Full-Time

Director – Safety Scientist

Pharmacovigilance

MapLight Therapeutics

MapLight Therapeutics

51-200 employees

Develops targeted brain-disorder therapeutics via platform

Compensation Overview

$220k - $240k/yr

+ Annual Bonus + Stock Options + 401(K) Plan with Match

United States

Hybrid

Hybrid: 3 days in-office per week for employees within 50 miles of Redwood City, CA or Burlington, MA.

Category
Biology & Biotech (1)
Required Skills
Risk Management
Data Analysis
Requirements
  • Health care professional degree (e.g. Registered Nurse, Bachelor of Science in Nursing, Doctor of Pharmacy) or advanced degree (Masters/PhD) in biomedical sciences, pharmaceutical sciences, or related life science.
  • Minimum 10 years of pharmacovigilance experience within the biopharmaceutical industry with at least 3 years of direct clinical/patient care experience.
  • Competence in conducting safety data reviews, preparation of aggregate reports, signal detection and risk management plans for investigational and/or post-marketed products.
  • Experience with MedDRA and drug coding reviews.
  • Demonstrated expertise in global pharmacovigilance regulations, good pharmacovigilance practices and International Council for Harmonisation guidelines, safety systems, and drug development processes.
  • Experience in pharmacovigilance processes for individual case handling, signal management, aggregate data review, aggregate reports, and audits/inspections.
  • Exceptional communication and cross-functional collaboration skills.
  • Strategic thinker with the ability to translate complex safety data into actionable insights for regulatory and clinical decision-making.
  • Able to work within a growing organization and to help the organization evolve over time.
  • Able to engage in an open, constructive and continuous dialogue with the Company’s stakeholders based on equality and mutual respect.
  • Highly motivated, self-driven and dependable.
  • Committed to MapLight's Core Beliefs and Values.
Responsibilities
  • Manage safety surveillance and signal detection activities (period review of aggregate safety data, safety surveillance team meetings, track signals and related documentation)
  • Represent PV at clinical study team for assigned product
  • Develop signal assessment report under the oversight of Program safety lead for validated safety signal
  • Collaborate with PV operations for timely and accurate medical review of ICSRs for assigned clinical study as needed
  • Develop and contribute safety risk management plan across product lifecycle
  • Develop and manage periodic reports (DSUR/PBRER)
  • Contribute for data analysis and authoring of safety sections for regulatory submissions and regulatory responses
  • Contribute for the development or updates of safety surveillance and risk management SOPs, templates etc.
  • Collaborate with clinical study teams on safety surveillance deliverables (IB, RSI, Protocol, Briefing documents etc.)
  • Participating in PV audit and inspections
  • Represent Pharmacovigilance function in committees and activities both internally and externally when appropriate.
Desired Qualifications
  • Post-graduate training in epidemiology (e.g. Master of Public Health)
  • Safety surveillance and risk management experience in neuroscience, psychiatry or neurodegenerative disease area
MapLight Therapeutics

MapLight Therapeutics

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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 Jobs

Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

  • ZEPHYR Phase 2 schizophrenia enrollment should finish in April 2026.
  • IRIS autism topline data are expected in Q3 2026.
  • SandboxAQ collaboration adds up to $200 million in milestones and external validation.

What critics are saying

  • ZEPHYR schizophrenia readout in Q3 2026 will likely determine ML-007C-MA valuation.
  • CFO and chief discovery officer sales in May 2026 weaken insider confidence.
  • $139 million annual burn against $453.1 million cash forces dilution before 2027.

What makes MapLight Therapeutics unique

  • MapLight targets dysfunctional neural circuits, not broad symptomatic CNS suppression.
  • Its platform combines optogenetics, STARmap, and transcriptomics for circuit-specific target discovery.
  • Founded in 2019 by psychiatry and neuroscience leaders, it built multiple first-in-class assets.

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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

Headcount

6 month growth

2%

1 year growth

-2%

2 year growth

0%
The Associated Press
Mar 26th, 2026
MapLight Therapeutics ends 2025 with $453M, expects Phase 2 schizophrenia trial results in Q3 2026

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.

Clival Private Limited
Dec 19th, 2025
SandboxAQ and MapLight Therapeutics Team Up to Develop First-in-Class CNS Therapies

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!

Intellectia.AI
Dec 4th, 2025
MapLight Therapeutics raises $296.5M in IPO to fund CNS trials through 2027

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.

American Banking News
Dec 1st, 2025
Maplight Therapeutics' $250M Quiet Period Ends

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.

Business Insider
Nov 21st, 2025
MapLight Therapeutics Rated Buy by Stifel

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.