ACADIA Pharmaceuticals

Senior Director, Clinical Development

ACADIA Pharmaceuticals$306K — $382K *
Pharmaceuticals & Biotech
5 - 7 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • MD, MD-PhD or equivalent medical degree required; Board Certified or Board Eligible in Psychiatry or Neurology.
  • Minimum 5+ years' industry experience across various development phases.
  • CNS clinical research experience, with a focus on creating and implementing development plans for neurodegenerative or psychiatric disorders.
  • Established relationships with thought leaders in relevant fields.
  • Demonstrated ability to collaborate within a diverse team structure.
  • Highly motivated, self-driven, and dependable with effective communication skills.

Responsibilities

  • Create and execute global clinical development plans aligned with company vision.
  • Ensure planning, implementation, and interpretation of clinical studies, including medical monitoring and data analysis.
  • Build productive relationships with investigators and key opinion leaders in the scientific community.
  • Support study awareness, patient recruitment, and quality of study conduct at clinical sites.
  • Communicate program issues and results to stakeholders effectively.
  • Engage in regulatory interactions and document submissions as needed.
  • Translate business development needs into cost-effective strategies.

Benefits

  • Competitive base salary and bonus structure.
  • Equity participation with new hire and ongoing packages.
  • Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance.
  • Company-funded life and disability insurance.
  • 401(k) plan with company match up to 5%.
  • Generous vacation and holiday policies, including a winter closure.
  • Tuition assistance for continuing education.
Full Job Description
Please note that this position can be based in San Diego, CA; Princeton, NJ; San Francisco, CA. Acadia's hybrid model requires this role to work in our office an average of 3 days per week.

Position Summary

Join Acadia as a Senior Director, Clinical Development and play a key leadership role in advancing innovative therapies for neurodegenerative and psychiatric disorders. In this position, you will provide scientific and medical leadership across clinical development programs, guiding strategy, study execution, and regulatory interactions. You will partner with investigators, key opinion leaders, and cross-functional teams to drive the successful development of innovative CNS therapies. This is an exciting opportunity to influence programs from development through lifecycle management while helping address significant unmet patient needs.

Primary Responsibilities
  • Create and execute global clinical development plans consistent with the Company's strategic vision and mission
  • Ensure the optimal planning, implementation and interpretation of clinical studies, including synopsis/protocol development, medical monitoring, data analysis and writing of final reports
  • Maintain and build productive relationships with investigators, thought leaders and centers of excellence across the scientific community, as well as with colleagues across the Acadia organization
  • Interact frequently with sites to support study awareness, patient recruitment, and quality of study conduct
  • Communicate appropriate program issues and results to key internal and external stakeholders
  • Support regulatory interactions, including the submission of regulatory documents and presentations
  • Provide clear and insightful clinical and scientific expertise to advance the successful transition of compounds from discovery to full development, and subsequently to life cycle management
  • Review business development opportunities, translating business needs to cost-effective development strategies that provide a competitive advantage and meet regulatory requirements
  • Comply with current local and international regulations, laws, scientific and regulatory guidance, Good Clinical Practices, and Acadia's policies and procedures


Education/Experience/Skills
  • MD, MD-PhD, or equivalent medical degree required; Board Certified or Board Eligible in Psychiatry or Neurology
  • Minimum 5+ years' applicable industry across several phases of development is desired
  • CNS clinical research experience is required, including demonstrable experience in successfully creating and implementing development plans and clinical studies; demonstrable experience in neurodegenerative and / or psychiatric disorders is preferred
  • Established relationships with thought leaders and investigators in neurodegenerative and / or psychiatric disorders and other mood disorders
  • Demonstrated ability to work well within a geographically diverse team structure
  • Ability to work within a growing organization within the U.S. and to help the organization evolve over time into the world leader in psychiatry and neurology, thereby improving the quality of life of those suffering from central nervous system disorders
  • Ability to engage in an open, constructive and continuous dialogue with the Company's stakeholders based on equality and mutual respect; transparency is critical and a key element to success
  • Effective oral and written communication skills
  • Highly motivated, self-driven and dependable
  • Ability to travel domestically and internationally as business needs require


Physical Requirements

This role involves regular standing, walking, sitting, and the use of hands for handling or operating equipment. The employee may also need to reach, climb, balance, stoop, kneel, crouch, and maintain visual, verbal, and auditory communication in a standard office environment and while working independently from remote locations. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 20 pounds. This position requires the ability to travel independently overnight and/or work after hours as required by travel schedules or business needs.

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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

$306,100-$382,600 USD

What we offer US-based Employees:
  • Competitive base, bonus, new hire and ongoing equity packages
  • Medical, dental, and vision insurance
  • Employer-paid life, disability, business travel and EAP coverage
  • 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
  • 13 -15 paid holidays, including office closure between December 24th and January 1st
  • 10 days of paid sick time
  • Paid parental leave benefit
  • Tuition assistance

About ACADIA Pharmaceuticals

ACADIA Pharmaceuticals is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of innovative medicines to address unmet medical needs in central nervous system (CNS) disorders. The company's lead product, Nuplazid (pimavanserin), is the first and only FDA-approved treatment for hallucinations and delusions associated with Parkinson's disease psychosis. ACADIA's pipeline includes product candidates for the treatment of schizophrenia, dementia-related psychosis, and major depressive disorder. The company was founded in 1993 and is headquartered in San Diego, California.
Learn more about ACADIA Pharmaceuticals
Size
500 employees
Market Cap
$2.5 billion
Industry
Net Income
-$281.5 million
Founded
1993
5 Year Trend
+94.6%
Revenue
$441.7 million
NASDAQ

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