About Aqemia
AQEMIA is a next-gen techbio generating one of the world's fastest-growing drug discovery pipelines. Our mission is to design fast many innovative drug candidates for critical diseases. Our differentiation lies in our unique quantum and statistical mechanics algorithms to power a generative artificial intelligence designing novel drug candidates, without the need to train on experimental data. We already delivered several drug discovery successes in the internal pipeline as well as in collaboration with Pharma companies - most advanced programs being currently in vivo optimization.
About the team you’ll join 🤝🏻
We are recruiting a key member to drive Aqemia’s success by leading and growing our Free Energy Team.
Reporting directly to Nicolas, the Head of Drug Discovery Platform at Aqemia, you will join our largest department, comprising 30 talented individuals.
As Free Energy Team Lead, you will manage a team of four people dedicated to free energy calculations. This role requires a broad background enabling you to develop free energy methods, mentor and expand the existing team. Additionally, the ideal candidate may represent the team externally, engaging with major pharmaceutical companies, and other key stakeholders.
Your role at Aqemia 👩🏼💻
As the Free Energy Team Lead at Aqemia, you will play a pivotal role in advancing our technical expertise in free energy calculations while fostering a culture of scientific rigor and innovation. Your role encompasses three main missions:
1. Develop and represent Aqemia's technical expertise in free energy methods:
- Develop new free energy methods and improve existing ones, including our cutting-edge Molecular Density Functional Theory Method.
- Challenge and drive content and method development with the team.
- Represent the team externally, presenting and organizing conferences, industry conferences and to potential collaborators.
2. Implement a scientific and rigorous methodology:
- Apply a scientific approach to all aspects of problem-solving, prioritizing empirical evidence over opinions.
- Foster a culture of rigorous experimentation and data-driven decision-making within the team.
- Translate business problems into practical solutions, ensuring that the team maintains a focus on delivering tangible value.
- Understand the core business issues, identify the necessary skills to address them, and develop solutions accordingly.
- Effectively manage ambiguity and uncertainty by clearly communicating challenges to the team.
- Provide the team with the autonomy to evolve in a dynamic and changing environment.
3. Set-up the team for success:
- Recruit, build, and develop a high-performing team capable of solving complex problems: today 4 people with 2 to 3 additional team members.
- Manage collective and individual performance of the team and provide regular feedback.
- Mentor and coach team members to foster their growth.
Create a positive work environment by encouraging engagement, motivation, and continuous learning.
- Foster a collaborative environment by connecting your team with other teams at Aqemia.
Expected Targets to Achieve in 2024:
- Attain state-of-the-art knowledge and practices in solvation energy calculation, including Molecular Density Functional Theory methods.
- Successfully integrate and support our current team members.
Recruit 2 to 3 new team members.
The competencies we are looking for 🔍
- Approximately 10 to 15 years of experience, including significant experience on Free Energy methods.
- In-depth knowledge of atomistic simulations and physical-chemistry.
- Deep expertise in free energy calculations and more broadly in statistical mechanics.
- Team management skills, capable of overseeing a team of 6 to 10 people, with prior experience managing PhDs and postdocs.
- Excellent methodology and rigorous approach to research.
- Pragmatic mindset with the ability to deliver regular value for short and long term endeavors.
- Comfortable with ambiguity and able to provide clear direction in an uncertain environment.
- Can-do attitude, looking for solutions instead of looking for problems.
- Effective communicator, able to engage and motivate team members and stakeholders, both internally and externally.
- Thrive on working collaboratively in a fast-paced, interdisciplinary environment that keeps everyone on track. Put collective wins over individual wins.
Our recruitment process ✍🏻
We design an effective and straight to the point process for each role.
1. Discovery call with Camille (20 minutes) - Recruiter.
2. Interview with Maximilien (30 minutes) co-founder and CEO.
3. Interview with Hiring Manager (30-40 minutes) – Nicolas (Head of Drug Discovery).
4. On-site case study assessment (2 hours total):
5. Deep dive into Technical skills (1h30) Nicolas and Maximilien (co-founder & CEO).
6. Deep dive into Manager skills (30 minutes) – Marion (Head of people).
7. Culture fit interview with Emmanuelle (COO & co-founder).
8. Final discussion with Maximilien (CEO & co-founder).
About us
We work for a mission: joining us means having your own impact on changing the way drugs are discovered, and helping to shape the direction of our fast-growing company and team.
🚀 Mission-Driven: We want to find many drugs and change drug discovery paradigm
💊 Fast-growing drug discovery pipe and proofs: Internal pipeline with multiple programs against cancer for now, most advanced ones currently in vivo proof of concept/ patent stage + Collaborations with several top Pharma companies such as Sanofi, J&J (...) incl. 140M$ deal with Sanofi
👥 Interdisciplinary world-Class team: built a team of 60 top tier people at the crossroads of tech and life sciences
👤 Experienced Founders: 15+ years experience including resp. leading research at ENS, Oxford, Cambridge and career in strategy con>sulting at BCG.
💫
DeepTech Innovators: Part of the French Tech 120 and France 2030, spinoff of Ecole Normale Superieure and CNRS
🏢 Prime Location: Paris (1 Bd Pasteur) with 2 days of remote per week.
🌎 International environment: Our working language is English. We offer a relocation package for those who wish to join us in France, which includes assistance in finding an apartment, help with all administrative tasks, and optional French lessons.
💸 Fundraising: $60M with European tech/deeptech funds - Elaia Partners (French leader deeptech VC), Eurazeo (largest European investment fund), Bpifrance Large Venture (largest French fund and fund of funds) and Wendel (PE tech fund).
