Enzymology Expert - Drug Discovery

Our client is an international pharmaceutical company developing novel therapeutic solutions to serve patient needs worldwide. With heavy investment in Research & Development activities, they collaborate with many partners from academic labs to start-ups, pharma and biotech companies to tackle health challenges.

They recently opened a brand-new Research & Development Institute to combine the group’s innovation potential with a powerful ecosystem and a center of scientific excellence. The aim is to anticipate challenges faced by generations in considering health from a global perspective with the patient’s interests at the heart of its concerns.

Within a young yet growing Screening Science group, they are currently looking to hire an experienced Enzymology Scientist to provide technical leadership to the team. As an expert in your field, you will contribute to early drug discovery projects by means of bioactive molecules identification & characterization as starting points for the development of novel therapeutic solutions. Assays and techniques of interest include:

• Enzyme mechanisms
• Enzymes as therapeutic targets
• Screening for inhibitors: assay technologies
• Screening for binders: DNA-encoded library screening, mass spectrometry-based screening, etc...
• Inhibition studies and SAR (Structure-activity relationships)
• Binding kinetics and SKR (Structure-kinetics relationship; binding kinetics, Kon, Koff, residence time)

From the biochemistry side of things:

• Protein-protein interactions : assay technologies
• Targeted protein degradation : the ubiquitin-proteasome system, evaluation of binary and ternary complex formation, ubiquitylation, degradation
• Other post-translational modifications
• Target engagement: assay technologies
• Permeability and penetration of therapeutic agents across biological membranes/barriers

The main responsibilities include:

• Leading a small team of Screening Scientists (2-3 people)
• Acting as a member of the Department’s Leadership team
• Participating in therapeutic projects as a Core Team member

As a Screening Expert, you will establish the hit identification and triaging strategies, select assays, produce and validate molecular & cellular tools to develop assays and work closely with other experts to select hits for progression into leads and optimized leads.

In order to be considered for this exciting role, you will have a PhD in a Life Sciences related subject and a minimum of 3 year’s assay development, molecular screening and compound profiling experience in an industrial setting.

Previous people management experience would be a definite advantage although individuals with strong people skills & desire to lead teams will also be considered.

Fluency in English is essential and French would be preferred. You also have strong organisation and communication skills and are a proactive person.

You will be rewarded with a generous salary, bonus and benefits, some are listed below:

• Working from home when on-site presence is not required,
• 27 days holidays + RTT,
• Pension,
• Company restaurant,
• Gym with fitness coaches,
• Healthcare scheme (Mutuelle),
• Modern and well-equipped facilities in an innovative and stimulating environment,
• Free private transport system to facilitate journeys to and from the site from central locations in Paris

This is a great opportunity to join a fantastic scientific hub and be part of new projects that aim to treat various diseases worldwide.

Apply now to find out more about this role!

Keywords: pharma, pharmaceutical, screening science, HTS, HCS, high throughput screening, high content screening, enzymology, cell imaging, early drug discovery, mechanistic enzymology, cell biology, molecular biology, screening assay, assay development, IPSC, cells, Paris, Saclay, France, VRS8721FP