This is a 12 month fixed term contract opportunity. Based at Alderley Park, Medicines Discovery Catapult is a national facility connecting the UK community to accelerate innovative drug discovery. By validating new ways of discovering medicines and driving key talent and expertise across the sector, we will support the UK life sciences industry, SMEs and innovators to deliver growth for the UK economy and maintain the UK’s heritage position as a global leader in medicines R&D. Ultimately, new industrialised technologies are vital for delivering new medicines to patients, faster. We are looking for the very best people to join the Medicines Discovery Catapult team in driving the UK to the forefront of commercial success for medicines discovery, committing to place the patient at the beginning of discovery and helping the sector move faster to the patient. The values of the Catapult are: Excellence – we continually strive to deliver the best solutions for our partners and for each other. In everything we do, we instil confidence. Integrity – Our strong commitment to what we do and why we are here drives us to do the right thing for our partners and each other. Community – We’re a strong team, we work well together, and we respect each other. Innovation - We’re driven by the need to make a difference. We constantly look for ways to drive change in our sector and how we work. Main duties and responsibilities Work closely with UK medicines discovery innovators to understand their needs for advice, expert knowledge, and access to laboratory capabilities, ensuring alignment and engagement with our internal scientific capabilities and external network and to help transform these into successful drug discovery projects by providing constructive feedback to the project owner. Provide leadership of collaborative project delivery with concern for impact, including coordination of activities across all areas of project development and delivery. Lead critical scientific due diligence through the projects’ lifecycle which may involve activities such as evaluation of project proposals, target validation assessment, development and improvement of project plans, and target product profiles, oversight of work undertaken by MDC, CROs or other external partners to ensure strategic alignment and timely delivery. Actively contribute to governance activities, such as steering committee meetings, and support through the preparation of materials/follow-up activities Identify, drive and provide leadership on existing or new strategic initiatives which would add value to MDC and the UK medicines discovery community. Work with MDC Communications team to identify case studies and success stories and help develop the communications & marketing strategy. Support MDC operations team in collecting KPIs. Travel within the UK to attend meetings with Partners as appropriate. Experience & qualifications: Essential: A degree in a relevant scientific discipline, alongside substantial experience of drug-discovery likely gained in the biopharmaceutical industry. A deep understanding of drug development, including how preclinical and clinical research interface. Demonstration of leadership and a track record of successful delivery of drug discovery or multi-party collaborative projects or significant evidence of having applied leadership in an area of expertise, and of how this has been used in the context of project delivery. Track record of successful delivery of outsourced projects utilising CROs. Experience of developing and presenting drug discovery strategies for investment Experience successfully influencing senior leaders in a variety of organisations to create constructive working relationships. Excellent interpersonal and communication skills both written and verbal. Proactive, self-motivated, and enthusiastic team player who can also work independently contributing to the development of a positive, can-do culture. Confidence and diplomacy when dealing with stakeholders with diverse levels of experience and seniority. Excellent organisational skills, including attention to detail. Ability to work under pressure to tight deadlines. Desirable: PhD in a relevant biomedical science (e.g., biology, pharmacology, cell / molecular biology, chemistry) with demonstrated expertise in drug discovery capabilities such as lead generation, DMPK or safety pharmacology. Publication record, which may include patents, that demonstrates strong scientific or drug discovery impact. Working knowledge of one or more of MDC’s strategic areas such as infection, complex medicines, neuroscience, oncology, or healthy ageing. Working knowledge or ideally, experience of open innovation in the context of drug discovery. Closing date: Monday 11th November 2024 Please note the closing date for applications may be brought forward if a high volume of applications are received.