Job Description

Background

Sygnature Discovery is a world-leading integrated drug discovery Contract Research Organisation based in the UK and Canada with its headquarters in Nottingham and additional facilities in Alderley Park, Macclesfield, Glasgow, Montreal and Quebec City. Its staff of over 1,000, which includes 900 scientists, partners with global pharma, biotech and NFP organisations.

Since 2004, Sygnature Discovery has delivered over 56 novel pre-clinical and 35 clinical compounds, with its scientists named on over 225 patents. Therapeutic areas of expertise include oncology, inflammation and immunology, neuroscience, metabolic diseases, infectious diseases, and more. To find out more, please visit www.sygnaturediscovery.com.

About the role

As part of our continued growth at Sygnature Discovery, we're recruiting an experienced VP of Metabolic Diseases and/or Immunology & Inflammation to join our Therapeutics teameither in Nottingham or Montreal. This role is hybrid/remote.
We're looking for an expert with a proven track record of advancing drug candidates into human clinical trials, supported by an extensive publication and/or patent record. You will already be recognised as a key opinion leader in your field, with a strong reputation and established network.
You'll bring a solid understanding of the CRO environment, whether gained through direct CRO experience or significant outsourcing exposure. Acting as a brand ambassador, you'll promote our science both internally and externally, working closely with business development and commercial teams to identify and secure new opportunities. You'll contribute to client meetings, proposals, and contracts, bringing scientific leadership and insight to the forefront.
Strong commercial acumen, alongside excellent communication and negotiation skills, will be key in helping to drive and elevate our drug discovery programmes.

Given the nature of this role, travel will be required for client meetings, conferences, and team engagement across sites.

If you're ready to join a growing CRO and want to apply your breadth and depth of experience to shape the future of drug discovery- we'd love to hear from you.

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Main duties and responsibilities:

Work with senior scientific, operational and commercial leadership teams across the business to identify areas for scientific focus and development and commercial opportunities. Identify gaps in current offerings and propose new services, models or technologies. Mentoring of employees across the department and therapeutic areas, supporting operational teams with scientific integrity, quality and direction. Identify opportunities for new business, partnerships and market penetration. Establish and nurture relationships with clients, partners and other stakeholders alongside key internal individuals. Effectively communicate with internal stakeholders globally, including senior management, research and development teams and external collaborators/clients. Collaboration with external partners, academic institutions etc. to enhance therapeutic expertise and research expertise across Sygnature. Cultivate long-term relationships with strategic clients and attend account management meetings to ensure alignment between client expectations and project execution by providing expert guidance. Support in evaluating feasibility and scope of new client requests from a scientific and operational standpoint.
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Key requirements:

Ph.D. in a relevant scientific discipline (e.g. biochemistry, chemistry) or equivalent extensive and relevant industry experience. Extensive experience in drug discovery, in either medicinal chemistry, biology, DMPK or pharmacology. You will be an outgoing communicator able to network internationally including conference attendance, presentations, writing blog articles You will be a critical thinker and influencer who can use their experience and knowledge to enhance drug discovery programs You will be a scientific negotiator with the ability to find win-win scenarios for client and Sygnature. You will show willingness to expand your scientific and business knowledge. You will be a self-starter with the ability to work and communicate across both scientific and non-scientific audiences. You will have the ability to interact across multiple drug discovery projects

Benefits

Here at Sygnature Discovery, we take pride in offering an excellent training and benefits package. As a valued employee, you will be entitled to:
25 days annual leave (rising with service) plus bank holidays, and buy/sell scheme Private Medical Insurance Life Insurance Employee Assistance Programme and mental health first aiders Enhanced Family Friendly Policies Sygnature Group Pension Scheme 1 paid volunteer day per year A host of flexible benefits to support your wellbeing and lifestyle

Why Sygnature Discovery

At Sygnature Discovery, we embody excellence in everything we do. From pioneering research to ground-breaking discoveries, we set the standard for scientific innovation. But it's collaboration that truly defines us. Across continents and disciplines, we unite to solve complex challenges, driven by a shared passion for improving lives worldwide.
We understand the importance of creating a work environment that empowers you to thrive. That's why we have fostered a culture of collaboration and support, providing pathways for both professional and personal development. This includes a diverse range of bespoke training and development designed to accelerate both your personal and career growth.

We are committed to fostering diversity and inclusion throughout our organisation. We encourage applications from individuals of all backgrounds, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, neurodiversity, age, family or parental status, beliefs, nationalities and religions. We strive to cultivate an inclusive environment where all our colleagues feel empowered to bring their true selves to work.

If you're interested in joining a company that places people at the heart of its business, please submit your application as soon as possible as we will be interviewing on an ongoing basis.

If you have any questions or need further information, please contact the Talent Acquisition team at careers@sygnaturediscovery.com. Please do not submit your application to this email address
or more information on life at Sygnature Discovery, visit www.sygnaturediscovery.com/careers