Job Description

General Summary: Vertex Pharmaceuticals uses cutting edge science and technologies to create transformative therapies for the treatment of the most serious diseases with unmet medical need. Our culture enables individual empowerment where “We Wins” “Fearless Pursuit of Excellence” and “Innovation” are more than just corporate values: They are part of our everyday lives. Preclinical Safety Assessment is a global function responsible for the design and execution of preclinical strategies for the comprehensive safety assessment of Vertex therapies at all stages of research and development, beginning in the early drug discovery phases and continuing through the entire drug development value chain resulting in registration and marketing. The Predictive and Investigative Safety Assessment group is seeking a Toxicology Senior Principal Research Scientist with a strong desire to be part of a highly innovative company aimed at transforming the lives of people with serious diseases, their families and society. This role will be located at our San Diego research site and is critical to advancing Vertex’ innovative pipeline by providing scientific leadership in nonclinical safety assessment and contributing to the design, execution, and interpretation of toxicology studies across research programs. Working closely with cross-functional teams, this individual will bring a deep expertise in mechanistic and investigative toxicology to help inform target selection, risk assessment, lead optimization and candidate selection. This individual will design and lead the safety assessment strategies for specific Vertex research programs targeting the root cause of serious diseases with high unmet medical need. The approaches are primarily small molecule focused but there is the potential to work on other modalities. This is a highly visible role that will provide the individual with an excellent opportunity to work closely with San Diego research colleagues and the global Preclinical Sciences organization to make a significant impact in bringing forward our next generation of transformational medicines. Key Duties and Responsibilities: In partnership with our San Diego research and Preclinical Safety Assessment colleagues, lead, strategically plan, and manage San Diego research toxicology programs from target identification to candidate nomination into preclinical development. Build strong cross-functional collaborations between Preclinical Safety Assessment and research project teams in San Diego. Perform early safety assessments of Vertex therapeutic targets and oversee characterization of research compounds to identify potential safety challenges and develop strategies to address these. Collaborate with our in vitro, in silico and safety pharmacology groups to de-risk and design-out any identified liabilities. Interact with our operations and outsourcing partners to design and execute toxicology studies at external partner organizations to meet any specific project needs. As therapeutic candidates progress, interact closely with toxicologists from the Exploratory and Regulatory Safety Sciences group at Vertex to ensure smooth progression of molecules through dose-range-finding and GLP toxicology studies in advance of first in human (FIH). May also be an opportunity to represent Preclinical Safety Assessment on development projects in the future. Support the San Diego PSA lead and global functional leadership in implementing the multisite strategy for Predictive and Investigative Safety Assessment within Vertex through selective use of new and established technologies to deliver efficient de-risking and investigational endpoints for current therapeutic leads. Communicate critical project information to various bodies including project teams and Vertex leadership clearly and concisely. Collaborate with external groups within the academic and industrial sectors to complement Vertex’s discovery toxicology capabilities. Collaborate on design and execution of investigative in vitro and in vivo toxicology studies in support of both research and development compounds. Develop and test mechanistic hypotheses to investigate and explain toxicity findings in preclinical models. Knowledge and Skills: Experience representing Preclinical safety on cross-functional project teams. Proven track record of applying mechanistic and investigative toxicology approaches to solve complex safety challenges. Proven expertise in cross-disciplinary drug discovery. Proven scientific acumen with the ability to creatively seek resolutions to pharmacological / toxicological issues. Demonstrated ability to work cross-functionally and influence decision making in matrixed environments. Accomplished problem solver and strategist who is highly organized with the ability to thrive and lead in a matrixed work environment with rapidly changing priorities. Excellent communicator with strong presentation skills. Education and Experience: Ph.D. in Toxicology, Pharmacology, Biochemistry or a related field, or equivalent education and experience. 10+ years’ experience in the Pharmaceutical or a related industry.

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