Oncology Research Project Leader (Senior Director)

ROLE SUMMARY

The Research Project Leader (RPL) is a full-time matrix team leadership position responsible for effectively leading discovery and clinical-stage portfolio research project teams.

Working with a broad range of stakeholders, including but not limited to project teams, peers, partner lines and ORU (Oncology Research Unit) leadership, you will be responsible for successfully leading research project teams to build and execute innovative scientific project strategies that successfully deliver high quality, differentiated assets to address unmet medical needs in cancer.

You will also participate, develop and lead organizational efforts in training programs that includes activities such as onboarding and mentorship of junior project leaders across the ORU to drive consistency in best practices.
 

ROLE RESPONSIBILITIES

• Lead multiple complex matrix discovery teams from Lead Discovery stage through Candidate Nomination (CAN) by exhibiting a high level of scientific and operational skills, and emotional intelligence.  Also lead an ongoing research sub-team post CAN that aligns with the broader Global Product Team to support clinical development from a research perspective. 

•  Build, manage and inspire high performing teams that foster innovation, collaboration and professional development of others and place high value and inspire a culture of diversity and inclusion.

• Work with teams to identify major operational and logistical risks and develop effective mitigation options.

• Play a key role in communicating across lines and functions to facilitate timely and effective decision-making.  Lead the team to prepare for project reviews and governance milestone decisions, ensuring high quality, objective and comprehensive assessments of team progress and project status and strategy.

• Leverages constructive relationships externally and across the larger organization and influences the decisions of top management/senior leaders

• Actively contribute to the regulatory strategy for projects and may author key regulatory submission documents (e.g., IND, IB, position paper, response letters) needed to support candidate development.

• Coordinate with research, clinical and commercial leadership teams to ensure smooth project transitions and alignment on the project objectives and deliverables.

• Leverage experience to not only lead internal programs, but also programs focused on the development of in-licensed or partnered assets.  Working in collaboration with alliance managers, may be responsible for managing all scientific, governance related components of these collaborations or partnerships.

• Providing an objective sensibility to managing investment risk in individual projects by identifying key questions to ensure robust assessments and decision making and coordinating experimental plans across group to support the business units’ case for investment for continued investment.

• Actively contribute to the broader project leader community through sharing best-practice and will develop and lead training programs and mentor and coach other project leaders as required.

QUALIFICATIONS

• PhD in a scientific discipline

• Minimum 10 years of drug discovery and development experience in roles of increasing project leadership responsibility

• Prior knowledge of and experience in early discovery through clinical development, with a substantial portion of that experience in oncology and immune-oncology

• Experience with IND report and section authorship/filing and FDA interactions

• Experience with  broad modalities such as small and large molecules and ADCs

• Experience leading matrix drug discovery teams through to the clinic

• Exceptional interpersonal communication and negotiation skills 

 
Candidate demonstrates a breadth of diverse leadership experiences and capabilities including: the ability to influence and collaborate with peers, develop and coach others, oversee and guide the work of other colleagues to achieve meaningful outcomes and create business impact.
 

The annual base salary for this position ranges from $191,300.00 to $318,800.00. In addition, this position is eligible for participation in Pfizer’s Global Performance Plan with a bonus target of 22.5% of the base salary and eligibility to participate in our share based long term incentive program. We offer comprehensive and generous benefits and programs to help our colleagues lead healthy lives and to support each of life’s moments. Benefits offered include a 401(k) plan with Pfizer Matching Contributions and an additional Pfizer Retirement Savings Contribution, paid vacation, holiday