Senior Director, In Vivo Pharmacology

Generate Biomedicines•Somerville, MA

6d•$219,000 - $300,000•Hybrid

About The Position

Gnerate:Biomedicines is a new kind of therapeutics company at the intersection of machine learning, biological engineering, and medicine, pioneering Generative Biology™ to create breakthrough medicines where novel therapeutics are computationally generated rather than discovered. We are seeking a Senior Director, In Vivo Pharmacology to provide scientific and organizational leadership for in vivo pharmacology and help advance a growing portfolio of novel biologic medicines from early discovery through development. Reporting to the Head of Preclinical Pharmacology, this individual will lead and develop a team of in vivo pharmacology scientists while shaping and executing in vivo pharmacology strategies across programs. In close partnership with Preclinical Pharmacology, Early Biology, and other scientific and development functions, the Senior Director will ensure that in vivo studies are tightly connected to mechanistic understanding, in vitro functional and high-throughput data, and emerging translational evidence. The Senior Director will also work closely with the translational biology function to help establish and incorporate appropriate human experimental systems and New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) into preclinical pharmacology strategies where they can add value. This will complement and inform traditional in vitro and in vivo approaches and help strengthen the connection between preclinical findings and human biology for more informative and successful FIH studies. This role sits at the intersection of scientific strategy, experimental execution, and organizational leadership. The Senior Director will connect technology and mechanism to pharmacology, pharmacology to translation, and experimental evidence to program decisions. They will work across functions to ensure that pharmacology strategies are rigorous, appropriately quantitative, and aligned with development objectives and regulatory expectations. The successful candidate will bring deep expertise in in vivo pharmacology and drug development, strong scientific judgment, and a demonstrated track record of building and developing high-performing scientific teams. Equally important, they will thrive in an environment that values scientific rigor, innovation, thoughtful experimentation, collaboration, transparency, and the willingness to challenge conventional approaches in pursuit of better medicines for patients.

Requirements

PhD in Pharmacology, Biology, Immunology, Oncology, Neuroscience, or a related scientific discipline, with 12+ years of relevant experience in biotechnology or pharmaceutical drug discovery and development, including significant experience leading and developing scientific teams.
Deep expertise in in vivo pharmacology, with demonstrated experience designing, interpreting, and integrating pharmacology studies that inform drug discovery and development decisions.
Broad understanding of the relationships among disease biology, mechanism of action, exposure, target engagement, pharmacodynamics, efficacy, and translational relevance.
Demonstrated ability to develop in vivo strategies for complex therapeutic programs and select fit-for-purpose models based on scientific evidence, mechanism, therapeutic modality, and development objectives.
Experience advancing therapeutic candidates through key discovery and preclinical development milestones.
Strong understanding of experimental design, quantitative data interpretation, and the strengths, limitations, and translational relevance of preclinical models.
Experience across multiple therapeutic modalities; experience with biologics development is highly valuable.
Demonstrated ability to integrate complex datasets and translate them into clear scientific conclusions, program implications, and actionable recommendations.
Significant experience leading, managing, and developing scientists in a high-performing, multidisciplinary industry research environment.
Demonstrated success recruiting talent, setting performance expectations, coaching team members, and developing scientific and leadership capabilities.
Track record of effective scientific leadership on multidisciplinary drug discovery or development teams.
Ability to influence decisions across organizational boundaries through scientific credibility, sound judgment, and clear communication.
Experience managing external research partnerships and CRO relationships.
Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to present complex scientific information and recommendations to senior scientific and business leaders.
A collaborative leadership style and demonstrated commitment to scientific rigor, transparency, accountability, and continuous learning.

Nice To Haves

Experience developing pharmacology strategies for novel or emerging biologic modalities.
Experience contributing to IND-enabling programs and regulatory submissions.
Expertise in translational pharmacology, PK/PD, biomarkers, or quantitative approaches for connecting preclinical findings with clinical hypotheses.
Experience establishing or scaling in vivo pharmacology capabilities, platforms, or teams within a growing biotechnology organization.
Familiarity with human experimental systems, New Approach Methodologies (NAMs), or other approaches that can complement traditional preclinical models.
Experience using computational, data-driven, or technology-enabled approaches to improve experimental design, model selection, or interpretation of pharmacology data.
Scientific contributions demonstrated through publications, patents, external presentations, or other evidence of leadership within the field.

