Associate Director, Cell Pharmacology

C4 Therapeutics•Watertown, MA

About The Position

The Associate Director, Cell Pharmacology leads the Cell Pharmacology function, combining strategic leadership with hands-on science to advance targeted protein degradation programs. The role guides cellular screening, compound profiling, structure–activity relationship work, and mechanism-of-action studies, generating rigorous data to inform discovery decisions. As part of Lead Discovery, the position partners with Biochemistry/Biophysics, Biology, Medicinal Chemistry, and other functions to develop scientists, set priorities and workflows, coordinate resources, and oversee CRO partnerships. This working leadership role includes designing and executing critical studies, troubleshooting assays and cell models, analyzing data, and defining next-step experiments. It carries scientific ownership and opportunities to strengthen cellular screening and degradation capabilities. The position also leads and develops a scientific team, manages external studies, communicates recommendations and risks, and maintains high standards for documentation, reproducibility, safety, and continuous improvement.

Requirements

PhD in cell biology, molecular biology, cancer biology, pharmacology, biotechnology, or a related discipline, with at least six years of relevant post-PhD experience; alternatively, a Master’s degree with at least seven years of post-graduate experience.
Proven track record of leading, coaching, and developing accountable, collaborative scientific teams; setting priorities and translating program needs into executable plans.
Expertise in cell-based screening, assay development, validation, controls, and performance assessment.
Experience with mammalian cell culture, cell-line engineering, and cellular models.
Hands-on proficiency with HiBiT, HTRF, and CellTiter-Glo.
Sound experimental judgment, troubleshooting, and data interpretation to define next-step studies and deliver rigorous, reproducible, decision-ready research.
Experience managing CROs and cross-functional partnerships, including assay transfer, technical oversight, timelines, data quality, and partner performance.
Ability to coordinate priorities, communicate risks, align stakeholders, and recommend actions.

Nice To Haves

Biotechnology or pharmaceutical industry experience.
Experience leading cellular pharmacology strategy for targeted protein degradation programs and allocating budgets and resources across internal and external research activities.
Track record of introducing technologies or workflows that improved scientific quality, throughput, or decision-making.

Responsibilities

Lead, coach, and develop a group of scientists by establishing goals, priorities, accountability, and a culture of ownership, curiosity, transparency, and collaboration.
Own and evolve cellular pharmacology strategy for screening, hit confirmation, compound profiling, SAR, mechanism-of-action studies, and targeted protein degradation programs.
Translate portfolio objectives into integrated experimental plans balancing scientific risk, timelines, team capacity, internal resources, and external support.
Design and execute critical studies, troubleshoot assays and cell models, analyze results, and define decisive next-step experiments.
Oversee rigorous development, validation, and execution of cell-based assays, including HiBiT, HTRF, CellTiter-Glo, engineered cell lines, and complementary cellular readouts.
Critically review screening and pharmacology datasets, identify limitations, challenge assumptions, and make clear recommendations for project decisions.
Communicate strategy, data, progress, risks, resource needs, and recommendations to project teams and leadership.
Manage CRO relationships and external studies, including vendor selection, assay transfer, protocol development, troubleshooting, data review, timelines, budgets, and performance.
Build cross-functional partnerships and implement technologies, workflows, and platform improvements to strengthen scientific quality, throughput, and decision-making.
Maintain high standards for documentation, reproducibility, laboratory safety, biosafety, reagent stewardship, and continuous improvement.