Principal Scientist, Cancer Biology

General Proximity • San Francisco, CA

7d • Onsite

About The Position

General Proximity is a seed-stage startup developing the next generation of induced proximity medicines (IPMs). Our OmniTAC drug discovery engine furnishes molecules that co-opt existing cellular machinery to overcome therapeutic challenges, which have remained unapproachable to other modalities for decades. We are seeking a first-rate cancer biologist to help us pioneer this uncharted frontier of drug discovery. A long-standing challenge in drug discovery is the development of molecules capable of modulating difficult or "undruggable" targets. Disease-causing proteins can be dysfunctional in many different ways, but our armamentarium for fixing them is quite limited. The most common mechanism of action for FDA-approved drugs is inhibition, but there are many other possible perturbation types whose potential remains unrealized. General Proximity is a seed-stage drug discovery company developing a novel platform technology to solve this problem. We make bifunctional drugs that induce the modification of drug targets by existing cellular machinery (rather than through direct modulation by the drug, the classical approach). Historically, the development of technologies that allow one to push new buttons in biology has been an incredibly fertile field for the discovery of new medicines, and our technology holds the same promise. We are seeking an experienced cancer biologist to help lead our Biology Team. In this position, you will help lead and manage our Biology Team and work closely with our Platform Team in the development of our core drug discovery technology.

Requirements

• PhD in Cancer Biology, Cell Biology, or related field.
• 5-7+ years of industry experience.
• Deep understanding of small-molecule drug discovery and its relationship to human disease.
• Exceptional leadership, interpersonal, and communication skills, with a track record of managing high-performing, multidisciplinary teams.
• Strong experience with cellular and molecular biology, including cancer cell line work and associated assays, stable cell line generation (lentiviral and CRISPR-based systems), co-IP/pull-down assays, RNA-seq, global proteomics, flow cytometry, plasmid design/cloning etc.
• Strong experience with pre-clinical characterization and mechanistic elucidation of small-molecule drug candidates
• Strong experience with mechanistic studies of cancer cell signaling and PTM analysis
• Strong experience with phenotypic assay development for cancer drug discovery (low to high throughput)
• Strong experience with small molecule drug development campaigns (hit discovery, hit validation, dose-response studies, SAR and MOA studies)
• Proficiency in animal models of cancer (GEMM, orthotopic, xenograft models), in vivo study design, and PK/PD interpretation

Nice To Haves

• Experience navigating IND-enabling studies and working on teams that have successfully advanced research to the clinic
• Experience working at the interface of cancer biology and chemistry
• Familiarity or experience with PROTAC/next-gen IPM technologies
• Experience with PPI techniques (e.g., BRET, APEX/BioID, AlphaScreen etc.)

Responsibilities

• Phenotypic assay development
• Establishing pre-clinical in vitro/in vivo studies
• Performing mechanistic studies on lead drug molecules
• Spearheading forays into new oncology indications
• Grant writing
• Managing a team of exceptional scientists and research associates
• Target/indication selection
• Managing CROs for in vitro and in vivo studies

Benefits

• Strong equity incentives
• Top tier medical, dental, and vision coverage + One Medical membership
• 401(k) retirement plans
• Education and health/fitness incentive programs
• Meditation retreats—do a ten-day Vipassana retreat without counting towards vacation days
• Reading budget

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Principal
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree