Apertor Pharmaceuticals Inc. was founded in November 2020 and will bring new immunotherapies to patients by engineering molecular glues using synthetic biology. Our principal offices are in South San Francisco, CA.
Apertor Pharmaceuticals is seeking a Director of Bioengineering to build out and lead a multi- disciplinary department focused on the discovery and development of natural product drug leads generated via synthetic biology.
The successful candidate should be a thought leader in synthetic biology, with an emphasis on natural product biosynthesis and drug discovery. We are specifically seeking an energetic, creative, and highly self-motivated individual that enjoys challenges at the cutting-edge of synthetic biology, while interacting closely with medicinal chemists and pre-clinical pharmacologists. The successful candidate will be responsible for hiring into an existing a team and building a world-class bioengineering department to support the discovery and development of novel macrocyclic clinical assets.
Primary Responsibilities
- Build out and lead a synthetic biology research team for the pre-clinical discovery and development of novel small molecules
- Operationalize and oversee the implementation of improved protocols for engineering non-model microbes including Streptomyces
- Design, optimize and oversee gene-editing workflows towards automation-ready robustness
- Oversee fermentation efforts to ensure key deliverables, pipeline continuity and process scalability
- Establish and execute external collaborations with both academic laboratories as well as CROs
Required Qualifications
- PhD in Microbiology, Molecular Biology, Chemical Engineering, Natural Product Chemistry or a related technical field with 7+ years of relevant industry experience (pharma or biotech)
- Experience managing a research team, and / or leadership experience leading teams, projects, programs and allocating resources
- Experience resolving technical and scientific challenges individually and by leading teams
- Deep understanding of organic chemistry and biochemistry
- Proven track record in strain improvement programs focused on protein expression, metabolic engineering or other applied objectives in non-model organisms
Preferred Qualifications
- Track record of innovation in discovery of therapeutics
- Previous experience working with complex natural products and/or macrocycles as novel therapeutic modalities.
- Experience with pathway engineering and fermentation in non-model organisms
- Interpersonal skills with an ability to work in a team environment