Full-Time
Clinical Business Operations Senior Specialist
MapLight Therapeutics
51-200 employees
Develops targeted brain-disorder therapeutics via platform
Compensation Overview
$115k - $135k/yr
Burlington, MA, USA
Hybrid
Three days on-site per week required.
 Business & Strategy (1) |
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- Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent education required, preferably in Life Sciences, Finance, or Business Administration.
- A minimum of 3 years experience with outsourcing for clinical trials, vendor negotiations, or operations management, accounting, and finance.
- Experience working with key Clinical Operations stakeholders.
- Experience working with the biotech/pharmaceutical industry at a CRO or sponsor company (preferred).
- Excellent written and oral communication skills with ability to generate concise reports and verbal updates.
- Demonstrated strong analytical skills.
- Demonstrated high level of proficiency with Microsoft Office suite (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint).
- Must be flexible and adaptable to changing project priorities, work assignments and deadlines.
- Vendor selection; including review and analysis, budget negotiations, development, and execution.
- Manage the Request for Proposal (RFP) process. This includes: Work with Clinical Trial Managers (CTM) and Clinical Scientific Leads to develop outsourcing strategy including range of vendors and timelines for award (i.e. schedule a vendor outsourcing strategy meeting). Use the RFP template to customize to each study. Create a draft of the RFP for review by the study team. Communicate with vendors the RFP timelines and milestones and coordinate feedback to questions/answers. Maintain the internal RFP timelines and milestones. Following award, be the point of contact to receive the scope of work and budget grid from vendor. Coordinate the review and consolidate the internal study team’s (and finance) questions and comments regarding the budget to the vendor. Coordinate contract review and Coupa entry of budget. Initiate a warm transfer to the operations team.
- Manage MapLight’s review of all site budgets and contracts. This includes: Lead discussions with vendor and CTM to develop study budget and acceptable ranges. Forecast site contract review timelines as they related to study start up with assistance from the study CTM. Liaise with the Legal Department to ensure MapLight specific site contract template with fall back language is acceptable. Coordinate with CRO/vendor for process of escalation language to MapLight. Coordinate with study team on internal process for triage of contract language and budget requests. Provide and/or track contract status updates/reporting. Ensure all executed site contracts are filed in the designated area within MapLight.
- Assist with and provide support in developing effective clinical contractual agreements (such as Confidentiality Agreements, Master Services Agreements, Work Orders, Amendments, Change Orders, and any other type of contracts) needed for clinical studies.
- Actively managing other clinical financial obligations.
- Facilitate creation and execution of all contract documents and manage the review and negotiation of contract terms and partner in collaboration with Legal, Finance and other internal stakeholders as needed to finalize.
- Builds and maintains business relationships and establishes partnerships with CROs, vendors, and other external partners including strategic partnerships and preferred provider relationships.
- Innovate and maintain tracking systems and metrics, translating complex data into actionable insights for project and program advancement.
- You can participate and work effectively with multiple cross-functional teams.
- You have strong interpersonal skills and understand relationships are key to being successful.
- You are a leader. Teams love working with you, and you are someone who takes pride in mentoring and supporting the careers of others.
- You’re a team player who is willing to roll-up your sleeves and get the job done.
- Experience working with the biotech/pharmaceutical industry at a CRO or sponsor company preferred.
- Leadership experience and mentoring abilities.
- Strong interpersonal skills and ability to build cross-functional relationships.
- Ability to work effectively with multiple cross-functional teams.
MapLightRx develops targeted brain disorder therapeutics by using a discovery platform that combines optogenetics, STARmap, and transcriptomics to identify malfunctioning neural circuits. Its lead compounds are in clinical trials for autism-related social deficits and Parkinson’s disease movement issues, with the goal of delivering safe, effective treatments that are more precise than traditional broad-spectrum drugs. The company differentiates itself by its proprietary, circuit-focused approach and its move away from generalized therapeutics toward therapies designed for specific brain circuits. Overall, MapLightRx aims to bring targeted, clinically safe brain therapies to market and improve outcomes for patients with Autism, Parkinson’s, and related disorders.
Company Size
51-200
Company Stage
IPO
Headquarters
Redwood City, California
Founded
2018
Simplify's Take
What believers are saying
- Phase 2 ZEPHYR trial enrollment completed for ML-007C-MA in schizophrenia with Q3 2026 topline results.
- Phase 2 IRIS trial for ML-004 in autism completed last patient visit with Q3 2026 data readout.
- $453M cash funds operations through 2027 after $296.5M IPO in October 2025.
What critics are saying
- ZEPHYR trial fails in Q3 2026, eliminating lead asset against Bristol Myers Squibb's Cobenfy.
- $139M annual burn exhausts cash by mid-2027, forcing dilutive raises post-trial failures.
- Chief Discovery Officer Kreitzer's 2026 share sale signals insider doubt before Q3 readouts.
What makes MapLight Therapeutics unique
- MapLight's platform integrates optogenetics, STARmap, and transcriptomics to target misfiring brain circuits.
- ML-007C-MA is novel M1/M4 muscarinic agonist with precision-matched antagonist offsetting peripheral effects.
- SandboxAQ collaboration uses AI-driven GPCR modeling for first-in-class CNS therapies.
