Scientist | Cancer Biology

A long-standing challenge in drug discovery is the development of molecules capable of modulating difficult or "undruggable" targets. Disease-causing proteins can be dysfunctional in many different ways, but our armamentarium for modulating them is typically limited to inhibition[1]. There are, however, many other possible perturbation types whose potential remains unrealized.

Weatherwax Biotechnologies is a seed-stage drug discovery company developing a novel platform technology to solve this problem. We make bifunctional drugs that induce the modification of drug targets by existing cellular machinery (rather than through direct modulation by the drug, the classical approach), unlocking the ability to go after high-value oncology targets. Historically, the development of technologies that allow one to push new buttons in biology has been an incredibly fertile field for the discovery of new medicines[2, 3, 4], and our approach will be no different.

The Position

We are seeking an exceptional cancer biologist to join our Biology Team. In this position you will work in close conjunction with our Platform Team in the development of our core drug discovery technology. Your responsibilities will include phenotypic assay development, establishing pre-clinical in vitro/in vivo studies, performing mechanistic studies on lead drug molecules, and spearheading forays into new oncology indications.

Qualifications:

• PhD in Cancer Biology, Cell Biology or related field with 0-2 years of industry experience
• Proficiency in:
  • Mechanistic studies of cancer cell signaling and PTM status analysis
  • Phenotypic assay development for cancer drug discovery (assay development and low/med throughput screening experience)
  • Experience with small molecule drug development campaigns (hit finding, hit validation, dose/response studies, MOA studies)
  • Cellular and molecular biology (cancer cell lines, Western Blot, generation of stable cell lines using lenti/CRISPR systems, IP/pull down assays, flow cytometry, plasmid design)

 Nice-To-Haves:

• Experience with animal models of cancers (GEMM, orthotopic, xenograft models)
• Experience managing CROs for in vivo studies
• Transient/stable protein expression and characterization, immunoprecipitation assays.
• Industry experience is desirable, but the ability to work hard and learn fast is more important to us.
• Prior experience on teams that have successfully advanced research to the clinic
• Experience managing research associates and other team members
• Strong written and oral communication skills.

Benefits:

• Strong equity incentives. We are looking for candidates who will bring a strong sense of ownership to drive their project areas forward, and we believe that you deserve to be compensated accordingly.
• Top tier medical, dental, and vision coverage + One Medical membership.
• Reading budget! We will buy you books 🤓
• Located in the MBC BioLabs Dogpatch site; an entrepreneurial hub full of the best scientists and operators the Bay Area has to offer. Our lab is a very short walk from the 22nd St Caltrain Station and a number of wonderful restaurants and cafés.

About You

High Agency. Initiative, independence, and self-accountability are some of our most valued traits.

Enthusiastic. We love people who are excited about what they are doing, and are generally attempting to build a high-energy team.

Intensity and Grit. Early-stage startups are hard. Drug discovery doubly so. We are looking for candidates who have a demonstrated ability to stick with hard problems for the long haul, with a team that has your back along the way.

Prosocial. We are here to create life-saving medicines for the patients who need it most. You should be too.

About Us

Work Hard/Play Hard. We believe time is our most valuable commodity, so we strive to create a culture that reflects this. We won’t drag you through unnecessary meetings or email you at 7 PM on a Saturday. When we're at work we're there to get things done and when we're off we're really off 🌴

Strong Communication. We like well-written documents over PowerPoints, OKRs over vague mission statements, and weekly one-on-ones over yearly reviews.

Writing First. We have a "writing-first" culture. We believe that clarity of writing reflects clarity of thinking, and that the benefits of well-written documentation in a scientific environment are innumerable: democratization of ideation and decision making, increased reproducibility, quicker scaling and onboarding, and better company-wide alignment, to name a few.

Growth. As an early-stage startup we value scientists with an independent, can-do attitude. The more hats you can wear, the better. Our job as employers is to put you in positive-feedback loops so you can grow in the direction of your choosing.

Title and compensation commensurate with experience. Applications from candidates of diverse backgrounds, women, and members of underrepresented minority groups are particularly welcomed. We look forward to hearing from you :)