Team / Research Leader (Translational Oncology), London

Isomorphic Labs is applying frontier AI to help unlock deeper scientific insights, faster breakthroughs, and life-changing medicines with an ambition to solve all disease. The future is coming. A future enabled and enriched by the incredible power of machine learning. A future in which diseases are curtailed or cured starting with better and faster drug discovery. Come and be part of an interdisciplinary team driving groundbreaking innovation and play a meaningful role in contributing towards us achieving our ambitious goals, while being a part of an inspiring and collaborative culture.

About Iso

Isomorphic Labs (IsoLabs) was launched in 2021 to advance human health by building on and beyond the Nobel-winning AlphaFold system. Since then, our interdisciplinary team of drug discovery experts and machine learning specialists has built powerful new predictive and generative AI models that accelerate scientific discovery at digital speed. Our name comes from the belief that there is an underlying symmetry between biology and information science. By harnessing AI’s powerful capabilities, we can use it to model complex biological phenomena to help design novel molecules, anticipate how drugs will perform and develop innovative medicines to treat and cure some of the world’s most devastating diseases. We have built a world-leading drug design engine comprising AI models that are capable of working across multiple therapeutic areas and drug modalities. We are continually innovating on model architecture and developing cutting-edge capabilities to advance rational drug design. Every day, and with each new breakthrough, we’re getting closer to the promise of digital biology, and achieving our ambitious mission to one day solve all disease with the help of AI.

Your Impact

We are seeking a Senior Translational Oncologist to serve as a key scientific leader to develop and execute the complete translational strategy for our diverse oncology pipeline, spanning multiple therapeutic modalities. You will work in a deeply collaborative, interdisciplinary partnership with our Computational Biology, AI/ML, Drug Design and Clinical teams. In this vital role, you will also be expected to line manage a team of Biologists, driving projects from discovery through to early clinical development. Your primary objective is to define the path to the clinic, and build the biomarker and patient selection strategies that ensure we get the right drug to the right patient, providing robust evidence that the target molecular profiles of AI-designed oncology drugs translate into desirable target product profiles.

What you will do

• Translational Strategy: Design, lead, and execute comprehensive translational strategies for our oncology portfolio, establishing a clear line-of-sight from preclinical validation to clinical efficacy.
• Oncology Model Implementation: Ensure Isomorphic labs is choosing and accessing the most appropriate state-of-the-art in vivo and ex vivo cancer models (e.g. PDX, tumour organoids, syngeneic models, and complex co-cultures) to rigorously test mechanism of efficacy, resistance mechanisms, patient stratification, and dosing regimens.
• Biomarker & PoC: Develop and implement robust biomarker and pharmacodynamic (PD) strategies, informed by in silico predictions, to secure early clinical proof-of-concept and guide patient selection in conjunction with Translational Medicine.
• AI/ML Partnership: Serve as the key oncology expert in a "computational-experimental" feedback loop. You will collaborate with Computational Biologists and ML Engineers to interpret in silico findings, design critical validation experiments, and integrate high-dimensional experimental data back into the AI platform to refine our models.
• Team Leadership & Development: Lead a small team of drug discovery scientists who are responsible for the biology strategy in oncology drug discovery projects. Provide scientific leadership and mentorship, fostering a culture of high performance, innovation, and rigorous scientific inquiry.
• Regulatory Contribution: Author and provide expert contribution to the translational and biomarker sections of key internal documents and external regulatory filings (e.g. INDs).

Skills and qualifications

Essential:

• PhD in Oncology or Cancer Biology, or a related scientific discipline, or equivalent industrial experience.
• 10+ years’ professional experience in a pharmaceutical or biotech setting.
• Proven track record in translational science, pharmacology, and biomarker development within oncology.
• Deep, expert-level understanding of cancer biology, including oncogenic signaling pathways, the tumor microenvironment (TME), and mechanisms of drug resistance.
• Demonstrable success in building comprehensive translational packages (e.g. PK/PD, efficacy, and biomarker strategies) that have guided programs from discovery into early clinical development.
• Expert knowledge in developing and utilising innovative translational models (e.g. human ex vivo assays, complex in vivo models) to probe disease biology and drug response.
• Proven experience in a leadership role, specifically managing direct reports and leading biology or translational sub-teams from program inception to clinical candidate delivery.
• Strong understanding of the competitive landscape in oncology and current standards of care.
• Exceptional communication skills, with a proven ability to "speak the language" of both computational scientists and discovery biologists, fostering true interdisciplinary collaboration.

Nice to have

• Understanding of (and enthusiasm for) how AI/ML models are used in drug discovery.
• Experience with diverse therapeutic modalities, including small molecules, biologics (ADCs, bispecifics), or novel modalities.
• Proven drug discovery project leadership from target selection through to candidate nomination.

Culture and values

We are guided by our shared values. It's not about finding people who think and act in the same way. These values help to guide our work and will continue to strengthen it.

• Thoughtful: Thoughtful at Iso is about curiosity, creativity and care. It is about good people doing good, rigorous and future-making science every single day.
• Brave: Brave at Iso is about fearlessness, but it’s also about initiative and integrity. The scale of the challenge demands nothing less.
• Determined: Determined at Iso is the way we pursue our goal. It’s a confidence in our hypothesis, as well as the urgency and agility needed to deliver on it. Because disease won’t wait, so neither should we.
• Together: Together at Iso is about connection, collaboration across fields and catalytic relationships. It’s knowing that transformation is a group project, and remembering that what we’re doing will have a real impact on real people everywhere.

Creating an extraordinary company

We believe that to be successful we need a team with a range of skills and talents. We're building an environment where collaboration is fundamental, learning is shared and every employee feels supported and able to thrive. We value unique experiences, knowledge, backgrounds, and perspectives, and harness these qualities to create extraordinary impact. We are committed to equal employment opportunities regardless of sex, race, religion or belief, ethnic or national origin, disability, age, citizenship, marital, domestic or civil partnership status, sexual orientation, gender identity, pregnancy or related condition (including breastfeeding) or any other basis protected by applicable law. If you have a disability or additional need that requires accommodation, please do not hesitate to let us know.

Hybrid working

It’s hugely important for us to share knowledge and build strong relationships with each other, and we find it easier to do this if we spend time together in person. This is why we follow a hybrid model, and would require you to be able to come into the office 3 days a week (currently Tuesday, Wednesday, and one other day depending on which team you’re in). If you have additional needs that would prevent you from following this hybrid approach, we’d be happy to talk through these if you’re selected for an initial screening call.