Director, Nonclinical DMPK

Princeton, United States Full time

Otsuka Pharmaceutical Development and Commercialization, Inc. is the source of truth for this posting and owns the application process. We surface normalized context and market comparison you won't find on the original listing.

About this opportunity

Job Summary

The Director, Nonclinical DMPK is responsible for strategic, technical and scientific matters related to the design, execution and evaluation of Nonclinical DMPK programs for small molecules.  The role provides strategic leadership for Nonclinical DMPK activities across multiple discovery and development programs and serves as a recognized scientific expert within the organization. The position influences portfolio decisions, establishes scientific standards and best practices, and provides strategic DMPK guidance to cross-functional teams and senior leadership to support program advancement and regulatory objectives.. This includes the preparation of regulatory documents such as INDs, NDAs, aggregate reports, fast track designation, 8-FA, ICFs, and briefing books.

Job Description

Serve as the DMPK functional expert on cross-functional discovery and development teams and provide strategic nonclinical safety recommendations to support program progression and development decision-making

Communicate DMPK findings and risk assessments to project teams and senior leadership, influencing program decisions through scientifically sound and risk-based recommendations

Provides strategic oversight of DMPK activities across multiple discovery and development programs, including IND- and NDA-enabling studies, ensuring consistency of scientific approaches and alignment with organizational objectives

Influence portfolio decisions through integrated interpretation of DMPK data, risk assessments, and strategic recommendations regarding asset progression and development plans

Review, analyze and interpret scientific data and results for DMPK studies and integrate findings into overall nonclinical assessments and development strategies

Manage outsourcing and study activities, study timelines, budgets, and deliverables for assigned programs

Act as author/co-author and reviewer of regulatory documents

Collaborate within the nonclinical team to incorporate new guidance requirements

Analyze competitive scientific knowledge from external sources

Establish and maintain scientific standards, best practices, and technical guidance across the Nonclinical DMPK function

Contribute to continuous improvement initiatives, scientific standards, and implementation of evolving regulatory guidance for Nonclinical drug assessments

Qualifications/ Required

MSc or PhD in Chemistry, Biology, Pharmaceutical Sciences, or related area with at least 7 years of experience in a pharmaceutical company or contract research organization

Proven track record in delivering discovery and early development assets to the clinic and POC

Strong technical experience in planning and executing nonclinical studies

Thorough knowledge of regulatory requirements and the overall drug development process

Regulatory expertise preferred, including successful IND/CTA submissions

Ability to assess and prioritize tasks as business needs change and manage multiple programs simultaneously

Detail-oriented with strong written and verbal communication skills, and demonstrated ability to work in cross-functional project teams

Competencies

Accountability for Results - Stay focused on key strategic objectives, be accountable for high standards of performance, and take an active role in leading change.

Strategic Thinking & Problem Solving - Make decisions considering the long-term impact to customers, patients, employees, and the business.

Patient & Customer Centricity - Maintain an ongoing focus on the needs of our customers and/or key stakeholders.

Impactful Communication - Communicate with logic, clarity, and respect. Influence at all levels to achieve the best results for Otsuka.

Respectful Collaboration - Seek and value others’ perspectives and strive for diverse partnerships to enhance work toward common goals.

Empowered Development - Play an active role in professional development as a business imperative.

Competencies

Accountability for Results - Stay focused on key strategic objectives, be accountable for high standards of performance, and take an active role in leading change.

Strategic Thinking & Problem Solving - Make decisions considering the long-term impact to customers, patients, employees, and the business.

Patient & Customer Centricity - Maintain an ongoing focus on the needs of our customers and/or key stakeholders.

Impactful Communication -  Communicate with logic, clarity, and respect. Influence at all levels to achieve the best results for Otsuka.

Respectful Collaboration - Seek and value others’ perspectives and strive for diverse partnerships to enhance work toward common goals.

Empowered Development - Play an active role in professional development as a business imperative.

Minimum $186,489.00 - Maximum $278,875.00, plus incentive opportunity: The range shown represents a typical pay range or starting pay for individuals who are hired in the role to perform in the United States. Other elements may be used to determine actual pay such as the candidate’s job experience, specific skills, and comparison to internal incumbents currently in role. Typically, actual pay will be positioned within the established range, rather than at its minimum or maximum. This information is provided to applicants in accordance with states and local laws.

Application Deadline : This will be posted for a minimum of 5 business days.

Company benefits:  Comprehensive medical, dental, vision, prescription drug coverage, company provided basic life, accidental death & dismemberment, short-term and long-term disability insurance, tuition reimbursement, student loan assistance, a generous 401(k) match, flexible time off, paid holidays, and paid leave programs as well as other company provided benefits.

Come discover more about Otsuka and our benefit offerings;  https://ah-prod.com/multi/videoplayer/player.html?v=6385356920112 .

Join Our Talent Community: Stay connected with Otsuka by joining our Talent Community. Tell us about your interests, and we’ll notify you about future opportunities that align with your background. https://community.hireez.com/cielo-otsuka/82cb3591

Disclaimer: 

This job description is intended to describe the general nature and level of the work being performed by the people assigned to this position. It is not intended to include every job duty and responsibility specific to the position. Otsuka reserves the right to amend and change responsibilities to meet business and organizational needs as necessary.

Otsuka is an equal opportunity employer.  All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply and will be given consideration for employment without regard to race, color, sex, gender identity or gender expression, sexual orientation, age, disability, religion, national origin, veteran status, marital status, or any other legally protected characteristic.

