Principal Scientist, Biology/Translational Sciences

Company Overview
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Arpeggio Biosciences is a biopharmaceutical company using high-throughput transcriptomics to identify modulators of drug targets for the treatment of cancer. Using this unique approach, we have recently discovered a novel molecular glue degrader of the oncogenic transcription factor, Nrf2, which drives cancer progression in a large number of cancer types. Arpeggio is currently focused on defining the patient populations that will be most impacted by such a therapy by using a compendium of cell-based and biophysical approaches. We believe this work to be imperative for lead selection and will support future regulatory filings.

Position Summary

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The Principal Scientist will partner with senior leadership to support the development of clinical strategies for each of our program compounds. The ideal candidate will have deep drug discovery expertise from late lead optimization up to and including IND-enabling studies. They will be comfortable overseeing research initiatives as well as advancing their own research from the bench. The successful candidate will have a track record of supporting the translational efforts of late-stage programs, employing both internal and external partners (CROs, academic labs, and pharma partners).  The overarching responsibility of this position will be to leverage our understanding of both the target biology and compound mechanism of action to identify what cancer indications to pursue based upon genetic background and/or lineage.  These efforts will also include patient selection strategies, activity biomarkers, and combination strategies.

Responsibilities

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• Support translational sciences efforts to enable preclinical to clinical program transition
• Further elaborate our understanding of target biology and compound mechanism of action to inform on indication selection and patient selection strategies
• Leverage expertise to devise assays to monitor compound activity in vivo and in patients
• Design and execute on combination strategies (cytotoxic chemotherapies as well as targeted agents) employing both in vitro and in vivo model systems
• Analyze and interpret experimental data in a highly rigorous fashion to inform on the design of follow-on experiments to further refine our understanding of target biology and guide future strategic direction
• Provide strategic and/or technical support to various project teams as necessary
• Contribute to written and oral presentations for both internal and external purposes
• Share expertise with organization, particularly in a mentoring/teaching capacity
• All other duties as assigned

Experience

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• PhD in biology or related scientific discipline with 8+ years of oncology experience (5+ years industry preferred)
• Familiarity with clinical biomarker assay technologies/platforms (mechanistic and diagnostic)
• Ability to independently design and execute experiments with a high degree of rigor 
• Well-versed in cell biology techniques including cell culture (primary and transformed cell lines) and cellular analysis such as western blotting, flow cytometry, microscopy (light and fluorescence-based) as well as ELISA, MSD, HTRF, and AlphaLISA platforms
• Familiarity with design and analysis of in vivo efficacy, pharmacodynamic, and tolerability studies
• Strong publication record
• Strong understanding of drug discovery and development 
• Advanced computer skills including MS Office (Excel, Word, and PowerPoint) as well as basic statistical analysis software (e.g., PRISM, ExcelFit)
• Exceptional management, communication, and interpersonal skills
• Contributes to the budget-planning process and can successfully represent their initiatives to key decision makers during strategy and Board meetings
• Demonstrated ability to thrive independently in a fast-paced, dynamic environment and effectively manage priorities
• Excellent attention to detail