Executive Director, Oxford DMPK (Drug Metabolism & Pharmacokinetics)

Location: Oxford, United Kingdom; on-site five days per week

Company

Vertex is a global biotechnology company focused on scientific innovation and transformational therapies for serious unmet medical needs.

What you will do

• Lead the Oxford DMPK team and develop its strategy, vision, operations, resource allocation, staffing, expenses, and capital plans.
• Develop and execute DMPK scientific strategies addressing ADME challenges across discovery and development programs.
• Coordinate DMPK activities with Medicinal Chemistry, Biology, Preclinical Safety, Clinical Pharmacology, CMC, and other R&D disciplines.
• Represent DMPK on discovery and development teams, at the Oxford site, and with Vertex governance bodies.
• Oversee DMPK regulatory documentation and reports, including Investigator Brochures, INDs or equivalents, and marketing applications.
• Hire, develop, manage, and retain talent while supporting external sourcing, business development reviews, and innovative technology implementation.

Requirements

• Proven experience in a similar role after a PhD or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Successful experience as a DMPK lead on multiple R&D teams across more than one therapeutic area.
• Extensive experience with small molecules is required.
• Deep expertise in in vitro and in vivo ADME assays, mass spectrometry and bioanalysis, pharmacokinetic data analysis, biotransformation and disposition pathways, drug interaction risk assessment, and human dose and drug interaction predictions.
• Strong management and leadership skills, including developing and mentoring junior scientists and building high-performing teams.
• Ability to critically evaluate and implement new science and technology for medicine discovery and development.
• Excellent verbal, written, and interpersonal communication skills, with the ability to build strong cross-site and cross-functional collaborations.

Nice to have

• Expertise with additional modalities such as proteins, antibodies, nucleic acid therapeutics, cell therapies, or gene therapies.
• Additional skills in transporter science, enzymology, PK/PD, or PBPK modelling.

Culture & Benefits

• On-site designated role with five days per week on-site and ad hoc flexibility.
• Continuous learning is encouraged, including staying informed about AI, technology, automation, and industry trends.
• Work in a collaborative, cross-site biotechnology environment focused on improving outcomes for patients.
• Vertex provides equal employment opportunity and reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities.