Head of Research

Head of Research

Department: Research & Development

Employment Type: Permanent - Full Time

Location: Ghent

Reporting To: CDO

Description

ATB Therapeutics is a Biotech company developing a cutting‑edge technology to produce a new kind of targeted therapy designed to treat cancers and auto‑immune diseases. ATB Therapeutics has two Belgian R&D sites located in the Novalis Science Park (Marche-en-Famenne) and the VIB incubator (Ghent).

The company closed a successful Series A financing round of Euro 54 million in November 2024, and is backed by leading European and US investors.

Your Role

As Head of Research, you will lead and develop ATB Therapeutics’ internal discovery organization, located in Ghent, driving scientific excellence, innovation, and strategic alignment across early stage research programs.

Reporting to the CEO, you will play a pivotal role in defining and executing the therapeutic pipeline discovery and candidate nomination strategy in immunology and oncology indications. You will ensure scientific rigor and coherence across multiple programs, fostering strong integration with Platform and Development R&D activities.

In this senior leadership role, you will structure and scale the research organization, cultivating a collaborative, high-performance scientific culture, and ensuring research activities are aligned with ATB Therapeutics’ broader scientific and corporate objectives.

Responsibilities

• Contribute to and execute the overall therapeutic pipeline strategy, ensuring alignment with company objectives and strategic priorities.
• Communicate research progress to internal and external stakeholders.
• Take leadership and oversee multiple internal discovery programs, ensuring scientific quality, innovation, and timely decision‑making.
• Build, lead, and mentor a multidisciplinary research team, fostering scientific excellence, accountability, and collaboration.
• Ensure robust research processes, including experimental design, data interpretation, documentation, and knowledge sharing.
• Provide strategic input into program prioritization, resource allocation, and research portfolio management.
• Collaborate closely with Platform and Development teams to ensure smooth progression of research outputs.
• Stay at the forefront of scientific and technological developments relevant to ATB Therapeutics’ research focus, integrating key innovations where appropriate.
• Represent ATB Therapeutics in scientific interactions, collaborations, and conferences, strengthening the company’s scientific profile.

Requirements

• Ph.D. in Molecular Biology, Immunology, Biochemistry, Biotechnology, Pharmacology, or a related scientific discipline.
• At least 10 years of experience in industrial research and early‑stage R&D within a biotech environment.
• Proven track record in leading complex research programs and delivering high‑quality scientific outcomes.
• Broad and deep scientific expertise in antibody discovery and development in relevant therapeutic areas to ATB.
• Strong leadership skills, with demonstrated experience in managing, coaching, and developing high‑performing scientific teams.
• Strategic mindset with the ability to translate scientific insight into clear research direction and execution.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, enabling effective collaboration across disciplines and seniority levels.
• Experience managing multiple priorities in a dynamic, fast‑paced research environment.
• Fluency in English; French and/or Dutch are an advantage.

Our offer

Besides becoming part of a driven and growing, close‑knit team, we offer a competitive salary with 32 holidays, a permanent contract, health insurance and meal vouchers, as well as several fun team events per year.