Director of Software Engineering

Discover International is supporting an exciting AI Drug Discovery Company to grow its engineering team.

Our client is looking to hire a Director of Software Engineering.

We are seeking a seasoned Director of Software Engineering to lead our software engineering teams focused on AI-driven drug discovery. The ideal candidate will combine expertise in software engineering management with an understanding of AI, bioinformatics, computational biology, or pharmaceutical sciences. You will work closely with interdisciplinary teams of biologists, data scientists, and chemists to develop innovative platforms that accelerate drug discovery.

Key Responsibilities:

• Provide leadership and vision for the software engineering function within the AI drug discovery domain.
• Develop and execute technical strategies aligned with the company's drug discovery objectives, ensuring the adoption of the latest AI/ML methods.
• Collaborate closely with cross-functional teams, including biology, chemistry, and data science, to drive software projects that meet the needs of drug discovery research.
• Oversee the design, development, and deployment of scalable AI software platforms used for drug discovery.
• Ensure software systems are highly reliable, efficient, and capable of handling large datasets related to biological and chemical research.
• Manage and mentor software engineering teams, promoting a culture of innovation, collaboration, and continuous learning.
• Work with data science teams to integrate AI/ML models into the software pipeline, optimizing performance for tasks such as molecular modeling, target identification, and drug screening.
• Stay up-to-date with the latest advancements in AI/ML as they apply to drug discovery, and ensure the integration of new methodologies when applicable.
• Partner with scientific and business teams to ensure that software products align with the research objectives and commercial goals.
• Communicate progress, risks, and challenges to senior leadership and stakeholders, ensuring transparency and alignment across the organization.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Bioinformatics, or a related field. A PhD is a plus.
• 10+ years of experience in software engineering, with at least 5 years in a leadership role.
• Proven experience in AI, machine learning, or data science, with a focus on applications in drug discovery, bioinformatics, or healthcare.
• Strong understanding of drug discovery processes, including molecular modeling, structure-based drug design, and high-throughput screening.
• Demonstrated experience with cloud computing (AWS, GCP) and large-scale data processing frameworks.
• Familiarity with programming languages such as Python, C++, Java, and frameworks like TensorFlow, PyTorch, or Scikit-learn.
• Strong communication skills and ability to work in cross-functional, interdisciplinary teams.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, or life sciences industry.
• Knowledge of cheminformatics and computational chemistry.
• Previous experience in leading teams that developed AI/ML-driven platforms for drug discovery.
• Hands-on experience with AI/ML tools and techniques in computational drug discovery.