Head of Innovative Drug Discovery

Responsibilities:

• Develop and drive the early-stage drug discovery strategy and build innovative R&D capabilities across bispecific/multispecific antibodies, ADCs, nucleic acid therapeutics and other emerging modalities.
• Lead innovative programs end-to-end, from disease biology, target identification and validation, molecule design and optimization through PCC selection and IND-enabling development.
• Build and strengthen an integrated discovery platform covering biology, antibody engineering, pharmacology, translational research and computational sciences.
• Drive the application of AI and computational technologies in drug discovery, including target discovery, molecule design, optimization and scientific decision-making.
• Evaluate new targets and project opportunities based on scientific rationale, unmet medical needs, technical feasibility, competitive landscape and translational potential.
• Build and lead a multidisciplinary R&D team, fostering a highly collaborative and innovation-driven scientific culture.
• Collaborate closely with preclinical, CMC, translational medicine and clinical teams to ensure smooth progression from Discovery to PCC, IND and clinical development.
• Develop external collaborations with academic institutions, biotech companies and technology partners to access emerging science and innovation opportunities.

Qualifications:

• PhD in Biology, Immunology, Biochemistry, Pharmacology, Medicine or a related discipline.
• Strong experience in innovative drug discovery within pharmaceutical, biotech or related R&D organizations.
• Proven track record of substantially contributing to drug discovery programs from target/project initiation through PCC and IND or clinical development.
• Strong expertise in one or more areas including bispecific/multispecific antibodies, ADCs, antibody discovery and engineering, nucleic acid therapeutics, emerging modalities or AI-enabled drug discovery.
• Strong scientific judgment with the ability to assess targets, molecules and new project opportunities from both scientific and development perspectives.
• Experience in building discovery platforms, managing scientific teams or developing R&D capabilities is highly preferred for senior-level candidates.
• Strong cross-functional leadership and communication skills, with the ability to work effectively across multiple R&D disciplines.
• Good command of both English and Chinese, with the ability to engage with international scientific and industry partners.
• Innovative, entrepreneurial and results-oriented mindset, with strong scientific curiosity and ownership.