Associate Principal Scientist, DMPK

Company Description

Bicycle Therapeutics is a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company developing a novel class of medicines, referred to as Bicycle® molecules, for diseases that are underserved by existing therapeutics. Bicycle molecules are fully synthetic short peptides constrained with small molecule scaffolds to form two loops that stabilize their structural geometry. This constraint facilitates target binding with high affinity and selectivity, making Bicycle molecules attractive candidates for drug development. The company is evaluating zelenectide pevedotin (formerly BT8009), a Bicycle® Drug Conjugate (BDC®) targeting Nectin-4, a well-validated tumor antigen; BT5528, a BDC molecule targeting EphA2, a historically undruggable target; and BT7480, a Bicycle Tumor-Targeted Immune Cell Agonist® (Bicycle TICA®) targeting Nectin-4 and agonizing CD137, in company-sponsored clinical trials. Additionally, the company is developing Bicycle® Radioconjugates (BRC®) for radiopharmaceutical use and, through various partnerships, is exploring the use of Bicycle® technology to develop therapies for diseases beyond oncology.

 Bicycle Therapeutics is headquartered in Cambridge, UK, with many key functions and members of its leadership team located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA. For more information, visit bicycletherapeutics.com

Culture is key and all Bicycle employees actively embrace and role model our company values: 

• We are Adventurous. We believe it’s the way to deliver extraordinary results for our patients.   
• We are Dedicated to our Mission. You can’t change the world if you don’t have determination. 
• We are One Team. We only succeed when we work together.  

Job Description

Joining the team as Associate Principal Scientist, specialising in Drug Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics (DMPK), you will play a pivotal role in advancing novel bicyclic peptide therapeutics through drug discovery.

This role requires advanced scientific expertise, leadership in complex projects, and a collaborative mindset to drive our mission of delivering transformative medicines. As a key contributor, you will coordinate with cross-functional teams and external CROs, ensuring high-quality data and timely progression of compounds. You will be responsible for coordinating DMPK experiments, interpreting and presenting data to drug discovery project teams.

Experiment Coordination And Management:

• Coordinate experiments with Contract Research Organizations (CROs), managing DMPK budgets to ensure timely delivery of high-quality data.
• Monitor CRO performance to ensure quality data is delivered on schedule, maintaining project timelines.

Study Design and Execution

• Design and implement screening cascades to support compound progression by optimising pharmacokinetic properties
• Work closely with in vivo pharmacology to design experiments that elucidate preclinical pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) relationships and inform on potential clinical dosage regimens.

Data Analysis and Reporting

• Review, interpret, and report DMPK data in support of drug discovery projects, ensuring accuracy and relevance.
• Integrate data from multiple sources to inform understanding of bicyclic peptide distribution, metabolism, and excretion.
• Upload data from DMPK experiments to electronic notebooks, ensuring data integrity and compliance with regulatory standards.

Collaboration And Communication

• Act as the DMPK representative on discovery teams, presenting data and insights at multifunctional project team meetings.
• Work collaboratively with core disciplines (e.g., chemistry, biology) within project teams to support smooth and timely progression of compounds through the drug discovery cascade.

Qualifications

Key Skills:

• Prior industry experience or education in a relevant discipline, such as drug metabolism, pharmacology, pharmaceutical sciences.
• In depth understanding of DMPK science with practical knowledge of ADME assays and ability to critique and trouble-shoot
• Experience in pharmacokinetic data analysis using software packages
• Demonstrable hands-on experience in integrating preclinical data
• Experience working on drug discovery and/or development projects as a DMPK representative
• Excellent organisation and communication skills, both written and oral, confident presenting data.
• Experience working on radiopharmaceuticals or peptides would be an advantage. (desirable)
• Experience using Dotmatics would be an advantage (desirable)

Competencies Aligned To The Role:

Knowledge:

• Technical Authority: Applies deep scientific expertise to design, troubleshoot and interpret complex experiments.
• Knowledge Sharing: Acts as a reference point for technical best practice, guiding peers and cross-functional colleagues.
• Continuous Learning: Stays current with emerging technologies and scientific literature to drive innovation.

Job Complexity

• Project Delivery: Leads complex scientific projects with multiple variables, ensuring quality outcomes and timely delivery.
• Problem Solving: Anticipates barriers and develops innovative solutions to scientific and operational challenges.
• Cross-Functional Impact: Contributes to projects that influence strategy beyond their immediate team or function.

Independence

• Decision Making: Operates with minimal guidance, exercising sound judgement to determine appropriate methods and criteria.
• Autonomy: Prioritises and manages own workload effectively, balancing competing demands.
• Leadership: Provides mentorship and guidance to less experienced colleagues, supporting their growth and independence.

Values & Behaviours At Bicycle:

• One Team: Builds strong, collaborative relationships across scientific and non-scientific functions; actively supports and develops junior scientists.
• Adventurous: Explores new methodologies, challenges established approaches and balances creativity with scientific rigour.
• Dedicated to the Mission: Connects daily research to the Bicycle’s long-term mission; demonstrates resilience when experiments don’t go to plan and takes accountability for delivering meaningful outcomes

Additional Information

• State-of-the-art campus environment with on campus restaurant and Montessori nursery
• Flexible working environment
• Competitive reward including annual company bonus 
• Employee recognition schemes
• 28 days annual leave in addition to bank holidays + option to buy up to 5 additional days annually
• Employer contribution to pension (employee does not have to contribute) 
• Life assurance cover 4x basic salary 
• Private Medical Insurance, including optical and dental cover 
• Enhanced parental leave policies
• Group income protection
• Employee assistance program
• Health Cash Plan
• Access to company subsidized gym membership
• Eligibility for an option grant to subscribe to shares in Bicycle Therapeutics plc. 
• Cycle to work scheme 

Bicycle Therapeutics is committed to building a diverse workforce that is representative of the communities we serve. We recognize that diverse and inclusive teams build a stronger and more innovative company. Therefore, all qualified applicants will be considered for employment, and we do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, colour, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability status, marital status, or veteran status.