Mission Therapeutics is an early-stage drug development company targeting the ubiquitin pathway for the treatment of neurodegenerative disease, rare mitochondrial diseases and fibrosis. The Company has built a leading platform for the discovery and development of first-in-class, small molecule drugs that selectively target deubiquitylating enzymes (DUBs) – an emerging drug class that is attracting significant commercial interest in the area of protein homeostasis.

We are looking for a driven, organised and proactive individual to join our Translational Sciences team, initially on a 12 Month Fixed Term Contract, at our Cambridge, UK based facilities. Mission Therapeutics is ideally situated on the Babraham Research Campus at the heart of Europe’s largest biotechnology cluster.

The primary responsibility of the Principal Scientist is to work with in-depth knowledge of the cellular, molecular and genetic mechanisms underlying neurodegeneration, in particular for Parkinson’s Disease, and drive ongoing efforts directed towards developing new and effective therapeutics for neurodegenerative diseases.

Key responsibilities of the role will include

• Identify, validate and develop approaches for prosecuting new drug targets in neurodegenerative diseases.
• Design and delivery of pharmacology/ pharmacodynamics studies, with strong experience in experimental systems relevant to Parkinson’s Disease.
• Oversight and management of ongoing and new/planned studies at both academic and contract research organisations.
• CNS pharmacology leadership for pipeline projects.
• Effective collaboration management.
• Critically analyse and interpret data, define realistic timelines for studies and meet delivery deadlines.
• Execute high impact studies within an extremely fast-paced and collaborative environment.
• Delivery of pharmacology/pharmacodynamics research reports for inclusion in regulatory documentation.
• Ensure CNS pharmacology studies are relevant for drug development in human neurodegenerative disease.
• Support identification and validation of novel therapeutic targets and delivery of new targets into the pipeline.

Qualifications, Skills and Experience

• Ph.D. with at least 6 years of relevant pharmaceutical industry experience.
• Experience working in cross-functional and matrixed Research and Translational teams.
• Experience in advancement of compounds through project milestones (i.e. candidate selection) as pharmacology line representative.
• Established scientific reputation in the field of neurodegenerative diseases, in particular Parkinson’s Disease, as evidenced by publication track record.
• Deep expertise in cell biology and genetics underlying neurodegenerative diseases, in particular Parkinson’s Disease, and extensive knowledge of the drug discovery/development space in this area.
• Previous experience investigating one or more of the following areas: protein mis-folding and aggregation, protein spreading and seeding, cellular proteostasis mechanisms, neuroinflammation, mitochondrial dysfunction, from a drug discovery perspective, with an emphasis on breakthrough innovation and leveraging human genetic validation.
• Use of relevant in vitro and in vivo models and experience of working with CROs to deliver in vitro and in vivo studies.
• Able to establish, maintain and manage effective collaborations with external partners.
• Previous experience of effective team leading and line management is highly desirable.
• Excellent communication skills at both detailed and summarised levels.
• Team player with ability to conduct independent research.
• Able to quickly prioritise deliverables according to team and business requirements.

Benefits

We offer a competitive salary along with a contributory pension scheme and other excellent benefits.