Director, Target Validation & Functional Genomics

Ferring Pharmaceuticals is a globally recognized, research-driven, biopharmaceutical company with 70 years of history. Headquartered in Switzerland, Ferring is privately owned with over 6000 employees in nearly 60 countries. Within Ferring, the Global Drug Discovery and External Innovation (GDDEI) organization has an aggressive growth agenda to drive scientific excellence and build an early pipeline. The research focus is to discover transformational medicine and advance most promising science, internal or external, in the fields of reproductive medicine & maternal health, uro-oncology, and GI/microbiome.

People Come First at Ferring. The Ferring Philosophy places people at the heart of what we do. This guides our relations with patients, physicians, employees, and other stakeholders. We invite you to share our passion for people and the power of science.

The Ferring Research Institute was established in San Diego, California in 1996. More than 80 people work at its state-of-the-art research facility located in the heart of the Southern California biopharmaceutical community.

Summary:

The Director of Target Validation & Functional Genomics will be responsible for leading a new group tasked with developing and implementing strategies to experimentally validate new targets prior to portfolio entry across the Ferring Therapeutic Areas, including Reproductive Medicine & Maternal Health, Gastroenterology, Immunology, and Uro-oncology. The Target Validation & Functional Genomics group will utilize state-of-the-art technologies of functional genomics, chemical proteomics for target deconvolution, and morphological profiling with machine learning techniques. The Director will collaborate very closely with the Computational Biology and Data Sciences group and Therapeutic Area teams that are responsible for target identification. The Director will actively mentor and develop outstanding scientists and will be accountable for devising and championing the development and application of state-of-the-art approaches. The candidate will collaborate in a cross-functional team, across several groups within the Ferring organization fostering a culture of engagement and scientific rigor.

Responsibilities:

• Apply functional genomics (gain and loss of function) to interrogate complex disease mechanisms in relevant cellular models and patient samples
• Develop and implement CRISPR/Cas9 platforms for target exploration and validation, and understanding of mechanism of action
• Establish single cell NGS platforms (RNA-seq, ATAC-seq, single-nucleus RNA-Seq) in biologically relevant tissues
• Profile cells, animal models, and patient samples using bulk or single cell NGS platforms to inform target identification, mechanism of action, and biomarker studies
• Exploration of drug-target-phenotype relationships using chemical proteomics
• Develop cutting-edge in vitro systems (human iPSC differentiation, disease organoids, organ-on-a-chip) as relevant physiological systems for in vitro to in vivo translation
• Develop strong collaborations with Computation Biology and Data Sciences and the Therapeutic Area teams for target identification, and with the Screening group for phenotypic screening
• Contribute to the scientific management of projects by participating in drug discovery teams in collaboration with Chemistry, Bioanalytical/ADME, In Vivo Pharmacology, Computational Chemistry, and Structural Biology groups.
• Evaluate and establish collaboration with contract research organizations and academic institutions, enabling access to external innovation in support of internal projects
• Mentor and develop junior scientists in the methodology of target validation and career development
• Participate in the global scientific community through attendance at scientific conferences and publication of novel research findings in peer-reviewed, high quality journals.

Requirements:

• PhD and postdoctoral experience in Biology, Pharmacology, or related discipline with 8+ years in the pharmaceutical or biotech industries
• Strong understanding of functional genomics approaches and its role in the target validation
• Experience applying diverse CRISPR technologies (CRISPR gene editing, activation, repression) in vivo, ex vivo, and in cell lines
• Experience with iPSC differentiation, disease organoids, or organ-on-a-chip
• Understanding of deconvolution and validation techniques for small molecule hits from phenotypic screens is desired

• Excellent scientific ability demonstrated by a track record of scientific accomplishments through publications, patents, and invited presentations.
• Experience and ability to work in collaborative interdisciplinary teams in a matrix environment
• Strong leadership capabilities
• Outstanding written and oral presentation capabilities

We are proud to be an Affirmative Action/EEO Employer. EOE Minorities/Females/Protected Veterans/Disabled

We maintain a drug-free workplace and perform pre-employment substance abuse testing.

If you need assistance during the application process due to a disability, please email careers@ferring.com