ACADIA Pharmaceuticals

Senior Director, Regulatory Operations

ACADIA Pharmaceuticals$220K — $275K *
Pharmaceuticals & Biotech
11 - 15 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in life sciences or related field
  • 12+ years' experience in Regulatory Operations or Affairs
  • 8+ years' leadership experience in electronic submissions and regulatory systems
  • Hands-on experience with Veeva Vault RIM and eCTD tools
  • Knowledge of the software development lifecycle and validated regulatory systems
  • Willingness to travel domestically and internationally

Responsibilities

  • Lead and scale global Regulatory Operations function
  • Provide strategic oversight of electronic submission publishing and management
  • Direct worldwide eCTD and non-eCTD electronic submissions
  • Drive evaluation and optimization of regulatory systems and tools
  • Champion digital transformation initiatives in Regulatory Affairs
  • Collaborate with IT and Quality to define system requirements
  • Establish training programs and quality control processes
  • Ensure compliance with global regulatory technical standards

Benefits

  • Competitive base salary, bonus, and equity packages
  • Medical, dental, and vision insurance
  • Employer-paid life, disability, and business travel coverage
  • 401(k) Plan with a 1:1 company match up to 5%
  • Employee Stock Purchase Plan with 2-year price lock-in
  • 15+ vacation days plus 13-15 paid holidays
  • 10 days of paid sick time
  • Paid parental leave benefit
  • Tuition assistance
Full Job Description
Please note that this position is based in Princeton, NJ, South San Francisco, CA or San Diego, CA. Acadia's hybrid model requires this role to work in our office three days per week on average.

Position Summary

The Senior Director, Regulatory Operations provides strategic and operational leadership for global regulatory operations, overseeing electronic submissions, regulatory information management systems, and end-to-end submission execution. This role is a key member of the Global Regulatory Affairs Leadership Team and plays a critical role in driving operational excellence, scalability, compliance, and digital innovation across Regulatory Affairs. The position partners closely with Regulatory Affairs leadership, IT, Quality, and cross-functional teams to ensure high-quality, compliant, and timely submissions worldwide while advancing modern systems and emerging technologies, including AI.

Primary Responsibilities
  • Lead and scale the global Regulatory Operations function, including organizational design, talent strategy, and performance management aligned to business and regulatory objectives
  • Provide strategic oversight of electronic submission publishing, regulatory information management, and submission management across global health authorities
  • Direct worldwide eCTD and non-eCTD electronic submissions to ensure compliance with health authority, ICH, and global regulatory standards
  • Drive evaluation, implementation, and optimization of regulatory systems and tools, including Veeva Vault RIM and publishing platforms, ensuring validated, compliant, and scalable solutions
  • Champion digital transformation initiatives within Regulatory Affairs, including the application of AI and advanced analytics to enhance submission readiness and operational insights
  • Partner with IT, Quality, and cross-functional stakeholders to define system requirements, oversee validation, manage upgrades, and support evolving regulatory needs
  • Establish and maintain work instructions, training programs, and quality control processes to ensure submission accuracy, consistency, and inspection readiness
  • Ensure compliance with global regulatory technical standards, including eCTD, CDISC, and SEND, and lead adoption of evolving industry best practices
  • Other duties as assigned

Education/Experience/Skills
  • Bachelor's degree in life sciences or a related field
  • Minimum of 12 years of progressively responsible experience in Regulatory Operations or Regulatory Affairs
  • Minimum of 8 years of leadership experience with responsibility for electronic submissions, regulatory systems, and submission management
  • Hands-on expertise with regulatory information management and publishing systems, including Veeva Vault RIM and eCTD tools
  • Experience overseeing validated regulatory systems and understanding of the software development lifecycle
  • Willingness and ability to travel domestically and internationally

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

$220,600-$275,700 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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