Director/Sr. Director, Head of Preclinical Benign Hematology

Company Overview 

Fulcrum Therapeutics, Inc. (“Fulcrum”) [NASDAQ: FULC] is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing small molecules to improve the lives of patients with genetically defined rare diseases in areas of high unmet medical need. Fulcrum’s lead program in clinical development is pociredir, a small molecule designed to increase the expression of fetal hemoglobin for the treatment of sickle cell disease (SCD).

Description

Reporting to our Chief Scientific Officer, the Head of PreClinical Hematology will be a highly driven scientific leader who is dedicated to performing great science that transforms patients’ lives. They are drug hunters and will lead our Benign Hematology team, playing a pivotal role in discovery strategy and in building the portfolio. The successful candidate will partner with colleagues in medicinal chemistry, DMPK and in vivo pharmacology to translate scientific discoveries into new medicines. This is a forward-facing leadership role, requiring cross-functional collaboration, establishing liaisons with KOLs, and routine interface with members of our Clinical Team, Executive Team and Board of Directors. As a highly experienced scientist, the Head of PreClinical Hematology is expected to play a large role in the mentorship and development of their team, fostering a growth-from-within mindset in the art of drug discovery. 

Responsibilities

• Guide scientific research with the goal of discovering transformative first-in-class medicines
• Supervise Project Team Leaders who are driving cross-functional discovery programs
• Lead, mentor, and coach your team of direct reports in the art and science of drug discovery
• Work cross-functionally with team and colleagues to design work streams focused on elucidating new target biology for various rare Benign Hematology indications
• Leverage disease biology and drug discovery expertise to validate targets and build pharmacological relationships across a diversity of fit-for-purpose pre-clinical models, building robust in vitro and in vivo pharmacology data packages
• Implement a translational biology strategy for later-stage discovery programs, identifying candidate target-engagement and therapeutic biomarkers for clinical exploration
• In-source capability and out-source capacity by establishing strategic and highly productive partnerships with leading CROs; teach your team how to lead in the absence of a line reporting relationship through your effective management of these relationships
• Collaborate with stakeholders in clinical development, business development, and commercial to set long-term strategy and establish new opportunities for the Benign Hematology franchise
• Work with Business Development team to generate content for partnership discussions and perform due diligence for on-strategy in-licensing opportunities
• Interface with internal and external KOL networks for input on target hypotheses, models, and technologies
• Participate as an active thought partner in the overall company strategy; periodically present to the Executive Team and the Board of Directors

Qualifications

• Ph.D. in biology, physiology, molecular and/or cellular biology with 10+ years of industry experience in the hematology arena
• Proven track record of performing research with the goal of discovering new medicines; has served as a project team leader or co-leader for a drug discovery program that successfully identified a development candidate
• Experienced team leader who effectively manages external collaborations and service providers with the ability to bring a pragmatic business-minded approach to balancing internal and external capabilities
• Experience managing PhD-level reports
• Desire to learn and tackle new challenges and initiatives; responds to stress with humor and professionalism
• Possesses a high degree of scientific discretion, intuition and integrity
• Strong written and verbal communication skills; able to communicate effectively to non-technical audiences
• Fosters a collaborative and inclusive environment