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People at MapLight Therapeutics who can refer or advise you
Benefits
401(k) Retirement Plan
Stock Options
Flexible non-accrual paid time off
Parental Leave
Medical, Dental, Vision, Life and AD&D
Short Term and Long Term Disability
Growth & Insights and Company News
6 month growth
↑ 2%1 year growth
↓ -2%2 year growth
↑ 0%MapLight Therapeutics reported its fourth quarter and full year 2025 financial results, ending the year with $453.1 million in cash, cash equivalents and investments, expected to fund operations through 2027. The clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company expects its Phase 2 ZEPHYR trial of ML-007C-MA for schizophrenia to reach target enrollment of 300 participants in April 2026, with topline results in the third quarter. The Phase 2 IRIS trial for ML-004 in autism spectrum disorder has completed enrollment, with results also expected in the third quarter of 2026. ML-007C-MA received FDA Fast Track designation for Alzheimer's disease psychosis, with Phase 2 VISTA trial results expected in the second half of 2027. MapLight expanded its pipeline with ML-055, a next-generation muscarinic agonist programme, targeting candidate nomination in 2026.
SandboxAQ and MapLight Therapeutics team up to develop first-in-class CNS therapies. SandboxAQ and MapLight Therapeutics have entered into a strategic collaboration to discover and develop potential first-in-class treatments targeting a novel G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) linked to central nervous system (CNS) disorders. What the collaboration covers? Under the agreement, SandboxAQ will receive an upfront payment and is eligible for up to $200 million in preclinical, development, regulatory, and commercial milestone payments. Both companies will jointly conduct preclinical research, while MapLight Therapeutics retains exclusive rights to advance successful compounds into clinical development and commercialization. AI-Driven drug discovery at the core. The partnership brings together SandboxAQ's advanced AI and molecular simulation platform (AQBioSim) with MapLight's deep expertise in CNS biology. SandboxAQ will use large-scale AI models and high-fidelity simulations to: * Explore GPCR structure - function relationships * Predict ligand - receptor interactions * Optimize drug-like properties * Accelerate Design - Make - Test - Analyze (DMTA) cycles This approach is designed to rapidly narrow down promising candidates in chemical space that traditional methods often struggle to access. Why This matters for CNS drug development? GPCRs remain one of the most important but challenging target classes in drug discovery, especially in CNS diseases where unmet need remains high. By combining AI-driven simulations with biological validation, the collaboration aims to unlock previously hard-to-drug GPCR targets and generate differentiated, first-in-class therapies. What the companies are saying? MapLight Therapeutics highlighted that the novel target was identified and validated using its internal discovery platform, while SandboxAQ emphasized that its technology enables a level of precision in GPCR modeling that was not previously possible. Together, the companies aim to accelerate the discovery of innovative CNS treatments that could address significant gaps in current care. About the partners. * SandboxAQ is a B2B company operating at the intersection of AI and quantum-inspired technologies, delivering large quantitative models across life sciences and other industries. * MapLight Therapeutics is focused on developing novel therapies for central nervous system disorders by targeting innovative biological mechanisms. This collaboration underscores the growing role of AI-led platforms in reshaping early-stage drug discovery, particularly for complex targets in neurology and psychiatry. Optimize your trial insights with Clival Database. Are you exhausted from the uncertainty of trial insights pricing? Clival Database ensures the clarity in the midst of the global scenario for clinical trials to you. Clival Database is one of the best databases that offers an outstanding number of clinical trial data in terms of 50,000+ molecules and from primary regulatory markets as well as new entrants like Indian and Chinese markets. With Clival, you get accurate positioning of historical sales data, patent database, company profiling, safety & efficacy, and prediction of launch of new innovative molecules helping you to align your research and driving down the cost. To add value, Clival further break down its analytics for you so that improving your operational effectiveness; optimizing your clinical trials; and offering you accurate and high-quality data at lowest possible prices becomes possible. Elevate your trial success rate with the cutting-edge insights from Clival database. Check it out today and make more informed sourcing decisions! Learn More!
MapLight Therapeutics has raised $296.5 million through an initial public offering and concurrent private placement, selling 17.4 million shares and netting $269.8 million. The October 2025 financing provides funding through 2027. The company is advancing two clinical trials: ZEPHYR, enrolling 300 schizophrenia patients with topline results expected in the second half of 2026, and VISTA, targeting psychosis symptoms in Alzheimer's disease with results anticipated in 2027. As of 30 September 2025, MapLight reported $227.2 million in cash and short-term investments. Research and development expenses for the third quarter reached $27.1 million, up from $16.8 million in the same period last year, reflecting increased investment in clinical trials and employee costs.
Maplight Therapeutics' (NASDAQ:MPLT) quiet period ends on December 8th. The company issued 14,750,000 shares in its IPO on October 27th, raising $250 million at $17.00 per share. Analysts have begun coverage, with ratings ranging from "sell" to "strong buy" and an average target price of $31.00. Shares opened at $13.63, with a 1-year range of $12.24 to $20.86. Following the quiet period, underwriters are expected to initiate research coverage.
Stifel initiated coverage of MapLight Therapeutics (MPLT) with a Buy rating and a $28 price target, viewing the company as a potential second-mover in the muscarinic space. Despite a slower than expected launch of Cobenfy, the muscarinic market offers significant revenue potential. Stifel highlights MapLight's ML-007C-MA for its potential differentiation in dosing convenience and tolerability. The news was first published on TheFly.