Team Lead Associate Director, InVitro

Zealand Pharma • Cambridge, MA

18h • Onsite

About The Position

This role is for a Team Lead/Associate Director in In Vitro Pharmacology/Biology, responsible for building and leading a high-performing team to deliver fit-for-purpose assays that support discovery and preclinical candidate selection. The position involves setting scientific direction for biochemical, biophysical, and functional assay strategies, ensuring rigorous data generation and interpretation. Close cross-functional collaboration with Global Biology, Chemistry, in vivo Pharmacology, DMPK/Safety, and Formulation is essential. The role also focuses on advancing innovative platforms such as automation, HTS, and imaging to enhance quality, speed, and scalability in drug discovery. Zealand Pharma A/S is a biotechnology company founded in 1998, headquartered in Copenhagen, Denmark, with a U.S. presence in Boston, Massachusetts. It specializes in advancing medicines for obesity and metabolic health, leveraging over 25 years of peptide R&D expertise and a proprietary data platform with advanced data-driven and AI/ML approaches. The company has a pipeline of innovative investigational candidates across therapeutic areas including obesity, rare diseases, chronic inflammation, and type 1 diabetes, with several drug candidates in clinical development and some already on the market.

Requirements

• Ph.D. in Pharmacology, Biology, Biochemistry, or a related field, with 5–8+ years of experience in biotech/pharmaceutical R&D including a supervisory role
• Demonstrated track record building and leading high-performing in vitro pharmacology/biology teams across multiple discovery programs
• Deep expertise across biochemical, biophysical, and functional assay formats, including assay validation and data-quality principles
• Strong experience with automation, liquid handling, HTS enablement, and imaging-based platforms
• Proven ability to oversee rigorous pharmacological data analysis and drive clear, decision-ready conclusions
• Excellent communication and presentation skills, with experience engaging senior stakeholders and external partners
• Collaborative, structured, and scientifically curious leader with a strong quality mindset and the ability to balance strategic direction with practical execution
• Ability to develop people, create clarity in complex portfolios, and foster an inclusive, high-performance team culture
• Strong stakeholder management skills and the ability to communicate clearly with both technical and executive audiences

Responsibilities

• Build, lead, and develop an in vitro Pharmacology/Biology team, including hiring, coaching, mentoring, and hands-on scientific guidance
• Define assay strategy and oversee development, optimization, validation, and transfer of biochemical, biophysical, and functional assays to support screening and MoA studies
• Drive implementation and continuous improvement of lab automation, liquid handling workflows, HTS, and imaging-based assay platforms
• Ensure rigorous analysis, interpretation, and communication of pharmacological data to enable timely, high-quality decisions across programs
• Partner closely with Chemistry, in vivo Pharmacology, DMPK/Safety, and Formulation to align in vitro data packages with candidate-selection needs
• Represent in vitro pharmacology/biology in cross-functional governance and, as relevant, in interactions with external partners and collaborators

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree
• Number of Employees: 101-250 employees