Director, Translational Medicine Lead, Hematology

Introduction to Role:

Within Hematology R&D, we are committed to advancing science to deliver life‑changing medicines to patients most in need. With a combination‑focused pipeline that exploits the power of six scientific platforms (Immuno‑Oncology, Tumor Drivers and Resistance, DNA Damage Response, Antibody‑drug Conjugates, Cell Therapy and Epigenetics) to help address unmet clinical needs in a host of hematological cancers, we are motivated by a dedication to the scientific discovery and collaboration that will one day help eliminate cancer as a cause of death.

This unit has responsibility for the value chain from discovery through to late‑stage development, enabling rapid acceleration of promising early‑stage assets and life‑cycle management programmes.

The Hematology Research and Development (R&D) team is accountable for all drug development activities in hematology research from first‑in‑man studies, all the way to late‑stage trials leading to drug approval by regulatory agencies (Phase 1, 2, and 3 trials). The team strives to deliver compelling preclinical, clinical, and translational data packages providing confidence in the dosing strategy, tolerability profile, and therapeutic efficacy of our candidate drugs to support investment in late‑stage clinical development, leading to drug approval.

We are seeking a Director, Translational Medicine Lead in Haematology R&D to join a world class Haematology R&D unit. In this role you will be accountable for delivery of robust, scientifically‑driven biomarkers in drug discovery and development programmes for hematology programmes. You will have the opportunity to impact an industry‑leading portfolio of hematology programmes from inception through to life‑cycle management for marketed drugs.

Accountabilities:

• In partnership with the Translational Medicine team, lead the implementation of strategic vision that enables target identification, indication selection, early indication of biological activity and patient stratification/selection in Haematology.

• Deliver biomarkers for clinical studies based on the best available science and technologies.

• Generate biomarker data to guide indication selection and identification of targeted patient populations.

• Measure target engagement reliably and quantifiably to inform clinical decisions for selecting therapeutically relevant doses and schedules.

• Understand key cancer pathway interactions and feedback mechanisms in clinical samples to guide rational drug combinations.

• Define novel mechanisms of resistance targeted therapies by studying tumours at relapse.

• Collaborate with broader Oncology Research and product development teams to facilitate appropriate incorporation of Translational Medicine strategies for molecules in early phases of development in Oncology.

• Collaborate with clinical development and operations teams to implement translational strategy, sample collections and analyses in clinical studies related to Haematology.

• Collaborating with the clinical development team to design and execute appropriate phase 1/2a study(s) to generate FIH safety, PK, PD, PK/PD, biomarker or efficacy/PoC data to support continued clinical development or no‑go for programme.

• Manage internal and external research collaborations in areas of clinical technologies and oncology translational research.

• Ensure complex clinical assays developed and validated internally or externally are fit for purpose.

• Contribute to and ensure the quality of Translational Medicine clinical study reports, data reviews and interpretations, presentations, scientific publications and recommendations to development teams and management.

Minimum Qualifications:

• PhD and /or MD with experience in oncology drug development required.

• Oncology training is required, preferably board‑certified or board‑eligible in Oncology and/or Haematology.

• 5+ years of experience in drug development in pharmaceutical or biotech industries.

• In‑depth knowledge of Haematology disease‑area biology and translational science, ideally with expertise in myeloma, leukaemia and lymphoma.

• Experience with T cell engagers, antibody‑drug conjugates or cell therapy…