Senior Director Medical Affairs- Rare Disease

About Acadia Pharmaceuticals

Acadia is advancing breakthroughs in neuroscience to elevate life. For 30 years we have been working at the forefront of healthcare to bring vital solutions to people who need them most. We developed and commercialized the first and only FDA-approved drug to treat hallucinations and delusions associated with Parkinson’s disease psychosis and the first and only FDA-approved drug for the treatment of Rett syndrome. Our clinical-stage development efforts are focused on Prader-Willi syndrome, Alzheimer’s disease psychosis and multiple other programs targeting neuropsychiatric symptoms in central nervous system disorders. For more information, visit us at Acadia.com and follow us on LinkedIn and X.

Please note that this position is based in Princeton, NJ. Acadia's hybrid model requires this role to work in our office three days per week on average.

The Sr. Medical Director will lead the development and execution of the medical strategy for Prader Willi Syndrome. This will be accomplished by working in close collaboration with colleagues in Commercial, Regulatory, Market Access, Clinical Development, Corporate Affairs, Patient Advocacy and other key cross functional areas.

Primary Responsibilities

• Provide scientific and medical leadership, including development of strategic plans, identifying specific unmet medical needs, and data gaps.
• Lead the pre-launch preparation in concert the new product planning team.
• Establish appropriate strategic partnerships with centers of excellence, advocacy groups and KOLs in areas of scientific interest.
• Lead the design and execution of the medical plan and tactics including Real-World Evidence generation plans, working in close collaboration with other functional colleagues, including regulatory, commercial, and clinical development.
• Lead efficient execution of the phase IV studies, including oversight of CROs, compliance with company’s policies and procedures, and study budget management.
• Provide medical expertise and editorial support in the data dissemination from clinical and non-interventional studies at conferences and in medical journals.
• Involvement with key HCPs in the exchange of scientific and medical information including Advisory Boards and presentations at national and international meetings.
• Develop and maintain close professional relationships with Key Opinion Leaders and emerging scientific leaders in the community.
• Assists in publication activities, including review and approval of abstracts and manuscripts, publication strategy development and collaboration with both internal and external authors.
• Contribute in discussions with Development colleagues and ensure that MA (including HEOR) perspectives are provided and incorporated in Development plans.
• Other duties as assigned.

Education and Experience

Requires an MD, Ph.D., PharmD, or equivalent degree. Targeting 10 years of progressively experience within the pharmaceutical or biotech industry. Must have rare disease experience. Previous experience in preparing a rare disease product launch is strongly desired. An equivalent combination of relevant education and experience may be considered.

• Strong strategic and execution skills.
• Ability to work closely with HCPs in the rare disease space and provide valuable scientific exchange specifically in Rett Disease including clinical research, patient and caregiver burden, disease landscape and payer value.
• Demonstrates complex problem-solving skills and ability to manage more complex problems within Therapeutic area or product teams.
• Experience managing people with situational leadership skills and the ability to develop and retain talent.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills, including strong formal presentation skills.
• Excellent planning and organization skills.
• Strong interpersonal skills.
• Ability to maintain the highest degree of confidentiality and integrity, represent the company’s high ethics, moral behavior, and professionalism.
• Demonstrated ability to maintain scientific credibility while being commercially supportive, and to communicate scientific results and effectively respond to data queries from customers and/or consultants.
• Knowledge of scientific methods, research design and medical practices and procedures.
• Must be able to travel.
• Strong computer skills (Microsoft Office, etc.) and knowledge of database management (Veeva Vault, etc.)
• Must be able to travel up to 40%.

Physical Requirements

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand; walk; sit; use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms; climb or balance; stoop, kneel, crouch, see, talk or hear in a standard office environment and independently from remote locations. Employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 15 pounds. Ability to travel independently overnight and work after hours if required by travel schedule or business issues.

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In addition to a competitive base salary, this position is also eligible for discretionary bonus and equity awards based on factors such as individual and organizational performance. Actual amounts will vary depending on experience, performance, and location.

Salary Range$240,000—$299,800 USD

What we offer you (US-Based Employees):

• Competitive base, bonus, new hire and ongoing equity packages
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• 401(k) Plan with a fully vested company match 1:1 up to 5%
• Employee Stock Purchase Plan with a 2-year purchase price lock-in
• 15+ vacation days
• 14 paid holidays plus one floating holiday of your choice, including office closure between December 24th and January 1st
• 10 days of paid sick time
• Paid parental leave
• Tuition assistance

EEO Statement (US-Based Employees): Studies have shown that women and people of color are less likely to apply for jobs unless they believe they meet every single one of the qualifications in the exact way they are described in job postings. We are committed to building a diverse, equitable, inclusive, and innovative company and we are looking for the BEST candidate for the job. That candidate may be one who comes from a less traditional background or may meet the qualifications in a different way. We would strongly encourage you to apply – especially if the reason you are the best candidate isn’t exactly as we describe it here.

It is the policy of Acadia to provide equal employment opportunities to all employees and employment applicants without regard to considerations of race, including related to hairstyle, color, religion or religious creed, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, gender transition, country of origin, ancestry, citizenship, age, physical or mental disability, genetic information, legally-protected medical condition or information, marital status, domestic partner status, family care status, military caregiver status, veteran or military status (including reserve status, National Guard status, and military service or obligation), status as a victim of domestic violence, sexual assault or stalking, enrollment in a public assistance program, or any basis protected under federal, state or local law.

As an equal opportunity employer, Acadia is committed to a diverse workforce. If you are a qualified individual with a disability or a disabled veteran, you have the right to request a reasonable accommodation. Furthermore, you may request additional support if you are unable or limited in your ability to use or access Acadia’s career website due to your disability, along with any accommodations throughout the interview process. To request or inquire about your reasonable accommodation, please complete our Reasonable Accommodation Request Form or contact us at [email protected] or 858-261-2923.

Please note that reasonable accommodations granted throughout the recruiting process are not guaranteed to be the same accommodation given if hired. A new request will need to be submitted for any ADA accommodations after starting employment.

Notice for California Applicants: Please see our California Applicant Privacy Notice within our Privacy Policy.

Notice to Search Firms/Third-Party Recruitment Agencies (Recruiters): The Talent Acquisition team manages the recruitment and employment process for Acadia Pharmaceuticals Inc. (“Acadia”). Acadia does not accept resumes from recruiters or search firms without an executed search agreement in place. Resumes sent to Acadia employees in absence of an executed search agreement will not obligate Acadia in any way with the respect to the future employment of those individuals or potential remuneration to any recruiter or search firm. Candidates should never be submitted directly to our hiring managers or employees.