Principal Scientist, in vivo Pharmacology (Santa Cruz)

Unnatural Products Inc.

Santa Cruz, CA 95061

United States

Posted July 1, 2025

{FULL_TIME,INTERN}

Valid until July 31, 2025

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Job Description

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Unnatural Products Inc. provided pay range

This range is provided by Unnatural Products Inc.. Your actual pay will be based on your skills and experience — talk with your recruiter to learn more.

Base pay range

$150,300.00/yr - $180,300.00/yr

About the Company

Unnatural Products (UNP) is a growing discovery-stage biotech company pioneering macrocyclic peptide drug discovery. Our goal is to unlock the full therapeutic potential of macrocycles by bringing small molecule-like behavior to molecules with high target affinity - unlocking undruggable targets and enabling oral delivery to targets traditionally only addressable with injectable modalities.

Based in Santa Cruz, CA, we are a passionate team of scientists and operators doing high-quality science in a beautiful setting—where innovation and work-life balance go hand in hand. Come shape the future of UNP with us!

The Role

We are seeking an experienced and innovative in-vivo/translational pharmacologist with drug discovery expertise in metabolic diseases to join our Cardio-Metabolism department. The successful candidate will be responsible for the design, execution, and interpretation of complex in-vivo studies to advance drug discovery from target concept to development stage. The candidate will work closely with therapeutic area stakeholders in chemistry, high-throughput screening, protein science, and other multidisciplinary scientists to develop and execute strategies for critical animal studies to advance a diverse portfolio of macrocyclic peptides targeting metabolic dysfunction and complications, obesity and other related disorders. This position requires a demonstrated track record of successful innovative thinking and leadership in the advancement of new drug discovery programs.

What You’ll Do

Develop and lead in-vivo pharmacology studies to gain understanding of primary and secondary pharmacology mechanisms, translational potential, and safety for discovery- and development-stage programs
Design and execution of optimization paradigms, experimental planning, oversight in the development of new experimental protocols and procedures, and management and analysis of resulting experimental data
Implement and apply a variety of technologies to study metabolic dysregulation, muscle/adipose physiology and pharmacology
Design, execute, and report/summarize studies with novel molecules that demonstrate detailed proof of concept and proof of mechanism
Establish PK/PD relationships in non-clinical species
Provide scientific leadership and management of both internal resources and external collaborations to characterize the action of novel molecules on their targets and place the results into a therapeutic context.
Ensure high-quality data generation, analysis, and reporting to project teams, governance bodies, and regulatory agencies, and manage key timelines and milestones
Lead cross-functional teams and/or initiatives
Contribute and serve as an author for pre-clinical and clinical reports/documents
Write protocols for IACUC approval and work with IACUC committees

Essential Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

Requires an advanced degree, such as PhD, with demonstrable expertise in in vivo Physiology, Pharmacology, or related discipline (relevant industrial experience is critical).
10+ years related experience in a relevant laboratory setting; may include post-doctoral experience.
Demonstrated record of achievement in bringing discovery programs from concept through to selection of development candidate to IND submission
Significant hands-on experience with execution of animal studies related to the evaluation of metabolic dysregulation, muscle/adipose physiology and in vivo pharmacology

Why Join Us?

You will have to have an opportunity to help shape the future of a company on the rise. As our Principal Scientist, in vivo Pharmacology, you will drive our translational engine by leading pivotal in vivo studies that establish PK/PD, efficacy, and safety, directly steering our lead assets to IND filing and, ultimately, to patients. We value integrity, transparency, curiosity, and a collaborative spirit. If you are passionate about advancing cutting-edge in vivo pharmacology to transform novel science into life-changing therapies for patients we’d love to talk.

The expected salary range for this role is $150,300 to $180,300. Title and compensation will be competitive and commensurate with the candidate's career experience, qualifications, and the responsibilities of the position.

We are proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees and applicants and welcome individuals of all backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives. All employment decisions are based on business needs, job requirements, and individual qualifications, without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran status, disability status, or any other status protected by law.