Isomorphic Labs - Head of External Drug Discovery Operations, London

• Essential: • Essential: • Ph.D. or Master’s degree in Chemistry, Biology, Pharmacology, or a related life sciences discipline. • Substantial industry track record of biopharma R&D leadership, leading external research, discovery CRO management, or externalised discovery programs within biotech or pharma. • Technical breadth and working knowledge across medicinal/synthetic chemistry, in vitro screening cascades, in vivo pharmacology, and ADMET workflows. • Data-centric operational delivery, with proven experience instituting structured data collection frameworks with external vendors, including automated QC, data curation protocols, and machine-readable data transfers. • Practical experience of deploying modern productivity tools and automated workflow systems to streamline external research operations. • Commercial and financial acumen, with demonstrated success managing £multi-million discovery budgets, negotiating complex vendor agreements (MSAs/SOWs), and partnering with corporate Procurement and Legal functions. • Proven track record of team leadership and influencing others in a matrix structure, including recruiting, mentoring, and organising operational teams while effectively driving alignment across cross-functional matrix leaders. • Familiarity with small molecules and complex or emerging modalities. • AI-first mindset, with practical experience structuring chemical and biological data streams for machine learning workflows and automated DMTA cycles. • Exposure to or interest in applying agentic AI solutions to streamline external research operations. • Experience with biologics workflows. • Culture and values • 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. • ThoughtfulThoughtful at Iso is about curiosity, creativity and care. It is about good people doing good, rigorous and future-making science every single day. • Thoughtful • BraveBrave at Iso is about fearlessness, but it’s also about initiative and integrity. The scale of the challenge demands nothing less. • Brave • DeterminedDetermined 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. • Determined • TogetherTogether 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. • Together • 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 • 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. • would require you to be able to come into the office 3 days a week • Please note that when you submit an application, your data will be processed in line with our privacy policy. • >> Click to view other open roles at Isomorphic Labs