BioCurate’s mission is to translate medical research outputs into high-quality preclinical candidates for the biopharmaceutical industry, advancing Australian medical research into next-generation therapeutics. We are seeking a Senior Scientist, Translational Biology to join our dynamic, lean team in Melbourne on a full time, 12-month fixed-term contract. You’ll bring translational and target biology expertise, particularly in immunology and preclinical pharmacology, to programs spanning multiple therapeutic indications and modalities, from discovery through to key value-inflection points. The Role Reporting to the Director, Translational Biology, and working closely with project teams, you will:
• Plan, manage and execute preclinical activities across our pipeline, including target and biology validation, biochemical and cell-based assay development, in vivo pharmacology and toxicology, bioanalytical assays and biomarker identification.
• Critically analyse and interpret data to inform program next steps and go/no-go decisions.
• Manage studies and relationships with university project teams, CROs and consultants, from outreach and study design through to data generation, analysis and reporting.
• Help assess new project and investment opportunities, and contribute to development plans, investment proposals, grant applications and pitch materials.
• Present program updates and recommendations, and contribute to target candidate and product profiles, research reports, manuscripts and patent filings.
• Develop and maintain SOPs and study reports in line with our Quality Management System. About You You’re a hands-on, scientifically rigorous translational biologist who thrives in a flexible, matrixed environment and can keep several programs moving at once.



You bring the following essential experience/skills:
• A PhD (or MD or other relevant postgraduate qualification) in a relevant scientific discipline, together with postdoctoral research experience (at least 3 years) and a strong publication record.
• Proven, hands-on experience designing, validating and executing in vivo studies, and developing biochemical, bioanalytical and/or cell-based functional assays for target validation, mechanism-of-action studies and drug screening.
• Experience in early-stage drug discovery or related drug development, gained in an academic or industry setting, with broad knowledge of relevant methods such as CRISPR, omics, flow cytometry and in vivo disease models (e.g., syngeneic, xenograft, transgenic, humanised).
• Project management

experience:
building project plans, coordinating cross-functional teams and CRO deliverables, and anticipating and mitigating risks to deliver on time and on budget.
• The ability to critically assess projects against scientific, commercial and pharmacology criteria, with exceptional attention to detail and strong communication skills.
• The ability to work regularly from BioCurate’s Melbourne office (roughly 3 days a week minimum of office presence) Highly Regarded

Experience:
Immunology experience is preferred. Cell biology or pharmacology experience is also relevant, and candidates without immunology experience may still be considered if they meet the essential criteria. Industry R&D; experience in pharma or biotech is useful but not essential. Additional valued experience includes high-throughput assay development for antibody or small molecule programs, bioinformatics, and familiarity with the non-clinical data packages that support IND/CTA filings. Join us and help translate breakthrough biology into tomorrow’s therapeutic innovations.

📌 Senior Scientist, Translational Biology (Melbourne)
🏢 BioCurate
📍 Melbourne