Senior Director, Head of Target Discovery

Genmab

Utrecht, Netherlands

The Role

Genmab is seeking a Senior Director, Head of Target Discovery to lead target identification and validation efforts within our Discovery Department. This role is based in Utrecht, Netherlands, and will be highly collaborative across Product Discovery, Translational Research, and Data Science teams. The successful candidate will drive the strategic and operational direction of Target Discovery, ensuring a strong integration of computational and experimental biology approaches in identifying novel first-in-class and best-in-class therapeutic targets for our antibody-based pipeline.

This is a leadership role that requires a scientific visionary with deep expertise in oncology, immunology, and data-driven target discovery, coupled with strong team management and cross-functional collaboration experience. The role will also focus on incorporating cutting-edge computational tools, AI/ML technologies, and multi-omics approaches to accelerate early drug discovery.

You will work in a multidisciplinary, international team of world-class scientists with state-of-the-art knowledge of the antibody and oncology field. The goal is to transform how antibody therapeutics are discovered and optimized using a highly integrated combination of wet lab, computational biology, and bioinformatics approaches.

Genmab is seeking a candidate that can work independently and is motivated, balancing a keen scientific curiosity with a pragmatic can-do attitude and sense of urgency necessary to succeed in drug discovery and development. The successful candidate must be motivated to work in a driven, collaborative, fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment.

Responsibilities

Create a short-term and long-term vision and strategy for the Target Discovery team;
You will lead a team (12 FTE) of several scientists and research associates focused on the discovery and validation of novel targets for our early antibody-based product development;
Provide scientific oversight, strategic and operational leadership for the Target Discovery team to ensure high quality project execution and progression;
You play an important role in the implementation and expansion of computational tools and systems to support Target Discovery;
Collaborate with colleagues from Target Discovery and Data Sciences to develop and integrate enabling technology to identify and validate novel targets;
Collaborate with the Product Discovery teams to ensure timely nomination and prioritization of novel targets for proof-of-concept research and clinical candidate selection;
Collaborate with various teams within Genmab, including Product Discovery, Discovery Data Science, Antibody Development, Formats, and Materials to optimize workflows, drive data-driven decision-making, and enhance technology application across the organization;
Collaborate with Translation Research for reverse translational target identification;
Participate in key decision making related to selecting novel drug targets;
Establish and cultivate external scientific, clinical and commercial collaborations and establish strategic relationships to enhance Genmab's capabilities, expedite the execution of strategies, and meet organizational needs;
Play a crucial role in talent management, including the recruitment, retention, and professional development of team members, while also ensuring the communication and documentation of scientific results in patents, publications, and regulatory documents.

Requirements

You hold a PhD degree in cancer cell biology, immunology, computational biology/immunology field or bioinformatics;
Minimum of 10-15 years of experience in early-stage biopharmaceutical or biotechnology industry or partly in academia. Prior experience (5+ years) in a leadership role overseeing cross-functional teams is crucial to manage the complexities and the scale of operations in this role;
You are a true leader and expert in biology, preferably in immunology, oncology and/or drug development. Experience with antibody therapeutics is a plus;
You have extensive experience in managing teams and get motivated by inspiring people and letting them grow;
You report scientific results in patents, publications, and regulatory documents;
You preferably have prior experience with antibody proteomics, sequence analysis, structural biology or other antibody-related computational work;
You have knowledge and experience with -omics related computational work;
You are proactive and develop a vision that anticipates emerging organizational needs and act to translate that into an array of technology evaluation pilots, external partnership opportunities, and work streams to advance research and development;
You have facilitation skills to effectively inform management of key updates and challenges;
You have published high quality journals, references, and external presentations;
Excellent communication skills in English.

About You

You are passionate about our purpose and genuinely care about our mission to transform the lives of patients through innovative cancer treatment;
You bring rigor and excellence to all that you do. You are a fierce believer in our rooted-in-science approach to problem-solving;
You are a generous collaborator who can work in teams with diverse backgrounds;
You are determined to do and be your best and take pride in enabling the best work of others on the team;
You are not afraid to grapple with the unknown and be innovative;
You have experience working in a fast-growing, dynamic company (or a strong desire to);
You work hard and are not afraid to have a little fun while you do so.

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