Senior Principal Investigator-Assay Biology TL

JOB DESCRIPTION

Designation: Group Lead - Assay Biology

Job Location: Hyderabad

Department: Discovery Biology

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

Job Purpose

In this role, the successful candidate will provide strong scientific, operational and strategic leadership to lead the assay biologists team in Assay Biology unit, working on projects covering a range of therapeutic areas including oncology, inflammation/autoimmune disorders and CNS. 

We are seeking a highly motivated and experienced person for driving the assays and discovery aspects of our collaborative programs. The candidate will be expected to play a leading role in developing and driving the biochemical and cell based assay platform strategies through her/his team. The incumbent will support the screening team of scientists (PhD and Masters) for integrated drug discovery programs for small molecules including PROTACs. In addition to line management & scientific leadership, the successful candidate will also be involved in supporting business development activities to identify new clients and collaborations.  The successful candidate will also work closely with other functional units within Biology and other departments like chemistry and safety.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead a team of scientists involved in discovery efforts to drive scientifically and operationally to meet the goals including quality and timelines for various Client projects.
• Motivate and develop a section of the scientific staff, including direct line management of project leads, in accordance with company directions and policies. 
• Mentor the team to optimize assays and establish robust high throughput assays for screening small molecules/Protacs with good quality and quick turnaround time
• Development, implementation and validation of the new assays and platforms technologies using state-of-the-art techniques, automation and data analysis.
• Work collaboratively with partner teams, regularly present biology plans, data and achievements to external partners and internal project team members.
• Interpret results with thorough data analysis and review to drive projects forward and generate timely key decision-making data.
• Contribute to the management and performance of the OU through active participation and a leadership role to define and manage efficiency, productivity, recruitment of staff, quality and compliance.
• Ensure highest level of personal integrity, data integrity, compliance to quality and safety standards.
• Provide scientific support to business development activities aimed at writing proposals, addressing new requests in a timely manner and maintaining client satisfaction.
• Ensure the development of effective environment, health, and safety (EHS) practices for the company and oversee compliance with those practices​
• Foster a corporate culture that promotes environment, health, and safety (EHS) mindset at workplace​; Follows environment, health, and safety (EHS) requirements in the workplace and ensuring environment, health, and safety (EHS) measures via trainings within the team

Educational Qualification 

• PhD in Biochemistry, Cell Biology with Post doctoral experience and  >12 years of relevant industry (CRO, Pharma or Biotech) experience in Assay Biology and screening platforms. Proven track record preferably in a contract research environment would be desirable.

Skills & Competencies

• Strong conceptual and technical expertise in drug discovery with proven track record through clinical candidates’ nominations, IND filings, publications, patents and presentations at symposia.
• Therapeutic area experience in Oncology, Autoimmune and metabolic disorders or CNS with small molecules including PROTAC modality
• Strong work experience in different target classes- kinases, GPCRs and Ion-channels; transcription factors and protein-protein interaction mechanisms
• Technical experience in biochemical, biophysical and cell based mechanistic and functional assays and using automation for high throughput assays
• Excellent verbal/written communication skills; communicates in a clear, well-structured and professional manner with key stakeholders on a regular basis
• Experience in managing larger teams (>20 people) and/or departments (including management of resource and budget with the ability to work closely with support functions such as HR, finance, quality/regulatory and facilities)
• Ability to manage multiple discovery projects and responsibilities at the same time. Experience in managing project teams regarding quality, timelines and cost. Effectively applies and enables state-of-the-art technologies and best practices to improve operational efficiency.
• Excellent attention to experimental details, data quality, documentation with strong work ethics
• Acts as a subject matter expert and mentor, providing scientific expertise to the collaboration and across disciplines

Behavioral Skills

• Demonstrate strong people management skills, leading by example with a high level of emotional intelligence, and be willing to work collaboratively with other functional groups.
• Excellent interpersonal, communication and presentation skills. Ability to lead cross-functional teams and act as a true team player.
• Ability to discuss and debate data and project strategy with demanding clients and scientific experts.

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.