If you are a qualified individual with a disability or a disabled veteran, you may request a reasonable accommodation, if you are unable or limited in your ability to apply to this job opening as a result of your disability.  You can request reasonable accommodations by contacting EEAccommodations@otsuka-us.com .

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At Otsuka we take security and protection of your personal information very seriously. Please be aware individuals may approach you and falsely present themselves as our employees or representatives.  They may use this false pretense to try to gain access to your personal information or acquire money from you by offering fictitious employment opportunities purportedly on our behalf.

Please understand, Otsuka will never ask for financial information of any kind or for payment of money during the job application process. We do not require any financial, credit card or bank account information and/or any payment of any kind to be considered for employment. We will also not offer you money to buy equipment, software, or for any other purpose during the job application process. If you are being asked to pay or offered money for equipment fees or some other application processing fee, even if claimed you will be reimbursed, this is not Otsuka. These claims are fraudulent and you are strongly advised to exercise caution when you receive such an offer of employment.

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To ensure that you are communicating about a legitimate job opportunity at Otsuka, please only deal directly with Otsuka through its official Otsuka Career website https://vhr-otsuka.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/External .

Otsuka will not be held liable or responsible for any claims, losses, damages or expenses resulting from job recruiting scams. If you suspect a position is fraudulent, please contact Otsuka’s call center at: 800-363-5670. If you believe you are the victim of fraud resulting from a job recruiting scam, please contact the FBI through the Internet Crime Complaint Center at: https://www.ic3.gov ,  or your local authorities.

Otsuka America Pharmaceutical Inc., Otsuka Pharmaceutical Development & Commercialization, Inc., and Otsuka Precision Health, Inc. (“Otsuka”) does not accept unsolicited assistance from search firms for employment opportunities.  All CVs/resumes submitted by search firms to any Otsuka employee directly or through Otsuka’s application portal without a valid written search agreement in place for the position will be considered Otsuka’s sole property.  No fee will be paid if a candidate is hired by Otsuka as a result of an agency referral where no pre-existing agreement is in place. Where agency agreements are in place, introductions are position specific. Please, no phone calls or emails.

Job details

Seniority
Director
Function
Drug Discovery & Preclinical Research
Therapeutic area
Not listed
Location
Princeton, United States
Employment type
Full time

How this role compares

Computed from every other active Drug Discovery & Preclinical Research role in our database, not just this employer's listings.

We currently track 114 comparable Director Drug Discovery & Preclinical Research roles across 28 biopharma companies.

114Comparable roles tracked
109Currently active
28Companies hiring similar roles
10Countries represented

Salary context

49 of 114 peers report a salary range (USD, annualized)

Peers share this role's job function and a matching or adjacent seniority level -- not necessarily the same therapeutic area or country.

This roleSubject Not listed on this posting
Peer group range $129,125 – $322,000 (median $222,550)

Where these roles are based

Top locations among the 114 comparable roles

United States96
China4
United Kingdom4
Germany3
India2
Spain1

+ 4 more countries

Seniority mix

114 of 114 peers have a known seniority level

Principal68
Director31
Senior Director15

Therapeutic area mix

24 of 114 peers have a known therapeutic area; the rest are genuinely unlabeled, not hidden

Oncology14
Cardiovascular / CVRM4
Respiratory2
Neuroscience2
Vaccines & Infectious Disease1
Immunology1

Similar opportunities

The closest matches from our peer group, ranked by how similar they are, not how well you'd qualify for them -- treat this as market context, not a guaranteed shortlist; a weak match is labeled as one below.

60%similar
Lilly Indianapolis, Indiana, United States of America Director
Same function Same seniority Same country
60%similar
Lilly Louisville, Colorado, United States of America Director
Same function Same seniority Same country
60%similar
Gilead Sciences, Inc. Foster City, United States Director
Same function Same seniority Same country
60%similar
Gilead Sciences, Inc. Foster City, United States Director
Same function Same seniority Same country
60%similar
Amgen Inc. Cambridge, United States Director
Same function Same seniority Same country
60%similar
Amgen Inc. Thousand Oaks, United States Director
Same function Same seniority Same country

Notify me about similar jobs

Get an email when we spot other openings like this one – same job function, comparable seniority, roles you'd actually want to see.

How we calculate "similar"

No black box, no LLM guesswork: a deterministic score built from four normalized attributes. Here's this role's own peer group at different match levels, so you can see the mechanism, not just the result.

Every comparison starts from the same 100-point budget: 25 for working in the same function, 40 for the same therapeutic area, 20 for the same or adjacent seniority, 15 for the same country. A dimension we can't confirm on both sides contributes nothing, never a guess, never a free pass.

60%
Director, Molecular Pharmacology
Lilly · Indianapolis, Indiana, United States of America · Director
Function Therapeutic area Seniority Country
60%
Director, Pathobiology
Gilead Sciences, Inc. · Foster City, United States · Director
Function Therapeutic area Seniority Country
60%
Director, Statistical Genetics
Cambridge Discovery Hub · Cambridge Crossing, United States · Director
Function Therapeutic area Seniority Country
60%
Director - PKDM - Small Molecule Portfolio Strategy & Leadership
Amgen Inc. · South San Francisco, United States · Director
Function Therapeutic area Seniority Country
Unmatched or unknown dimensions score exactly the same: 0 points, never a partial guess. A role we know almost nothing about beyond its function bottoms out at 25%; it never inflates to 100% just because there's little to compare against. Seniority uses a defined ladder (Associate → Manager → Associate Director → Senior → Principal → Director → Senior Director → Executive/VP) so "Director" and "Senior Director" count as adjacent, but "Director" and "Executive/VP" do not.