Principal Scientist, Women's Health & Preeclampsia

ProFound•Boston, MA

30d•Hybrid

About The Position

ProFound Therapeutics is seeking an exceptional Principal Scientist to lead and support discovery efforts in Women’s Health, with a focus on preeclampsia and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy. This role contributes to shaping the company’s early-stage pipeline by providing scientific leadership, strategic thinking, and translational rigor across target validation and disease biology. The ideal candidate brings deep expertise in preeclampsia and related vascular or placental biology, a passion for uncovering novel disease mechanisms, and a demonstrated ability to design and execute mechanistic studies that bridge in vitro and in vivo models. This is a high-impact, cross-functional role operating with a high degree of scientific autonomy and influence. This role works closely with platform scientists, computational biologists, drug discovery teams, and external collaborators to identify, validate, and advance novel therapeutic targets toward drug development.

Requirements

Ph.D. in Physiology, Cell Biology, or a related discipline; postdoctoral training and/or industry experience strongly preferred.
7+ years of relevant postdoctoral and/or industry experience, consistent with Senior Principal Scientist-level impact and scope.
Deep understanding of disease mechanisms and translational models in one or more of the following areas: preeclampsia, hypertension, placental development and function, or related biology.
Hands-on expertise in cellular and molecular biology techniques (e.g., CRISPR, ELISA, qPCR, Western blotting, RNA-seq) and assay development.
Experience with in vitro and/or in vivo models relevant to the study of pregnancy and related disorders.
Demonstrated ability to integrate multi-omic and/or genetic data into experimental design and biological interpretation.
Strong track record of scientific contributions, including publications, patents, and/or scientific presentations.
Excellent communication, collaboration, and organizational skills, with the ability to operate effectively in a fast-paced, team-oriented environment.

Nice To Haves

Experience working in early-stage biotech or drug discovery environments.
Familiarity with target identification and validation workflows.
Experience working with human tissue samples, iPSC-derived systems, and/or organoid models.

Responsibilities

Provide scientific leadership for discovery research in preeclampsia and hypertension in pregnancy by designing, executing, and interpreting mechanistic studies using state-of-the-art experimental models and technologies.
Lead target validation efforts informed by proteomic and computational insights; develop hypotheses, assess risk, and prioritize targets with strong translational potential.
Partner closely with computational biology and proteomics teams to apply AI-enabled approaches to large-scale datasets (e.g., proteomic, transcriptomic, genetic) and generate novel biological insights.
Design and oversee in vitro and in vivo disease models to support target biology, biomarker development, and proof-of-concept studies.
Contribute meaningfully to building and refining the company’s therapeutic strategy in Women’s Health, including scientific decision-making and portfolio discussions.
Communicate scientific findings clearly and effectively in cross-functional forums, external collaborations, and presentations to senior leadership.
Support or lead external academic and industry collaborations, including scientific strategy, execution oversight, and data integration.
Operate in a hybrid role, with approximately 75% focus on scientific leadership, strategy, and collaboration, and 25% hands-on laboratory work, as appropriate.