Overview In this role you will lead In Vitro Biology and Molecular Pharmacology within Schrödinger's Therapeutics Group, directing strategy and execution across a pipeline of small molecule programs. You will shape target selection, assay development, and hit-finding approaches for undrugged targets, while managing a high-performing, cross-disciplinary team. You'll align scientific depth with portfolio goals and communicate strategy to senior leadership. This is an opportunity to influence modalities, drive translational strategies, and contribute to a growing therapeutics portfolio.
Compensation / Benefits- competitive salary
- stock options
- healthcare with dental and vision
- 401k
- pre-tax commuter benefits
- flexible work schedule
Responsibilities- Set strategic direction for In Vitro Biology across the portfolio and participate in governance on prioritization and resource allocation
- Assess target tractability and define the assay cascade from hit identification to Development Candidate selection
- Lead organization-wide hit finding strategy across DEL, fragment-based screening, HTS/MTS, and chemoproteomics
- Provide scientific oversight for programs involving challenging targets (PPI, undruggable targets, degrader programs)
- Address in vitro biology and pharmacology challenges, including improving in vitro to in vivo translatability
- Act as IVB project lead coordinating timelines with medicinal chemistry, computational chemistry, and structural biology
- Lead and develop the IVB team, mentoring and fostering scientific rigor and collaboration
- Own CRO strategy: partner selection, budget/FTE planning, governance and performance remediation
- Identify capability gaps and drive investments in new technologies and platforms for assay-driven inputs to Schrödinger's platform
Key requirements- PhD in relevant field (Biochemistry, Molecular Pharmacology, etc.)
- At least ten years in industry drug discovery with leadership experience
- Experience leading in vitro biology teams and managing direct reports
- Demonstrated ability to develop assays and advance programs against undrugged targets
- Extensive experience across hit finding modalities (DEL, fragment screening, HTS/MTS, chemoproteomics)
- Deep expertise in biochemical, biophysical, and cell-based assay design
- Strong track record managing strategic CRO partnerships, governance, budgets and FTE planning
- cross-functional collaboration
- scientific communication to leadership
- talent development and mentoring
- assay development for biochemical/biophysical/cell-based readouts
- hit finding modalities (DEL, fragment screening, HTS/MTS, chemoproteomics)
- target tractability assessment
