Biophysical Core Facility Lead

Biophysical Core Facility Lead

Discovery Biology - Protein Sciences, Structure & Biophysics

Bengaluru, India

Position Summary

The Biophysical Core Facility Lead will provide scientific, operational, and strategic leadership for a client-centric biophysical sciences platform supporting global pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and academic partners. The role is responsible for overseeing biophysical characterization services, enabling drug discovery programs across small molecules, biologics, peptides, and emerging therapeutic modalities.

The successful candidate will lead a team of scientists, manage state-of-the-art instrumentation, ensure excellence in scientific delivery, and partner with internal and external stakeholders to provide high-quality, fit-for-purpose solutions. This position requires a strong balance of scientific expertise, operational leadership, client engagement, and business acumen.

Key Responsibilities

Scientific and Technical Leadership

• Provide scientific leadership for biophysical characterization, large and small molecule interaction studies across client programs.
• Design and implement experimental strategies and act as the technical authority for biophysical methods and data interpretation.
• Drive scientific innovation through implementation of emerging technologies and advanced analytical approaches.
• Ensure generation of high-quality, reproducible, and decision-enabling data.

Core Facility Management

• Lead and manage biophysical platforms including:
• Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR, Biacore instruments)
• Bio-Layer Interferometry (BLI, Octet instruments)
• Differential Scanning Fluorimetry (DSF, NanoTemper instruments)
• Dynamic and Static Light Scattering (DLS/SLS, NanoTemper instruments)
• Develop and maintain SOPs, quality standards, and best practices.
• Oversee instrument qualification, maintenance, calibration, and vendor management.
• Drive platform utilization and operational efficiency.

Client Engagement and Scientific Partnerships

• Serve as the primary scientific interface for external clients, understand objectives and develop customized biophysical strategies.
• Present scientific findings and recommendations to clients with clarity and confidence.
• Build long-term relationships through scientific excellence and responsive project support.

Program Delivery and Project Management

• Manage multiple client projects simultaneously while ensuring on-time delivery.
• Coordinate activities with project managers and cross-functional scientific teams.
• Monitor resource allocation, project timelines, and capacity utilization.
• Identify project risks and implement mitigation strategies.
• Ensure compliance with agreed milestones, timelines, quality expectations, and budget commitments.

Business Development Support

• Partner with business development teams to support proposal preparation and client engagements.
• Provide technical input for RFPs, capability presentations, and scientific due diligence discussions.
• Identify opportunities for service expansion and cross-selling of capabilities.

People Leadership

• Lead, mentor, and develop a high-performing biophysical sciences team comprising 1-2 PhD-level Team Leads and 5-7 MSc/MTech-level Scientists and Research Associates supporting multiple client programs.
• Provide scientific direction and oversight to Team Leads, ensuring alignment of technical strategy, project execution, and capability development across the biophysical platform.
• Build a strong talent pipeline through mentoring, succession planning, and career development initiatives.
• Foster a culture of scientific excellence, accountability, innovation, collaboration, and customer focus.
• Optimize resource allocation across client projects, balancing scientific priorities, timelines, and platform utilization.
• Empower Team Leads to independently manage project portfolios, client interactions, and personnel development while maintaining accountability for overall facility performance.
• Promote cross-functional collaboration with Protein Sciences, Structural Biology, Medicinal Chemistry, Assay Biology, and Project Management teams to deliver integrated client solutions.

Quality and Compliance

• Ensure adherence to quality systems, safety standards, and organizational policies.
• Establish robust documentation and data integrity practices.
• Support client inspections and quality assessments where applicable.
• Promote a culture of continuous improvement and operational excellence.

Required Qualifications

Education

• Ph.D. in Biophysics, Structural Biology, Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Pharmaceutical Sciences, or a related discipline.
• Postdoctoral experience is desirable.

Experience

• 8+ years of relevant experience in biophysics, structural biology, biologics characterization, or drug discovery.
• At least 3 years of experience managing teams or scientific groups.
• Demonstrated experience working in a CRO, pharmaceutical, biotechnology, or research services environment.
• Proven track record of supporting external clients and managing multiple projects.
• Experience contributing to business development and scientific proposal generation.

Technical Expertise

Strong expertise in:

• Biomolecular interaction analysis (Protein-protein, protein-small molecule, DNA/RNA-small molecule, peptide-protein)
• Binding kinetics and affinity determination
• Protein/Antibody stability and developability assessment
• Aggregation and formulation characterization
• Mechanism-of-action investigations
• Antibody and biologics characterization

Hands-on experience with:

• Biacore SPR platforms
• Octet BLI systems
• NanoTemper instruments

Knowledge of:

• Biologics discovery and development
• Small-molecule drug discovery
• ADCs, bispecifics, peptides, and novel therapeutic modalities
• Data analysis and statistical tools

Leadership Competencies

• Customer-centric mindset and business orientation
• Scientific credibility and strategic thinking
• Cross-functional collaboration and management
• Operational excellence and talent development

Success Profile

The ideal candidate is a recognized biophysical sciences expert who combines deep technical expertise with strong customer engagement and operational leadership skills. They thrive in a dynamic CRO environment, are comfortable interacting with global clients, and can seamlessly balance scientific excellence, business objectives, and team development to create a world-class biophysical characterization function.

Equal Opportunity Employer:

It is the policy of Syngene to provide equal employment opportunity (EEO) to all persons regardless of age, color, national origin, citizenship status, physical or mental disability, race, religion, creed, gender, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, genetic information, marital status, status with regard to public assistance, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable legislation or local law. In addition, Syngene will provide reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities.