Director, Biology-Discovery (Drug Discovery)

Location: Rahway, New Jersey, United States; regular onsite presence required 4+ days per week.

Salary: $190,800–$300,300 base salary annually, with eligibility for an annual bonus and long-term incentive if applicable.

Company

hirify.global develops medicines and supports drug discovery programs across therapeutic areas including oncology, immunology, neuroscience, metabolic disease, ophthalmology, and infectious disease.

What you will do

• Set the scientific vision, strategy, priorities, success metrics, and data-quality standards for a Screening and High Throughput Biology group.
• Lead, develop, and retain approximately eight scientists and associates, including PhD scientists, MS/BS associates, and contractors.
• Apply CRISPR-based approaches, DRUG-seq, high-content imaging, cell painting, and complex biological models to support target identification, hit finding, compound profiling, and lead optimization.
• Design research operating plans and translate discovery-program strategy into actionable experimental workstreams.
• Interpret screening and profiling data quantitatively, mechanistically, and pharmacologically to inform compound progression decisions.
• Partner with Discovery Chemistry, Discovery Biology, DMPK, and in vivo pharmacology; manage CRO and academic relationships and evolve the technology portfolio.

Requirements

• Ph.D. with 10+ years of experience in Cell Biology, Biochemistry, Pharmacology, Molecular Biology, Chemical Biology, Biophysics, or a related discipline; a BS/MS with 15+ years of directly applicable industry experience and demonstrated scientific leadership may also be considered.
• 10+ years of relevant experience in pharmaceutical or biotechnology drug discovery.
• Expertise in high-throughput biology platforms, with hands-on experience in one or more of CRISPR screening, large-scale transcriptional profiling such as DRUG-seq, high-content imaging, cell painting, or complex cellular-model development.
• Track record of contributing to early drug discovery programs and designing and executing research operating plans supporting lead discovery.
• Direct people-management experience building, leading, and developing scientist teams in a lab-facing environment.
• Strong cross-functional collaboration skills and excellent communication skills, including the ability to distill complex datasets into clear stakeholder recommendations.
• Quantitative rigor in experimental design, data analysis, and interpretation of cell-based assay pharmacology.

Nice to have

• Background in quantitative pharmacology, biochemistry, or systems-level and mechanistic approaches to compound characterization.
• Experience managing external collaborations with CROs and academic partners.
• Familiarity with AI/ML tools, data science approaches, and laboratory automation applied to cell-based drug discovery.
• Program or project team leadership experience beyond people management.
• Scientific contributions demonstrated through publications, patents, or recognized internal impact.

Culture & Benefits

• Scientific culture focused on rigor, curiosity, data-driven decision-making, and respectful challenge of ideas.
• Medical, dental, vision, and other insurance benefits for employees and families.
• Retirement benefits including a 401(k), paid holidays, vacation, compassionate leave, and sick days.
• Regular onsite work in Rahway, New Jersey; travel requirements are 10%.

Hiring process

• Applications are accepted through the hirify.global careers portal.
• The posting is effective until the day before the listed end date of November 20, 2026.