Director/Senior Director, Preclinical Program Leadership

Job Description

Job Description

Evozyne is an AI-native biotech company building a new way to design therapeutic proteins. Our generative AI platform was purpose-built to create entirely novel proteins that expand what’s possible beyond traditional drug discovery. We are applying this platform to develop transformative therapies for serious diseases with significant unmet need, working at the intersection of AI, biology, and protein engineering to solve complex scientific problems that conventional approaches cannot easily address.

As the Director/Senior Director, Preclinical Program Leadership, you will own the operations and execution of advancing therapeutic assets from candidate nomination through IND submission across multiple programs. You will play a central role in efficiently moving programs toward the clinic while helping shape how program leadership operates and scales within the company.

Reporting to the Chief Operating Officer, you will bring deep experience in preclinical program leadership, IND enablement, strong strategic and operational judgment, and clear communication to ensure programs progress effectively across complex, interdependent workstreams.

Location:  Remote

What You’ll Do

• Own program execution and operations from candidate nomination through IND clearance and Phase 1 enablement across multiple assets in parallel
• Drive the critical path, including timelines, budgets, dependencies, and decision points
• Build and maintain integrated development plans spanning workstreams across multple functional areas
• Translate program progress into clear, actionable updates and recommendations for leadership
• Own external partnerships with CROs and CDMOs, including vendor selection, scope definition, and ongoing performance management
• Negotiate scope, cost, timelines, and deliverables, and hold partners accountable to outcomes
• Coordinate across multiple vendors simultaneously, managing handoffs, data flow, and interdependencies
• Partner with internal technical experts to design studies and translate program needs into effective external workstreams
• Oversee development of study protocols, incorporating cross-functional input and aligning stakeholders
• Build the internal playbooks, processes, and operating structures needed to scale program execution across the pipeline

Who You Are

You are the central operator in all aspects of advancing IND programs, bringing in internal stakeholders, external consultants, and technical partners as needed. You thrive in a dynamic environment where you’re balancing speed, cost, and risk to ensure successful IND submissions. You think big on high-level regulatory and technical strategy while maintaining the attention to detail required to plan multiple steps ahead. You have a strong ownership mentality acting as the operational leader for our preclinical programs.

Required Experience

• Direct operational ownership of multiple IND programs in biologics, with at least one specifically in functional protein therapeutics
• Advanced degree in biochemical, pharmacology, toxicology or related field such as biology and life sciences
• 8+ years (Ph.D.) to 12+ years (Master’s) of relevant industry experience
• Demonstrated success leading programs through CROs and CDMOs, including global vendors.
• Deep understanding of the drug development process from discovery through IND filing
• Strong familiarity with GxP, ICH guidelines, and FDA preclinical requirements
• Proven ability to align and influence stakeholders across functions and organizations

What We’re Looking For

• Strong strategic and operational judgment
• Clear, concise communicator who can simplify complex programs
• Highly organized and detail-oriented, with the ability to anticipate challenges
• Hands-on leader who is comfortable owning outcomes directly
• Effective at influencing without formal authority
• Comfortable operating in a fast-moving, evolving environment

Why Evozyne

• Opportunity to drive multiple programs from candidate nomination through IND and into the clinic in a highly integrated, fast-moving environment 
• Ability to work at the intersection of AI, biology, and experimental science on problems where the path forward is not always clear 
• Significant ownership and influence on how preclinical programs are executed, prioritized, and scaled as the pipeline grows 
• Exposure to both strategic decisions and hands-on execution in a lean team where your work directly impacts program outcomes

Additional Information
Compensation Range: $175,000 - $250,000. 

Individual compensation within this range is determined by a combination of factors, including but not limited to level, years of relevant job-related experience, and internal equity. This is what we believe in good faith is the range of possible base salary for this role at the time of this posting. We may ultimately pay more or less than the posted range. This range may be modified in the future.