Senior Director/Vice President, Preclinical Pharmacology

Salubris Biotherapeutics Inc•Gaithersburg, MD

22d

About The Position

Salubris Biotherapeutics is seeking a visionary and experienced leader to join our team as Senior Director or Vice President, Preclinical Pharmacology. This SD/VP will be responsible for integrating in vivo pharmacology, PK/PD, and toxicology into the company's R&D strategy, with a strong foundation in cardiovascular and metabolic disease biology to inform nonclinical development plans and translational strategy. This role guides programs from late research through IND/CTA submissions, ensuring alignment with regulatory and scientific standards, and will have a lasting impact on the company's scientific direction and future success.

Requirements

PhD in Biology, Biochemistry, Biomedical Sciences, Pharmacology, Toxicology, Pharmaceutical Sciences, or related scientific discipline
10+ years of relevant pharmaceutical/biotechnology industry experience, including 5+ years in a leadership capacity within preclinical drug discovery and/or pharmacology
Demonstrated ability as program lead to advance programs from lead optimization to IND approval; preference for experience with complex biologics, such as antibodies (multispecific, antibody-protein fusions), and/or antibody conjugates (antibody-drug conjugates with small molecule payloads such as cytotoxic agents, toxins or others, antibody-oligonucleotide conjugates such as antisense oligos, siRNAs).
Deep expertise in cardiovascular and/or metabolic disease biology, with working experience designing and interpreting disease-relevant in vivo models.
Solid working knowledge in bioanalysis, PK/PD, and DMPK. Sufficient understanding of toxicology principles to provide scientific oversight of GLP and non-GLP toxicology studies conducted at CROs.
Experience delivering high-quality preclinical/nonclinical data packages for development candidate selection and IND application. Familiarity with FDA/EMA expectations for nonclinical data packages supporting biologics development.
Strong strategic thinking and scientific judgment with excellent problem-solving capabilities
Excellent communication skills with the ability to distill complex scientific analyses into clear, actionable recommendations for diverse audiences
Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to motivate, influence, and lead cross-functional teams in a matrixed environment
Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively and influence at all levels of the organization
Independent, self-motivated leader with the ability to work in a fast-paced, team-based drug discovery and development environment

Nice To Haves

Experience across oncology and CVM therapeutic areas is a strong plus.

Responsibilities

Preclinical Pharmacology Oversight: Leverage disease biology knowledge to design, manage, and interpret pharmacology and PK/PD studies, and guide and oversee toxicology studies (GLP/non-GLP), to enable development candidate nomination and IND application. Oversee CRO partnerships, protocol development, study monitoring, and regulatory documentation to deliver high-quality nonclinical data packages.
Cross-Functional Integration: Lead cross-functional collaboration with Bioanalytical, CMC, and Clinical teams to develop integrated nonclinical safety, translational science and CMC development strategies. Ensure seamless translation of preclinical findings into clinical development plans.
Strategic Program Leadership: Serve as a key strategic leader, partnering with the CSO to shape preclinical development strategies across the portfolio and drive new discovery initiatives grounded in scientific rigor and corporate strategy.