Associate Director, Discovery DMPK in Cambridge

As a member of the Parabilis Medicines team, you will be a part of an organization dedicated to creating extraordinary medicines for diseases with urgent unmet needs, harnessing our proprietary peptide platform to transform treatment possibilities for patients. Parabilis is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company dedicated to unlocking high-impact protein targets long-considered undruggable. The company has developed a new class of stabilized, cell-penetrant alpha-helical peptides – Helicons™ – capable of modulating intracellular proteins that are inaccessible to traditional drug modalities. Headquartered in Cambridge, Mass., Parabilis is advancing a focused pipeline of multiple first-in-class therapies across both rare and common cancers.

Its lead asset, zolucatetide (FOG-001), is a first-in-class, clinically validated direct inhibitor of the interaction between β-catenin and the T-cell factor (TCF) family of transcription factors, implicated in millions of cancer cases annually, including in colorectal cancer, desmoid tumors, hepatocellular carcinoma and a range of other Wnt/β-catenin-driven tumors. In Phase 1 clinical trials, zolucatetide produced the first-ever clinical evidence that it can directly inhibit this interaction, once previously considered “undruggable” despite its role across multiple cancer types. Parabilis is also advancing investigational degraders of ERG and ARON into clinical development for the treatment of prostate cancer, as well as progressing other preclinical programs. Backed by a recent $305 million Series F financing, Parabilis is entering an exciting phase of growth and execution.

Parabilis Medicines’ Drug Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics (DMPK) team is seeking an experienced scientist to provide scientific leadership and apply PK/PD principles to our portfolio of exciting peptide drugs. Reporting to the VP of Discovery DMPK, you will serve as the primary DMPK representative on cross-functional discovery project teams, collaborating closely with medicinal chemists, pharmacologists, toxicologists and external CRO partners to advance novel therapeutics from early discovery through DC nomination.

Key responsibilities:

• Lead peptide DMPK strategy for discovery projects, aligning ADME objectives with project milestones and portfolio goals.
• Design and interpret in vitro and in vivo ADME studies to inform lead optimization and DC nomination.
• Integrate DMPK data with medicinal chemistry and pharmacology to guide chemical design and prioritize novel chemical matter with favorable drug-like properties.
• Present DMPK strategy, data interpretations, and risk assessments to project teams and senior leadership, providing clear scientific guidance to support program decisions.

What you’ll need to be successful:

• PhD (or equivalent) in DMPK, biology, chemistry, or related field with 8+ years of relevant industry experience, or MS with 11+ years of relevant experience.
• Excellent understanding of small molecule and antibody ADME principles; hands-on experience in PK/PD modeling, drug transporter/drug-drug interaction assessment, or regulated bioanalysis are desirable.
• Proficiency with WinNonLin and R for PK data analysis and PK/PD reporting.
• Experience overseeing external CRO partners to ensure high-quality data generation within budget and timelines.
• Ability to contribute expert-level guidance to regulatory submissions for small molecules (e.g., IND, IB, briefing documents).
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills; proven ability to work cross-functionally and present scientific findings clearly to both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Demonstrated ability to utilize AI tools for day-to-day work; baseline proficiency is expected, and advanced or innovative use of AI is a strong plus.
• Able to work on-site and attend in-person meetings.

Core Values

Parabilis Medicines is a team of passionate pioneers who are trailblazing the future of precision medicine with the aim of making a meaningful difference in the lives of patients. The company is committed to promoting an inspiring and flourishing working environment for all employees across the business, in all departments, and driving innovation for patient benefit.

• Growth-Minded. We’re inventing a new class of medicines—one applicable to therapeutic targets that have been dreamt about, but always considered impossible to drug. Our work requires us to be curious, humble and adaptable.
• In(ter)dependent. We are fiercely independent as a leader in defying the limitations of current therapeutic modalities, and interdependent as a team as we work collaboratively to shift drug discovery paradigms and provide patients with better treatment options.
• Patient-focused. We are deeply focused on patient outcomes, and all energy in the company is focused on science as it translates to patient impact.
• All-In. We’re All-In on solving some of the hardest scientific challenges and delivering one of the most effective new classes of drugs in history.

The base salary range for this position is $165,000-$200,000 per year, depending on experience, qualifications, and internal practices. Parabilis’s total compensation package also includes an annual target bonus, equity, and a comprehensive suite of competitive benefits designed to support our employees’ overall well-being. As an equal opportunity employer, Parabilis Medicines values an inclusive workplace and welcomes applicants of all backgrounds and experiences. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, disability, or any other factors prohibited by law.