Senior Director - Drug Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics

Job Description

General Summary:

Vertex San Diego Drug Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics (DMPK) team is seeking a highly motivated, experienced scientist and leader at the Senior Director level to help advance discovery and development of transformational therapies for serious unmet medical needs. The Senior Director will be part of the local site DMPK leadership team. This role's responsibilities include developing and maintaining optimal organization within DMPK, as well as the scientific and managerial coordination of its groups and personnel. This role will optimize interdisciplinary activities within DMPK and integrate activities with those of the other sites and departments and thus play a major role in shaping overall project and portfolio plans. This role will provide scientific leadership to help advance the discovery and development of transformational therapies for serious unmet medical needs at Vertex.

This is an onsite position at our San Diego research site.

Key Duties and Responsibilities:

• Serves as a DMPK functional lead on multidisciplinary project teams to advance Vertex drug discovery and development programs from early discovery to late development and marketing approval
• Collaborates with medicinal chemists and implements strategies to design and evaluate drug candidates avoiding ADME and drug-drug interaction liabilities
• Critically evaluates and interprets in vitro and in vivo DMPK data and liaises with DMPK colleagues to design studies to address key project issues
• Prepares DMPK documents to support development candidate nominations and regulatory filings including Investigator Brochures, IND's (or equivalent), and marketing applications   
• Helps to develop a strategy and vision for their team that is aligned with global DMPK and Vertex R&D mission and goals
• Manages all scientific and business activities to support discovery and development projects and integrates practices and work across global DMPK as well as cross-functionally
• Represents DMPK at company-wide R&D governance committees and with senior management
• Provides strong scientific and strategic leadership, urgency, and business acumen to grow and progress the Vertex portfolio in a speedy manner
• Mentors on scientific and ethical development, motivates personnel and resolves conflicts
• Manages personnel performance in line with corporate goals and strategies and develops career growth opportunities across DMPK
• Constructs resourcing plans, draft-budgets, manages approved budgets and oversees hiring activities
• Oversees regular review of staff deployment and project status, to ensure all projects are appropriately prioritized and resourced, and key goals and timelines are met
• Balances degree of innovative exploration with pursuit of defined project objectives, and coordinates acquisition of new scientific capabilities, as appropriate
• Ensures compatibility with regulatory standards and corporate strategies
• Cultivates reputation for DMPK and the company in the external scientific community

Knowledge and Skills:

• Demonstrates extensive relevant experience of working in a multi-functional DMPK group and across functions to address key questions
• Demonstrates fundamental understanding of various DMPK tools (in vitro and in vivo) and their application in solving broader project challenges in addition to possessing specialist knowledge and expertise in one or more specific areas (e.g., drug metabolizing enzymology, drug transporters, bioanalysis, biotransformation, PK prediction, etc.).
• Possesses extensive experience working with small molecules to optimize their ADME properties and to employ the requisite tools to proactively identify their risks to influence strategy / decision-making
• Demonstrates a practical and advanced understanding of related scientific disciplines
• Has significant experience and skills representing DMPK on multiple project teams
• Ability to mentor and train junior members of the DMPK group

• Experience and/or willingness to adopt and champion the use of AI approaches to accelerate drug discovery and development

• Communicates in written and spoken form with high precision and skill, and is able to synthesize broad datasets and concepts into key conclusions for effective dissemination internally and externally (including in regulatory documents)
• Experience working in a leadership role as part of a multi-functional DMPK group in a pharmaceutical company with productive, relevant employment experience

Education and Experience:

• Bachelor's degree (or equivalent degree) and 20+ years of productive, relevant employment experience, or
• Master's degree (or equivalent degree) and 15+ years of productive, relevant employment experience, or
• Ph.D. (or equivalent degree) and 11+ years of productive, relevant post-doctoral employment experience
• Extensive experience working in a managerial/leadership role as part of a multi-functional DMPK group in a pharmaceutical company
• Strong management and leadership skills, with emphasis on developing and mentoring junior scientists to build a high-performing, diverse, and inclusive team
• Successful track record and experience in a DMPK lead role on multiple R&D teams across more than one therapeutic area
• Ability to critically evaluate scientific literature and new technology as it relates to the discovery and development of new medicines
• Excellent verbal, written, and interpersonal communication skills, and ability to develop and grow strong cross-site/function collaborations
• Exhibits an outstanding record in multiple research projects, enabling the success of others
• Superior skills recruiting quality staff and refining activities to improve productivity across disciplines

#LI-KM1

#LI-Onsite

At Vertex, we embrace continuous learning and encourage employees to stay informed on advances in AI, technology, automation, and industry trends. We seek talent who bring an external perspective, demonstrate curiosity and sound judgment, and thoughtfully adopt new capabilities that improve decision-making, drive innovation, increase efficiency, and help deliver better outcomes for patients.

Pay Range:

$232,800 - $349,200

Disclosure Statement:

Flex Designation:

Hybrid-Eligible Or On-Site Eligible

Flex Eligibility Status:

In this Hybrid-Eligible role, you can choose to be designated as: 
1.    Hybrid: work remotely up to two days per week; or select
2.    On-Site: work five days per week on-site with ad hoc flexibility.

Note: The Flex status for this position is subject to Vertex’s Policy on Flex @ Vertex Program and may be changed at any time. 

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Company Information

Vertex is a global biotechnology company that invests in scientific innovation.

Vertex is committed to equal employment opportunity and non-discrimination for all employees and qualified applicants without regard to a person's race, color, sex, gender identity or expression, age, religion, national origin, ancestry, ethnicity, disability, veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation, marital status, or any characteristic protected under applicable law. Vertex is an E-Verify Employer in the United States. Vertex will make reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with known disabilities, in accordance with applicable law.

Any applicant requiring an accommodation in connection with the hiring process and/or to perform the essential functions of the position for which the applicant has applied should make a request to the recruiter or hiring manager, or contact Talent Acquisition at [email protected]