Principal Scientist​/Associate Director, Biochemistry & Biophysics

Vida Vinci, Inc. is a venture-backed, privately held biotech company on a mission to pioneer "a new modality to end all modalities". Our goal is to revolutionize drug discovery at scale, address the toughest challenges of existing modalities, and unlock high-impact therapies for patients. Backed by top-tier investors, the Company is co-founded by Drs. Gregory Verdine and Hal Barron--renowned industry leaders known for taking on the most daring scientific challenges.

Built on a bold vision to redefine therapeutic innovation, we are pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in medicine.

We are seeking a hands-on Principal Scientist in Biophysics & Biochemistry to advance hit-to-lead discovery for a new therapeutic modality and to build the biophysics capability that accelerates our pipeline.

The ideal candidate leads from the bench and combines deep biophysical assay expertise, strong mechanistic judgment, and urgency to translate difficult science into medicines.

• Lead biophysics strategy and execution from the bench across discovery programs
• Define biophysical and biochemical assay strategies for a new therapeutic modality and challenging targets
• Develop, execute, and troubleshoot assays including SPR, BLI, FIDA, DLS, ITC, MST, nano-DSF, SEC-MALS, and thermal shift
• Run biochemical assays such as FP, TR-FRET, and AlphaLISA for kinetics, mechanism of action, and mode of inhibition
• Characterize compound engagement of difficult targets, including allosteric sites and higher-order complexes
• Resolve assay liabilities, artifacts, and ambiguous data for Bro5 molecules with challenging physicochemical properties
• Partner with chemistry, biology, and CROs to strengthen validation, learning, and program decisions
• Own instrumentation and data-quality standards, and mentor scientists at the bench

• Ph.D. in Biophysics, Biochemistry, Chemical Biology, or related field
• 7+ years of industry drug discovery experience
• Strong publication record
• Deep expertise in biophysical and biochemical assay development and data interpretation, including SPR, BLI, FIDA, DLS, ITC, FRET/TR-FRET, thermal shift, and protein characterization
• Track record with challenging targets, complex mechanisms, or nontraditional therapeutic modalities, including Bro5 molecules
• Proven ability to discern ground truth in ambiguous data, separating real signal from artifact
• Experience managing CROs and balancing internal and external capacity against timelines and budget
• For the Associate Director level: 2+ years’ experience managing and developing a scientific team, with a strong commitment to mentoring talent.

• Passionate drug hunter with strong scientific judgment and a passion for tackling scientific puzzles.
• Creative, persistent, and comfortable with ambiguity
• Clear communicator who elevates others and maintains high standards
• Motivated and driven to help define a new therapeutic modality