Director, Quantitative Biomarkers

About Us

Exscientia is an AI-driven precision medicine company committed to discovering, designing and developing the best possible drugs in the fastest and most effective manner. Exscientia developed the first-ever functional precision oncology platform to successfully guide treatment selection and improve patient outcomes in a prospective interventional clinical study, as well as to progress AI-designed small molecules into the clinical setting.

Our internal pipeline is focused on leveraging our precision medicine platform in oncology, while our partnered pipeline broadens our approach to other therapeutic areas. By pioneering a new approach to medicine creation, we believe the best ideas of science can rapidly become the best medicines for patients.

The Role

We're seeking a Director, Quantitative Biomarkers to provide scientific leadership in preclinical and clinical translational research programs within the oncology therapeutic area. You will lead multidisciplinary teams responsible for the design, implementation, and interpretation of biomarker strategies that support early clinical programs by defining pharmacodynamic markers to support proof of mechanism determination, as well as using your expertise to inform and support indication and dosing regimen selection. Although largely expected to work independently, you will collaborate with colleagues in the research biology, drug discovery, in vivo pharmacology, pharmacometrics, genomics, and clinical pharmacology/operations groups. In addition to internal collaboration, you will develop external scientific collaborations to gain novel insights from clinical samples into disease biology.

Please note this is a hybrid role and occasional travel is required to our offices in Oxford, UK (approximately once per quarter), with flexibility to work from home in the UK the remaining time. We are a flexible working organisation and we’re willing to consider other options which would provide similar contact time with the team.

You will have the opportunity to:

• Develop, implement and deliver on the clinical biomarker strategy for preclinical and clinical assets, participate in the compound development teams and lead pertinent working groups.
• Analyse, interpret and present emerging clinical biomarker data working closely with quantitative clinical pharmacology to support model-informed drug development for clinical programs.
• Contribute to building scientific rationale to support the clinical strategy by working closely across groups and functions to explore novel indications, targeted patient populations, and new drug combinations for compounds in research, preclinical and clinical development.
• Regularly report biomarker data to project teams, line management and other senior governance groups when necessary.
• Fulfil regulatory responsibilities including preparing, updating, and finalising the biomarker sections in clinical protocols, Investigator Brochures, Clinical Study Reports and compound development plans.
• Contribute to the generation of preclinical experimental plans to support the clinical biomarker strategy, supervise the studies, and integrate into clinical development plan.
• Interact and liaise with internal experts, external experts, academic groups, and CROs to establish collaborations and projects.

Requirements

• MSc, PhD. or PharmD. in immuno-oncology, tumor biology or related field.
• 10+ years experience conducting quantitative biomarker/translational biology research in a pharmaceutical/biotech setting, which should include 3+ years clinical trial experience.
• Experience of designing and executing pre-clinical research, in-vitro and in-vivo pharmacology, and mechanism of action studies.
• Leadership experience in drug discovery/development to represent clinical BTB research on project teams and communicate goals and deliverables to senior management and governance committees.
• Ability to work effectively on multiple oncology programs in a fast-paced environment, with resilience and ability to adapt to changes in priorities.
• Strong collaboration and teamwork skills, with excellent written and verbal communication.

Benefits

• Join our inclusive, collaborative and intellectually stimulating organisation with an exciting mission and strong values.

• As a learning organisation, we provide access to learning and development opportunities and will place you at the forefront of your career growth at Exscientia.

• We employ brilliant people so we pay highly competitive salaries.

• Enjoy our generous 28 days holiday allowance plus public holidays, with flexibility to carry over or purchase extra holidays.

• We also offer flexible working to find a healthy work-life balance that works for you.

• We’re leading the way in progressive leave offering enhanced policies so you feel supported no matter the life event. This includes generous parental, fertility, menopause and family emergency leave, and much more.

• As a healthcare company, we understand the importance of health and wellbeing so we provide comprehensive private health insurance, dental and vision benefits for you and your family.

• We also provide plenty of access to mental health support including therapy and counselling sessions plus an employee assistance program for help with lifestyle issues such as bereavement, family problems or money management.

• To help safeguard the future for you and your loved ones, we also offer pension and life cover.

• Have fun with colleagues at our in-person and remote social events! Get competitive at a quiz or bake off, or relax at a movie night or picnic - there’s something for everyone.

• Collaborate with your team at our uplifting offices and choose a design-led breakout space to inspire creativity. Help yourself to free drinks, snacks and freshly ground coffee in our fully stocked kitchens. Some of the best ideas start with a coffee break!

• Learn more about why our team enjoy working at Exscientia here

DEIB

At Exscientia, we are committed to building a diverse, equitable, and inclusive environment where every employee belongs.

We celebrate and value the diversity of our team, recognising that our differences drive our creativity and innovation forward. This applies to differences in ethnicity, nationality, cultural heritage, age, religion, mental and physical ability, neurodiversity, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, marital and civil partnership status, family status, and socioeconomic background.

We are committed to providing fair treatment, opportunity and advancement for all employees, and we strive to create an inclusive environment where everyone feels valued, respected and empowered to bring their best selves to work.

If you require any support or adjustments to interact with us, please email careers@exscientia.co.uk