Group Lead-Invitro ADME

Job Title: Group Lead – Invitro ADME

Job Location: Hyderabad

About Syngene

Syngene (www.syngeneintl.com) is an innovation-led contract research, development and manufacturing organization offering integrated scientific services from early discovery to commercial supply. 

At Syngene, safety is at the heart of everything we do personally and professionally. Syngene has placed safety at par with business performance with shared responsibility and accountability, including following safety guidelines, procedures, and SOPs, in letter and spirit.

Mandatory expectation for all roles as per Syngene safety guidelines

• Overall adherence to safe practices and procedures of oneself and the teams aligned.
• Contributing to development of procedures, practices and systems that ensures safe operations and compliance to company’s integrity & quality standards.
• Driving a corporate culture that promotes environment, health, and safety (EHS) mindset and operational discipline at the workplace at all times.
• Ensuring safety of self, teams and lab/plant by adhering to safety protocols and following environment, health, and safety (EHS) requirements at all times in the workplace.
• Ensure all assigned mandatory trainings related to data integrity, health, and safety measures are completed on time by all members of the team including self.
• Compliance to Syngene’ s quality standards at all times.
• Hold self and their teams accountable for the achievement of safety goals
• Govern and Review safety metrics from time to time

Core Purpose of the Role:

• Lead a high-performing team of scientists in designing, executing, and interpreting complex in-vitro ADME and transporter studies that directly influence molecule progression decisions.
• Own scientific strategy, ensure operational excellence, and contribute to cross-functional project leadership in a dynamic drug discovery environment.

Role Accountabilities:

• Develop and evolve strategic in-vitro ADME and transporter capabilities aligned with current and emerging drug discovery needs.
• Spearhead design and interpretation of advanced cell- and non-cell-based ADME assays, including:

• Stability, solubility, logD/logP, plasma protein binding, and permeability assays.
• Transporter-based uptake and efflux studies using relevant in-vitro models (e.g., Caco-2, MDCK-MDR1, hepatocytes).
• Integration of transporter data with PK profiling to guide compound selection and liability assessment.

• Review and harmonize physicochemical properties with permeability, binding, and transporter interaction data to drive optimal candidate selection.
• Lead evaluation and implementation of new assay formats for transporter kinetics, inhibition, and substrate specificity in collaboration with external partners.
• Drive automation initiatives and assess emerging technologies (e.g., high-throughput platforms, machine learning models for transporter prediction).
• Ensure robust and validated use of instrumentation such as Sirius T3 for pKa and logP measurement and LC-MS/MS for transporter studies.
• Oversee quality, scalability, and compliance of transporter assays for regulatory and early discovery applications.
• Lead and mentor scientists and associates (team size: 10–20); foster a culture of ownership, accountability, and scientific curiosity.
• Set and evaluate KRAs/OKRs; provide clear career development pathways, performance feedback, and technical growth opportunities.
• Promote talent retention by recognizing contributions and aligning roles with strengths and growth ambitions.
• Serve as scientific point-of-contact for DMPK-related deliverables, including transporter studies, in multi-disciplinary discovery programs.
• Collaborate closely with Medicinal Chemistry, Assay Biology, BA-DMPK, Toxicology, and other functions to ensure seamless project execution.
• Present strategic insights, transporter findings, and recommendations in internal and client-facing forums; contribute to reports and publications.
• Ensure full adherence to Syngene's policies on data integrity, safety, ethics, and quality systems.
• Lead audit readiness of in-vitro ADME and transporter labs; continuously improve SOPs/EOPs and training modules.
• Monitor safety metrics and near-miss incidents; lead corrective/preventive actions with commitment to lab excellence.

Syngene Values: All employees will consistently demonstrate alignment with our core values

•  Excellence
•  Integrity
•  Professionalism

Accountabilities as a Syngene Leader:

• Champion effective Environment, Occupational Health, Safety and Sustainability (EHSS) practices for the company and oversee compliance with those practices within Biologics business. Play an active leadership role in monitoring and verifying safety performance through Gemba walks and other safety-led activities.
• Foster a corporate culture that promotes an environment, occupational health, safety, and sustainability (EHSS) mindset as well as the highest standards of quality, integrity, and compliance.
• Put people at the heart of our success by providing clear, active leadership defined by the Syngene leadership framework setting high standards of people management, career planning and talent retention as a priority.

Experience:

• A Ph.D. in pharmaceutical sciences or biological science with 6-10 year’s of experience with a track record in drug discovery/Ph.D or M Pharm. in pharmaceutical sciences with fifteen or more years of Industrial experience in DMPK/ADME research.

Educational Qualification: 

• A Ph.D. or Postdoctoral experience in pharmaceutical or biological sciences or M Pharm. in any pharmaceutical science.

Technical/functional Skills:

• Advanced knowledge of ADME & PK/PD
• Comprehensive understanding of in vitro ADME assays and technical expertise in trouble shooting the assays
• Sound knowledge in troubleshooting assays
• Skilled in using Microsoft Excel and GraphPad Prism for robust data analysis, visualization, and interpretation.
• Cross functional team leadership and mentoring
• Strategic decision making and data interpretation

Behavioral Skills:

• Demonstrate ability to be a team player.
• Commitment to deliver the study reports within the agreed timelines
• Adaptability to changes in the dynamic lab environment
• Communicate confidently with colleagues and collaborators in the meetings and presentation of study reports and evidence of publications in the PEER reviewed Journals

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.