Lead Discovery — Protein Science — CRO & Program Strategy
Senior discovery
leadership
without the hire.
Early-stage companies get a founder and senior discovery leader embedded at the level of a Head of Lead Discovery or Protein Science. Guiding target validation, assay strategy, CRO oversight, and program prioritization, at a fraction of the cost and none of the hiring risk.
Drug discovery is a decision problem disguised as a science problem.
The data exists. The decision is what’s missing.What’s actually at stake
What you’re comparing against
The relevant comparison is not hourly rate against hourly rate. It is the full cost of the alternative — including recruiter fees, ramp time, equity dilution, and the cost of a hire who doesn’t work out — against the cost of the decision infrastructure you actually need.
| City | Director FTE, fully loaded / yr | FTE cost / mo | LLSC / mo |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boston / Cambridge | $432,000 | $36,000 | |
| San Francisco | $469,000 | $39,083 | $9,000 |
| New York City | $462,000 | $38,500 |
Director-level midpoint salary, 20% bonus, 84% employer healthcare (single), 4% 401K match, FICA 7.65%.
Recruiter fees ($60K—$80K) and equity excluded. No hiring risk. No search cycle.
An in-cell direct target engagement assay had stalled during optimization. The path forward was unclear, the method was technically complex, and the project timeline was at risk.
Ben audited the assay architecture and drew on direct hands-on experience with the method to identify the highest-impact optimization surfaces. He assessed the options, weighed the tradeoffs, and delivered a prioritized strategy in a single engagement.
The assay was resolved using initial suggestions alone — no additional iteration required. Project timeline preserved. The same consultant was brought back for a second independent engagement.
He’s the kind of scientist you want in the room when the path isn’t obvious.
We were struggling to optimize an in-cell direct target engagement assay. Ben quickly cut through the technical complexity to help us identify the most impactful optimization surfaces to explore. His insights were transformative — we got the complex assay working just by using his initial suggestions. His ability to assess a problem, weigh the options, and zero in on the best strategy was invaluable.
“If you want an engaged, curious professional, I highly recommend reaching out to Ben Levin.”
“Ben is experienced in cell biology, protein science, and lead discovery — and always a pleasure to work with. His communication skills are great and he is always responsive.”