Principal – New Ventures

Who We Are:

Osanni is a development-stage therapeutics platform, headquartered in San Francisco, California.  We are creative and agile innovators, relentlessly curious about finding new ways to target the biology behind diseases with the greatest unmet need and determined to do something about it.

At the center of Osanni is its innovation engine, which is optimized for discovering new scientific insights, designing novel drug concepts, and efficiently advancing programs to a meaningful proof-of-concept.  Once a program is sufficiently de-risked, it graduates into its ecosystem of affiliate companies (Avians), which are equipped with the dedicated focus, specialized talent and support necessary to scale.  Osanni's architecture marries the scientific depth and operational power of a centralized platform with the speed, agility and accountability of independent companies.  The result: an opportunity to create and deliver more transformative medicines.

We hold patients and the physicians who care for them as our North Star. It guides our purpose, sharpens our decision-making, and defines our impact.  Osanni is currently advancing programs in ophthalmology, cardiology and beyond.  We are building a highly skilled team, passionate about having an impact on human health.  Be part of creating an organization where people enjoy their work and their colleagues, are valued for their individuality, and can't imagine working anywhere else.

This role is based in the San Francisco Bay Area and requires working on-site 3 days/week.

About the Role:

Osanni is seeking an entrepreneurial Principal, New Ventures to drive opportunity screening and lead the development of novel program concepts from early scientific insight through a clear path toward proof-of-concept.

You'll partner closely with the Sr. Director, Discovery Innovation and the broader Discovery Innovation team to discover and evaluate therapeutic opportunities, build the case for which ones are worth pursuing, and move fast past the ones that aren’t. You'll engage external partners, advisors, and key opinion leaders to stress-test and strengthen that thinking. A central part of the role is defining the full opportunity story for a given program, not just the science, but the target product profile, competitive landscape, regulatory pathway, and commercial and IP strategy, and using that story to guide what advances and what doesn't.

This is a high-ownership, high-velocity role. The Discovery Innovation team is small and still building its process, so you'll be defining how this work gets done as much as doing it. Your calls on what advances carry real weight: what you build the case for becomes the programs Osanni is known for internally and externally, which makes this a high-visibility seat with real responsibility attached. Decisions move fast here, and so should you. This role is based out of our San Francisco Bay Area headquarters (hybrid, on-site required) and reports directly to the Sr. Director, Discovery Innovation.

What You Will Do:

• Own opportunity and program screening across new therapeutic areas and modalities. Call scientific plausibility, competitive position, and clinical precedent, and kill weak ideas fast.
• Define target product profiles reflecting mechanism of action, PK/PD, clinical, regulatory, and commercial considerations.
• Build the non-scientific case for a program well before it reaches legal or commercial process, including IP and exclusivity positioning, regulatory pathway, how it wins commercially
• Partner directly with Osanni's scientific team to plan and shape preclinical and clinical experimental work needed to advance a program toward proof-of-concept.
• Create project plans with timelines, resourcing needs, and decision frameworks that support rapid, well-informed progress.
• Collaborate closely with fellow members of the newly forming Discovery Innovation team to evaluate and strengthen opportunities as the group's tools and analytical capabilities mature.
• Build and manage relationships with external scientific, clinical, and business partners as needed to evaluate and advance a given opportunity.
• Partner with the Senior Director, Discovery Innovation and company leadership to drive effective decision-making across the innovation portfolio.
• Foster a culture of innovation and entrepreneurial thinking within the group.
• Manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced, evolving environment, ensuring deliverables are completed accurately and on time, while performing other related duties as required.

What You Bring:

• PhD or MD in a biological science, bioengineering, or related field, with 8+ years in biotech or pharmaceutical innovation. Candidates with a Master's (10+ years) or Bachelor's (12+ years) whose track record clears the same bar will also be considered.
• Sharp, demonstrated judgment on early-stage biotech or pharmaceutical opportunities, built through experience like venture, business development, licensing, or hands-on program leadership within life sciences.
• Demonstrated ability to move an opportunity from early scientific concept toward a defined, proof-of-concept-ready plan.
• Strong scientific and therapeutic judgment, paired with the ability to think through commercial, regulatory, and IP considerations for a program.
• Ability to operate effectively at both strategic and tactical levels, and to work independently in ambiguous, undefined problem spaces.
• Strong interpersonal and cross-functional collaboration skills, including comfort working closely with a small, newly forming team and engaging external partners and KOLs.

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Base Pay 190000 - 215000 USD