Senior Clinical Scientist

ProQR Therapeutics is a biotechnology company listed on NASDAQ with offices in Leiden, the Netherlands and Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA. ProQR is focused on the development of life changing RNA therapies to meet the unmet need of individuals and families with common and rare diseases. A team of 150 enthusiastic ProQRians from all walks of life and more than 30 different nationalities is up to this challenge. We have the passion and commitment to make a difference in the lives of the communities we serve. Our proprietary Axiomer® RNA editing technology platform enables the editing of specific single nucleotides in RNA using the cells own editing machinery. Axiomer® RNA editing technology harnesses ADAR (Adenosine Deaminase Acting on RNA), which is machinery present in all human cells to repair G-to-A mutations, modulate protein, and enable protective mutation functions. Axiomer could potentially yield a new class of innovative medicines and treat currently untreatable diseases.

We are building our development organization in preparation to start clinical development of our Axiomer pipeline, as a result we are looking for a Senior Clinical Scientist (Full-time) to join us.

Location: Leiden, NL (on-site)

The Senior Clinical Scientist will lead the scientific and operational elements of the Clinical Development Plan for one of the ProQR pipeline projects, proactively engaging Key Opinion Leaders and external experts as needed. The role demands a proactive leader who can navigate the complexities of early clinical stage programs, particularly focusing on cholestatic liver diseases. The candidate will support early clinical stage programs creating and executing a scientifically robust clinical development plan, including:

• Crafting detailed protocols
• Defining innovative endpoints
• Leading robust data analysis and statistical evaluation
• Acting as the primary scientific contact for study sites, vendors, operational teams, and management.
• Building and maintaining relationships with Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs) and external studies and staying abreast of the scientific, competitive, and regulatory landscapes.
• Ensure that study plans and reports are compliant with GCP and adverse events are appropriately reported.
• Write and review clinical and regulatory documents (i.e., ICF, IB, safety updates, study reports, regulatory submissions, etc.) to support clinical development of lead compound(s)

We expect our Senior Clinical Scientist to have:

• An advanced degree (PhD/MSc) in a Life Science or Applied Science discipline.
• Experience in liver and cardiovascular diseases, prior experience in cholestatic disease and rare disease drug development would be an advantage.
• 5-10 years’ experience, preferably within the Biotech / Pharmaceutical industry in various facets of research & development including clinical operations, and clinical development.
• Excellent knowledge of GCP, clinical operations, clinical trials, translation from pre-clinical to phase 1, scientific methodology, data analyses and basic statistics, discovering novel endpoints.
• Experience working in multiple Phases of drug development, specifically early phases of clinical development (i.e., phase 1-2) and writing clinical documents for regulatory submissions.
• Knowledgeable about the scientific, competitive and evolving drug development environment.
• The ability to work independently and in a matrix setting.

Skills and competencies that are required for making the difference:

• Excellent written and oral communication
• Strategic & creative thinking, decision making and problem solving skills
• Cross functional / matrix leadership skills
• Team player with hands-on mentality
• Patient-oriented attitude
• Being able to work in a fast pace environment
• Strong project planning and management skills, able to prioritize multiple tasks
• Being a nice person 😊

ProQR as an employer

As an employer, we are a true believer of the value of a workforce in which people from diverse backgrounds are encouraged to develop themselves, personally and professionally. We believe that happy and energized people, working well together in an environment in which they thrive, will do phenomenal and awesome things.

We are committed to ensure that no employee, candidate or job applicant receives less favorable treatment on the grounds of race, age, disability, pregnancy, religion, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, marriage or civil partnership status. At ProQR we want to create an inclusive culture where everyone can be valued for who they are and in which individual differences and the contributions in all forms are recognized and valued.

We offer an exciting and innovative working environment in a very committed organization, with the following benefits:

• A competitive salary
• 8% holiday allowance
• 30 vacation days
• An annual performance bonus
• Stock options
• A premium-free pension plan
• A commuting allowance
• A subsidized staff restaurant
• Unlimited (un)healthy snacks and drinks
• Employee events (boot camp, Rebel Café and other social events)

Do you think you can contribute to achieving our mission? If so, we’re looking forward to receiving your application by filling out our application form. Please apply as soon as possible if you are interested in this position. You can contact Silvia Catellani via recruitment@proqr.com if you have any questions.