Associate Director, Pharmacology

About the Company

A clinical‑stage biotechnology organization is pioneering the development of next‑generation biologics by integrating advanced artificial intelligence with a sophisticated synthetic biology engine. The company operates globally with a headquarters in Vancouver, WA, and additional locations across the U.S. and Europe.

Position Overview

The organization is seeking an accomplished scientific leader to serve as Associate Director, Pharmacology. This individual will guide a multidisciplinary team responsible for in vitro and ex vivo functional characterization of innovative biologics-including antibodies, bispecifics, and engineered protein therapeutics-to drive early discovery and preclinical development efforts.

This role acts as the primary subject matter expert (SME) for pharmacology, mechanistic biology, and functional assay strategy. The successful candidate will ensure that experimental data are rigorous, reproducible, and actionable, shaping program decisions from target validation through IND‑enabling studies. The Associate Director will work closely with cross‑functional partners in Disease Biology, Protein Engineering, and High‑Throughput Screening.

Key Responsibilities

Scientific & Team Leadership

• Lead, mentor, and develop a high‑achieving team focused on mechanistic biology, functional pharmacology, and in vitro/ex vivo assay development.
• Serve as the primary pharmacology expert on internal cross‑functional project teams.
• Provide guidance on assay strategies, mechanisms of action, receptor pharmacology, signaling biology, and functional readouts.
• Maintain high standards of scientific rigor, data quality, reproducibility, and interpretation.

Pharmacology & Mechanistic Biology

• Oversee the design, optimization, and execution of cell‑based functional assays evaluating potency, mechanistic activity, specificity, and biological relevance of therapeutic candidates.
• Shape functional assay strategies supporting:
  • Mechanism‑of‑action exploration
  • Target validation
  • Lead identification and optimization
  • Structure-function and epitope‑level analyses
  • Disease‑relevant cell biology studies
• Integrate biological insights into quantitative pharmacology approaches, including dose-response modeling, receptor occupancy, and PK/PD frameworks.

Program Strategy & Cross‑Functional Collaboration

• Represent the Pharmacology & Bioassays function on project teams and translate complex datasets into clear, program‑defining recommendations.
• Partner with Protein Engineering, HTS, and Disease Biology to design cohesive and milestone‑driven experimental strategies.
• Identify data gaps and propose scientifically grounded solutions to ensure efficient program progression.
• Support in vivo study planning by designing complementary in vitro/ex vivo assays to inform MOA, pharmacodynamic biomarkers, and dose selection.

Operational Excellence

• Build and refine state‑of‑the‑art workflows for cell‑based and ex vivo assay systems, including primary cell models, cytokine/receptor signaling assays, flow cytometry, and high‑content imaging.
• Implement best practices for assay robustness, statistical rigor, documentation, and reproducibility.
• Manage team resources, timelines, and project load in a fast‑moving research environment.
• Oversee external collaborations with CRO partners and academic laboratories as needed.

Qualifications

Education & Experience

• PhD in Pharmacology, Cell Biology, Biochemistry, Immunology, or a related field, with 5-7+ years of industry experience (or equivalent advanced degree + experience).
• Demonstrated success in scientific leadership and team development.
• Established track record supporting or leading biologics-especially antibody‑based-drug development programs.

Scientific Expertise

• Deep knowledge of pharmacology and mechanistic biology for biologics, including antibodies, bispecifics, and engineered protein therapeutics.
• Strong foundation in cell biology, including primary cell systems, cytokine biology, receptor-ligand interactions, signaling pathways, and effector mechanisms.
• Significanthands‑on experience withinvitro/exvivo functional assays such as:
  • Primary immune‑cell assays
  • 3D or complex multicellular systems
  • Reporter‑based assays and signaling‑pathway readouts
  • Cytokine/chemokine measurements (ELISA/MSD)
  • Flow cytometry and high‑content imaging
  • Immune‑effector assays such as ADCC/CDC
• Experience progressing biologic programs through discovery to IND‑enabling activities, with contributions to at least one IND filing.

Leadership & Interpersonal Skills

• Inspiring leadership style with the ability to build, mentor, and retain high‑performing scientific teams.
• Strong communication skills with the ability to distill complex biological datasets into clear program recommendations.
• Highly collaborative, strategic, proactive, and comfortable navigating changing priorities.
• Demonstrated success operating in a dynamic, fast‑paced biotech environment