Head of Discovery Biology - Natural Products

Job Title:

Head of Discovery – Natural Products Chemistry & Bioactivity Location:

Paris, France Working Schedule:

Full-time, Hybrid (on-site required) Start Date:

ASAP About the Company This deep-tech biotech is pioneering large-scale discovery of natural molecules using synthetic biology, machine learning, and automation. Their platform unlocks the 97 percent of natural molecular diversity previously inaccessible to industry, generating novel scaffolds at unmatched speed. Backed by top European scientific leaders and already working with global players across pharma, agriculture, animal health, and cosmetics, the company is expanding rapidly. Responsibilities Build and lead the oncology / immuno-oncology assay strategy across discovery programmes Set up and run state-of-the-art in vitro oncology and IO assays from day one Design and validate robust assay cascades to triage novel chemical matter efficiently Drive hit confirmation and hit-to-lead progression through strong biological evidence Lead mode-of-action and target deconvolution activities (CRISPR, omics, chemoproteomics, phenotypic profiling etc.) Interpret complex multi-layer datasets (omics, phenotypic, biochemical) and make go/no-go decisions Partner closely with chemistry and analytical teams to guide SAR and structure-based refinement Define milestone frameworks, prioritisation systems, and scientific decision-making routines Build and manage a small multidisciplinary discovery team, shaping culture and execution standards Support translational readiness and optional in vivo proof-of-concept strategy where required Act as the senior biology voice across internal platform, computational, and operations teams Key Requirements We’re ideally looking for someone with: A PhD in Cancer Biology, Immunology, Pharmacology, or a closely related life sciences field Significant experience developing and running

in vitro oncology or immuno-oncology assays

within a drug discovery environment Strong expertise building

assay cascades for hit identification, hit confirmation, and hit-to-lead progression Proven experience interpreting complex biological datasets including

omics, phenotypic screening, and biochemical data Experience working closely with

medicinal chemistry teams to guide SAR and compound optimisation Hands-on experience with

mode-of-action and target deconvolution approaches

such as CRISPR screens, chemoproteomics, phenotypic profiling, or multi-omics analysis A strong track record contributing to

small molecule discovery programmes

from early discovery through to lead optimisation Ability to translate complex biology into

clear decision points and go/no-go recommendations for programmes Experience working in

cross-functional discovery teams

including biology, chemistry, computational science, and platform teams Leadership experience building or mentoring

small multidisciplinary research teams Comfortable operating in

fast-moving biotech or discovery environments where priorities evolve quickly Nice to have: Experience supporting

translational strategy or early in vivo proof-of-concept work Familiarity with

phenotypic drug discovery approaches Experience working in

early-stage biotech or highly collaborative discovery environments What’s on Offer Competitive salary and equity package Opportunity to build and scale a discovery function from scratch Work on cutting-edge natural-product discovery at industrial scale

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