Executive Director, Metabolism & Obesity

Job Description

The Executive Director of Metabolism & Obesity will be responsible for overseeing and facilitating the research in metabolic diseases & obesity and its co-morbidities, in the Cardiometabolic Disease (CMD) Discovery Biology Department, which is located at a new state-of-the-art Research Laboratories center in South San Francisco, CA.

The individual will contribute to the design, prioritization, and execution of the strategic plan within CMD, including integration of new technology platforms, human biology, data science, while focusing on uncovering novel biology that delivers high-quality drug discovery pipeline. 

We are a research-driven biopharmaceutical company.  Our mission is built on the simple premise that if we “follow the science” and that great medicines can make a significant impact to our world.  We believe that a research-driven enterprise dedicated to world-class science can succeed by inventing medicine and vaccine innovations that make a difference for patients across the globe.

Responsibilities include:

• Lead and help shape the departmental strategy in metabolic disease research & obesity.

• Implement the strategy by working together with key stakeholders within the department and across the network, in addition to collaborating with key opinion leaders in academia.

• Lead the development and implementation of in vitro and in vivo assays to conduct investigation of disease biology to establish and support evolution of a robust pipeline of therapeutic targets for treating metabolic diseases & obesity and its co-morbidities.

• Manage and mentor a team of scientists in the research of metabolic diseases & obesity.

• Review and seek out potential external research collaborations and licensing opportunities to capitalize on novel insights and complement internal pipeline.

• Monitor emerging biology and basic & clinical research within metabolic diseases & obesity, and more broadly across the scientific spectrum.

• Champion a diverse and inclusive culture within the department and across the organization

• Recruit, develop, and retain a talented team that delivers on target identification & validation and advances CMD pipeline.

Education Requirement:

• PhD, MD, or MD/PhD degree in metabolic disorders related discipline, with 12+ years of drug discovery experience.

Required Experience and Skills:

• A minimum of 12+ years’ research experience in metabolic diseases & obesity, with a proven track record substantiated by peer-reviewed publications.

• Research & development experience within industry is required. Prior experience in advancing drug discovery programs into early clinical development is highly desired.

• Experience in overseeing research projects, setting priorities and trouble shooting in a multi-disciplinary environment.

• Broad knowledge and first-hand experience in in vitro and in vivo models of metabolic diseases & obesity required.

• Solid understanding of drug discovery and clinical development and working knowledge of biomarker discovery, translational research, data science, and human genetics.

• Exceptional partnering and team skills as a trusted colleague and team leader.  Record of accomplishment of leading and supporting a collaborative team.

• Excellent track record of providing mentorship and guidance to reports and peers.

• Proficient in utilizing innovative technologies for preclinical research.

• Ability to communicate effectively with and relate to a broad range of stakeholders, including senior leaders, peers, direct reports, partner organizations and external collaborators.

• Deep understanding of competitive landscapes across indications associated with metabolic diseases and obesity and significant experience in conducting due diligence for external assets.

Preferred Leadership Competencies:

• Ability to understand, analyze and interpret complex problems and data while developing appropriate action plans to achieve results.

• Strong leadership skills to build and lead an agile team.  Ability to successfully influence, build credibility and work effectively with a diverse range of stakeholders and both internal and external partners.

• A team player, who works effectively in a matrix organization, collaborates functionally across multiple stakeholders, and builds trust and credibility at all levels. Someone who builds consensus and achieves agreement on key priorities.

• High level of business acumen and judgment is preferred for this