Responsibilities

Provide strategic and scientific leadership for in vivo pharmacology across discovery and development programs, translating program hypotheses into rigorous, decision-enabling experimental strategies.
Partner with program and functional leaders to develop integrated pharmacology plans encompassing model selection, study design, pharmacodynamic and efficacy endpoints, dose and schedule optimization, and translational strategies.
Critically evaluate the relevance, strengths, and limitations of in vivo models and develop fit-for-purpose approaches that reflect disease biology, mechanism of action, therapeutic modality, and stage of development.
Integrate in vivo pharmacology and PK/PD findings with in vitro functional and high-throughput data, translational biology, biomarkers, safety, and other relevant datasets to build a cohesive understanding of therapeutic activity and inform candidate progression.
Apply strong scientific judgment to complex and ambiguous datasets, identifying key risks, knowledge gaps, and opportunities for experiments or technologies that can efficiently resolve uncertainty.
Serve as a senior pharmacology partner on cross-functional program teams, influencing program strategy and communicating scientific recommendations clearly to scientific and organizational leadership.
Ensure that pharmacology strategies evolve with program maturity, from early mechanism and proof-of-concept through candidate selection, IND-enabling studies, and first-in-human development.
Coach and develop direct reports through regular feedback, career development, scientific mentorship, and opportunities to expand their technical and leadership capabilities, while helping them define and pursue meaningful career paths within the organization.
Work closely with the translational biology team to help incorporate relevant human experimental systems, including NAMs, when appropriate, and contribute in vivo pharmacology expertise to the development and interpretation of translational strategies.
Identify opportunities to strengthen the connection between preclinical pharmacology findings and human biology, clinical hypotheses, and development decisions.
Drive high standards for experimental design, data quality, reproducibility, documentation, quantitative analysis, and scientific interpretation across internal and external in vivo studies.
Identify opportunities to expand and evolve Generate's in vivo pharmacology capabilities, including new models, technologies, quantitative approaches, and experimental strategies.
Establish and oversee productive relationships with CROs and external research partners, ensuring scientific quality, operational excellence, and alignment with program objectives.
Foster transparent and courageous communication, encouraging the team to surface risks, uncertainties, and differing scientific perspectives early and use evidence to reach well-reasoned decisions.
Contribute in vivo pharmacology expertise to regulatory and development activities, including the preparation and review of relevant scientific and regulatory documentation.
Communicate complex scientific findings and recommendations to audiences with varying technical backgrounds, clearly distinguishing evidence, interpretation, uncertainty, and recommended next steps.
Lead, manage, and develop a high-performing team of scientists responsible for in vivo pharmacology across Generate's portfolio, establishing clear roles, priorities, and expectations.
Recruit and retain exceptional scientific talent and build the capabilities and expertise required to support both the current portfolio and Generate's evolving scientific needs.
Set a high bar for scientific rigor, execution, accountability, and collaboration, ensuring that team members understand how their work connects to program, functional, and company objectives.
Develop future leaders within the team and appropriately delegate scientific and organizational ownership, creating an organization that can operate effectively as the portfolio grows.
Create an inclusive environment in which scientists are empowered to challenge assumptions, debate scientific hypotheses, take thoughtful risks, and learn openly from both successful and unsuccessful experiments.
Establish effective operating mechanisms for prioritizing resources and studies across programs, balancing portfolio needs, scientific opportunities, team capacity, and timelines.
Foster the development of scientific talent across the broader Preclinical Pharmacology organization, providing mentorship and sponsorship to early- and mid-career scientists and creating opportunities for them to expand their scientific judgment, technical expertise, visibility, and leadership capabilities.
Partner with the Head of Preclinical Pharmacology to define functional priorities, evolve capabilities, allocate resources, and ensure that in vivo pharmacology operates as an integrated scientific partner rather than a downstream execution function.
Collaborate closely with the translational biology leader and other peer functional leaders to ensure effective integration of in vivo pharmacology with broader preclinical and translational strategies.
Partner with peer leaders across Generate to ensure that the organization is positioned to meet the evolving needs of the portfolio and to build capabilities that scale with the company.
Model adaptability, accountability, and resilience as programs, hypotheses, and organizational priorities evolve while maintaining a strong commitment to scientific rigor and innovation.