSC-derived cells, 3D printing and organoid models) for HTS applications.

• In-depth knowledge of high throughput cell-based assay, invitro assays, organoids cultures, CRISPR-CAS screening, and the ability to distill insights from complex molecular datasets (e.g., functional assays, etc.) is essential

• Strong accomplishment record demonstrating the ability to perform independent, high-quality, creative, and impactful research in the field of application of viral vectors as vaccines against deadly pathogens and antibody or protein design and discovery
• Ability to generate hypothesis to test ideas, use the data set to evaluate hypothesis, and design new studies
• Ability to apply multiple cutting-edge techniques for drug screening, such as high-content imaging, microscopy, and cell-based screening
• Sound working experience in industry or biological context, and the ability to interrogate large data sets using computational tools and application of bioinformatic to dissect complicated data sets such as high throughput data a plus
• Ability for minimal travel
• Dedicated team player who can withstand the high demands of a fast-paced environment
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills are essential
• Strong planning and organizational skills
• Comfortable working independently with minimal supervision
• Highly organized, results-driven, problem solver, and collaborator
• Demonstrated ability to perform the essential duties of the position with or without accommodation

Recruitment & Staffing Agencies

Tonix does not accept agency resumes unless contacted directly by internal Tonix Talent Acquisition. Please do not forward resumes to Tonix employees or any other company location; Tonix is not responsible for any fees related to unsolicited resumes.

Compensation & Benefits

Annualized base salary ranges from $150,000 to $240,000 plus target incentive; actual salaries will vary and may be above or below this range commensurate with several factors including experience, education, training, location, and merit.

Tonix provides a comprehensive compensation and benefits package which includes:

• Medical, Dental & Vision Insurance, Basic and Voluntary Life and AD&D Insurance, Short- and Long-Term Disability Insurance, Flexible Spending Accounts, Health Savings Account, and Employee Assistance Programs
• Pet Insurance
• Retirement Savings 401k with company match and annual discretionary stock options
• Generous Paid Time Off, Sick Time, & Paid Holidays
• Career Development and Training

Tonix provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, genetics, or any other characteristic protected by law. In addition to federal law requirements, Tonix complies with applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfers, leaves of absence, compensation, and training. Tonix expressly prohibits any form of workplace harassment based on race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, genetic, information, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.