Sr Director/Executive Director, Pharm Science Technical Lead

What You’ll Do

The Pharmaceutical Sciences Team Lead (PSTL) is a senior scientific and strategic leadership role responsible for advancing pharmaceutical development and CMC (Chemistry, Manufacturing, and Controls) strategy across clinical and commercial-stage programs. This individual will lead cross-functional pharmaceutical sciences activities spanning formulation development, analytical development, process development, manufacturing, technology transfer, regulatory submissions, and lifecycle management. The role requires a proven leader with deep expertise in pharmaceutical development, strong regulatory and quality knowledge, and the ability to lead high-performing scientific teams in a fast-paced, matrixed environment. The PSTL will serve as a key contributor to corporate development strategy and represent Pharmaceutical Sciences in executive governance, regulatory interactions, and external partnerships.

Responsibilities

• Lead high-performing, collaborative, and accountable Pharmaceutical Sciences teams across multiple functional disciplines.
• Establish and drive organizational priorities, resource plans, and development goals aligned with corporate objectives.
• Identify program risks proactively and implement mitigation strategies to maintain timelines and deliverables.
• Provide scientific leadership for formulation development, analytical development, process development, manufacturing, and technology transfer.
• Partner with Non-clinical, Clinical, Regulatory, and Commercial organizations to ensure alignment on development priorities and execution.
• Represent Pharmaceutical Sciences in governance committees and executive reviews.
• Influence senior leadership decisions through data-driven scientific and operational recommendations.
• Collaborate with Regulatory Sciences and Regulatory Affairs on CMC strategy, risk mitigation, and agency responses.
• Represent Pharmaceutical Sciences in interactions with global health authorities and regulatory inspections, as needed.
• Participate in due diligence activities, external scientific collaborations, and business development evaluations.
• Build strong relationships with external partners, vendors, and industry organizations.
• Implement scalable systems, processes, and metrics to improve development efficiency and execution quality.
• Foster an inclusive and performance-oriented culture that embodies company leadership values and behaviors.

Where You’ll Work 

This role requires in-office collaboration 2-3x per week in our San Francisco Office and travel, as needed

Who You Are

• PhD or equivalent advanced degree in Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Biochemistry, or related scientific discipline preferred.
• 15+ years of progressive pharmaceutical or biotechnology industry experience, including significant leadership responsibility in Pharmaceutical Sciences, CMC, or Technical Operations.
• Experience leading multidisciplinary scientific teams in matrixed global organizations.
• Strong knowledge of pharmaceutical development, manufacturing, analytical development, regulatory expectations, and quality systems.
• Experience managing external manufacturing and development partners (CMOs/CDMOs/CROs).
• Strategic thinker with strong scientific and operational acumen.
• Exceptional communication and influencing skills with executive presence.
• Proven ability to drive alignment across complex cross-functional organizations.
• Strong decision-making and problem-solving capabilities in dynamic development environments.
• Prior experience in NDA/MAA submissions and regulatory approvals.
• Experience supporting commercial manufacturing and lifecycle management activities.
• Familiarity with global supply chain strategy and technical operations.
• Experience in both large pharmaceutical and emerging biotech environments preferred.
• Travel, as needed