Head of Clinical Translational Medicine

Job description

About us

Owkin  is an agentic AI company on a mission to explore complex biology to speed up and scale research for the creation of new treatments and diagnostics for patients. Owkin K, our AI co-pilot combines unparalleled access to multimodal data, cutting-edge AI to understand biology and pioneering agentic AI to achieve Biological Artificial Superintelligence in the future.

Owkin is comprised of a group of specialized companies that work seamlessly together, combining deep expertise with a shared mission to accelerate biological discovery. Owkin K is the technology foundation of our ecosystem, it provides cutting-edge co-pilots incorporating high-quality data infrastructure and AI tools to power breakthroughs for researchers, customers and our companies.

Owkin has raised over $300 million through investments from leading biopharma companies, including Sanofi and BMS, and venture funds like Fidelity, GV and Bpifrance, among others.Owkin is seeking the best and brightest to join our fast-growing and dynamic team.

Position is based in our London office or remotely in UK or Germany.

Please submit your CV in English

About the role:

The Head of Clinical Translational Medicine will lead translational strategy and operations across Owkin’s expanding clinical pipeline, with initial focus on OKN4395 - a first-in-class EP2/EP4/DP1 triple inhibitor in global Phase 1 trials. This senior leadership role combines strategic oversight with hands-on operational execution, advancing Owkin’s AI capabilities through real-world clinical validation while rapidly implementing translational infrastructure that informs both clinical execution and strategic development decisions for multiple high-value incoming programs across oncology therapeutic modalities.

In particular, you will:

Strategic Leadership & Program Development:

• Analyze and interpret biomarker data from ongoing OKN4395 Phase 1 trial to aid proof-of-concept decision-making, optimize dosing, patient selection, and combination strategies
• Design and rapidly implement innovative translational methodologies for strategically important new assets across preclinical and early clinical development stages
• Drive strategic biomarker development priorities that inform both immediate clinical protocols and long-term asset development strategies
• Shape translational programs to support regulatory approval pathways and investor funding objectives

Translational Operations & Quality Delivery:

• Direct outsourcing and validation of clinical biomarker assays across small molecule and biologics programs
• Manage and oversee vendor relationships with central labs and analytical services to ensure fit-for-purpose data delivery on-time and on-budget
• Establish operational frameworks for companion diagnostics spanning traditional genetic/IHC and emerging AI-enabled methodologies
• Implement global sample collection and processing workflows that meet both regulatory standards and operational feasibility requirements

Three-Way Partnership Leadership:

• Drive collaborative partnership between translational medicine, experimental biology teams, and AI/ML groups to create integrated bench-to-bedside and back again hypothesis-testing cycles
• Partner with internal experimental teams to design and prioritize mechanistic experiments based on clinical findings
• Collaborate with AI/Data Science teams to advance Owkin K capabilities and drive clinical breakthroughs, generate real-world proof-points, and refine analytical models
• Synthesize insights across clinical, experimental, and computational domains to drive both tactical and strategic portfolio decisions

Cross-Functional Coordination & Stakeholder Engagement:

• Coordinate translational activities across expanding portfolio of programs at different development stages
• Collaborate with Discovery & Development teammates to ensure biomarker strategies strategically shape clinical protocols and asset development while maintaining medical and operational feasibility across global sites
• Develop compelling translational narratives for regulators and investors that support program advancement and funding objectives
• Participate in regulatory interactions with FDA, EMA, and global agencies while contributing biomarker strategies to regulatory submissions
• Lead academic collaborations and build strategic KOL relationships to enhance translational capabilities

About you

Required qualifications / experience:

• PhD (or equivalent experience) in Life Sciences with demonstrated industry experience in bio/pharmaceutical sector
• Proven track record leading translational programs through collaborative leadership across multiple therapeutic modalities
• Extensive experience across multiple therapeutic modalities in oncology, including for example small molecules and antibody-drug conjugates
• Hands-on operational experience managing programs from preclinical transition through clinical proof of concept
• Experience integrating clinical, experimental, and computational approaches to biomarker development
• Budget management experience across multiple programs in matrix organizational environments
• Strong communication skills for presenting complex data to regulators, investors, and diverse stakeholder groups

Preferred qualifications/bonus:

• Companion diagnostics regulatory knowledge with experience in both traditional and emerging AI-enabled approaches
• Strategic assay development experience - ability to anticipate and prioritize biomarker needs based on clinical insights
• Academic collaboration experience and ability to coordinate experimental and computational teams
• Experience with immuno-oncology mechanisms and AI/ML applications in clinical development
• Global clinical operations experience across multiple regulatory jurisdictions
• Matrix organization experience - proven ability to deliver results through influence and cross-functional collaboration

Leadership Competencies:

• Collaborative influence - drive results through cross-functional coordination rather than direct authority
• Integrative strategic thinking - synthesize insights across clinical, experimental, and computational domains
• Stakeholder communication excellence - translate complex data into compelling narratives for regulators and investors
• Operational delivery - manage multiple programs simultaneously while maintaining quality and timelines
• Strategic anticipation - identify biomarker development needs that influence both clinical protocols and broader development strategies

#LI-CJ1

What we offer

• Flexible work organization
• Friendly and informal working environment
• Opportunity to work with an international team with high technical and scientific backgrounds

Recruitment Process & Security

• Please complete the form and submit your CV.
• Owkin is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, sex, gender, sexual orientation, age, color, religion, national origin, protected veteran status or on the basis of disability.
• Owkin is a great place to work. As a coveted workplace we are, unfortunately, vulnerable to recruitment phishing scams. We urge all job seekers and candidates to be wary of potential scams. Most of these have individuals posing as representatives of prominent companies, including Owkin, with the aim of obtaining personal, sensitive, or financial information from applicants. These scams prey upon an individual’s desire to obtain a job and can sometimes “feel” like a genuine recruitment process. Some red flags are identified below. Should you encounter a recruitment process that claims to be for Owkin but is not consistent with the below, please do not provide any personal or financial information:
• Legitimate Owkin recruitment processes include communication with candidates through recognized professional networks, such as LinkedIn.
• Communication is always through an official Owkin email address (from the @owkin.com domain), over the phone or through our applicant tracking system (Greenhouse).
• The Owkin talent team do use platforms such as LinkedIn and Job Teaser, however if you have any concern or doubt about this contact, please ask for them to send an email from @Owkin.com.
• The Owkin talent team will not solicit personal data from candidates during the application phase including, but not limited to, date of birth, social security numbers, or bank account information;
• Legitimate Owkin interviews may be conducted over the phone, in person, or via an approved enterprise videoconferencing service (Google Meets). They will not occur via Signal, Telegram or Messenger
• Owkin offers of employment are based on merit and only extended once a candidate has interviewed with members of the talent and hiring team. Offers will be extended both verbally and in written format.

If you think that you have been a victim of fraud,

• Check the identity of the talent team on LinkedIn.
• Check the existence of the position on our website https://owkin.com/hiring
• Notify Owkin’s recruitment unit at this address [email protected]
• contact the following authorities:
  • [FR] https://www.internet-signalement.gouv.fr/
  • [UK] https://www.actionfraud.police.uk/reporting-fraud-and-cyber-crime
  • [US] https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/