Vice President, Small Molecule Therapeutics

The Opportunity

insitro is pioneering a new approach to drug discovery and development, enabled by the use of advanced machine learning to interrogate large amounts of cellular, molecular and clinical data to increase the probability of clinical success. The insitro platforms are generating innovative therapeutic discovery programs in neurological and metabolic disease across a range of fit-for-purpose modalities (small molecule, oligonucleotides, biologics) with both internal capabilities and partners.

We are seeking an innovative, data-driven Small Molecule Therapeutics leader, who will drive our chemistry strategy and preclinical drug discovery, and ensure that we leverage our machine learning capabilities both to increase the success of our preclinical programs and to accelerate them.

You will report to the Chief Scientific Officer and can be either onsite (3 days per week) in our South San Francisco office or hybrid (~1 week per month) in our office. Additional travel may be needed to relevant medical and translational science conferences and health authorities.

Responsibilities

• Oversee Small Molecule therapeutic discovery:

  • Build and lead a team of drug discovery professionals in areas including: medicinal chemistry; DNA-encoded chemical library design, synthesis and screening and small molecule analytical sciences.

  • Partner with Protein Sciences, Structural Biology, Therapeutic Areas, Technical Operations, Preclinical & Clinical Development to develop indication strategies

  • Support drug discovery project teams to rapidly advance internal therapeutic leads and backups into IND-enabling studies and FIH trials.

  • Engage operationally and strategically with Pharma, Biotech and provider partners to prosecute collaborative drug-discovery programs

• Drive strategy on molecular design and innovation:

  • Collaborate with cross-functional teams, including machine learning scientists, bioinformaticians, and statisticians, to develop advanced capabilities that can increasingly replace laboratory experimentation with modeling and simulation.

  • Identify and access/internalize relevant innovative technologies that can meaningfully accelerate small molecule drug discovery and translational success

  • Foster collaborations with external partners, key opinion leaders, and academic institutions to enhance our scientific knowledge.

• Collaborate on company strategy and communications:

  • Provide scientific leadership and strategic input across all stages of drug development, from target identification to post-marketing activities

  • Work with other company leaders to guide our corporate strategy, bringing in perspectives on therapeutic modalities, tractability of drug development and manufacturing strategies

  • Partner with Corporate Development and Strategy on new partnership initiatives and in-licensing/out-licensing activities

• Broader communication:

  • Effectively communicate the company's clinical strategy and progress to stakeholders, including the board of directors, investors, and regulatory agencies

About You

• Scientific experience:

  • Graduate degree in organic or medicinal chemistry

  • 15+ years of experience in therapeutic discovery within the pharmaceutical or biotechnology industry, with a track record of successful early development candidates.

  • Leading role in the design and execution of multiple drug discovery programs ideally across therapeutic areas relevant to insitro (neuroscience, metabolic disease)

  • Strong foundation in all aspects of synthetics drug discovery.

  • Interest in and exposure to cutting-edge computational and data science methods

  • Appreciation for human genetics and its use in target identification or validation

• Leadership Experience:

  • Data-driven, quantitative mindset, and a track record of collecting and utilizing data in clinical development

  • Track record in building and leading a high-performance team, with extensive experience at the executive level

  • Ability to interact effectively across disciplinary boundaries, including with people from very diverse backgrounds

  • Comfort driving results in a small startup environment, demonstrating agility and commitment to achieve success.

  • Communicates complex medical and scientific insights clearly, effectively engaging diverse audiences.

  • Shapes the future of AI-driven drug development through strategic thinking and visionary medical leadership.

• Nice to have:

  • Significant strategic role in at least one NME that has obtained full regulatory approval (BLA or NDA)

  • Interest in and/or exposure to DNA-encoded chemical libraries and high-throughput synthesis

  • Experience in company building and the establishment of significant drug discovery capabilities

Compensation & Benefits at insitro

Our target starting salary for successful US-based applicants for this role is $281,000 - $316,000. To determine starting pay, we consider multiple job-related factors including a candidate's skills, education and experience, market demand, business needs, and internal parity. We may also adjust this range in the future based on market data.

This role is eligible for participation in our Annual Performance Bonus Plan (based on company targets by role level and annual company performance) and our Equity Incentive Plan, subject to the terms of those plans and associated policies.

In addition, insitro also provides our employees:

• 401(k) plan with employer matching for contributions

• Excellent medical, dental, and vision coverage as well as mental health and well-being support

• Open, flexible vacation policy

• Paid parental leave of at least 16 weeks to support parents who give birth, and 10 weeks for a new parent (inclusive of birth, adoption, fostering, etc)

• Quarterly budget for books and online courses for self-development

• Support to attend professional conferences that are meaningful to your career growth and role's responsibilities

• New hire stipend for home office setup

• Monthly cell phone & internet stipend

• Access to free onsite baristas and cafe with daily lunch and breakfast for employees who are either onsite or hybrid

• Access to free onsite fitness center for employees who are either onsite or hybrid

• Access to a free commuter bus and ferry network that provides transport to and from our South San Francisco HQ from locations all around the Bay Area

insitro is an equal opportunity employer. All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran or disability status.

We believe diversity, equity, and inclusion need to be at the foundation of our culture. We work hard to bring together diverse teams–grounded in a wide range of expertise and life experiences–and work even harder to ensure those teams thrive in inclusive, growth-oriented environments supported by equitable company and team practices. All candidates can expect equitable treatment, respect, and fairness throughout the interview process.

About insitro

insitro is a drug discovery and development company using machine learning (ML) and data at scale to decode biology for transformative medicines. At the core of insitro’s approach is the convergence of in-house generated multi-modal cellular data and high-content phenotypic human cohort data. We rely on these data to develop ML-driven, predictive disease models that uncover underlying biologic state and elucidate critical drivers of disease. These powerful models rely on extensive biological and computational infrastructure and allow insitro to advance novel targets and patient biomarkers, design therapeutics and inform clinical strategy. insitro is advancing a wholly owned and partnered pipeline of insights and therapeutics in neuroscience and metabolism. Since launching in 2018, insitro has raised over $700 million from top tech, biotech and crossover investors, and from collaborations with pharmaceutical partners. For more information on insitro, please visit www.insitro.com.