Our Research Scientists are our Inventors. We identify and target steps in disease mechanisms or pathways that could be inhibited or enhanced. Our goal is to isolate a compound that is effective against a disease target. Using innovative thinking, state-of-the-art facilities and robust scientific methodology we collaborate to discover the next medical breakthrough.
The primary role for the Vice President, Cardiometabolic Research will have a broad mandate to set scientific and research strategy, as well as to design, hire, and lead our company's research organization in Cardiovascular and Metabolic Diseases. Specifically, the Vice President, Cardiometabolic Research will be responsible for developing the strategy for advancing the understanding of science and biology, identifying and prioritizing among innovative disease targets, discovering development candidates, and building a tight integration between discovery and development efforts to ensure successful translational into and through clinical development.
A second role for the Vice President, Cardiometabolic Research will be an integral component of the senior Research Leadership Team that, in addition to defining and setting overall research strategy, will develop program priorities and objectives for the whole research enterprise, thus having impact on the company’s broad scientific and medical directions. A third and critical role for this leader will be to seamlessly collaborate with business development to complement internal work with external opportunities. Research & Development (R&D) is a valued partner to other biopharmaceutical companies and academia and the desired leader for this role will be actively engaged in assessing and assuring the success of such partnerships.
The Vice President will also serve as a key scientific leader and senior discovery representative at the South San Francisco (SSF) site to provide intellectual thought leadership for all drug discovery activities. They will serve as a pivotal person in the discovery function, processing the credibility and creativity to spark the interest of the unique networks of academic centers, venture and biotech firms localized in the Bay Area. The individual will be results-oriented, working closely with the senior management team to define and set program objectives and timelines. The Vice President will partner closely with global discovery centers located in Boston & Cambridge, MA, London, West Point, PA and Rahway, NJ across all therapeutic areas, including Neuroscience, Infectious Disease/Vaccines, Oncology and Immunology. The Vice President, Cardiometabolic Research will oversee a team to drive discoveries in the cardiovascular (i.e. innate immunity and inflammation) and metabolic disease area (i.e. relationship of metabolism to immunity) and manage teams based in SSF and Cambridge, MA. This is a high visibility role within the Discovery, Preclinical Development and Translational Medicine Organization.
The Vice President, Cardiometabolic Research must possess well-developed leadership skills which are essential to motivate and retain high quality individuals while inspiring hyper achievement throughout the organization. In addition to strategic leadership and vision, this individual must be a strong and active, hands-on manager and scientific contributor in this growing organization. Importantly, the Vice President, Cardiometabolic Research must embody and cultivate a culture of teamwork and biologic synergies across multiple therapeutic areas, including those outside of his/her own areas of responsibility. The Vice President, Cardiometabolic Research will empower scientific leaders with a mentality of ownership, impact and collaboration.
The Vice President, Cardiometabolic Research will report to the Senior Vice President of Discovery, Preclinical Development and Translational Medicine in R&D.
The successful candidate must possess a broad view of therapeutic innovation as well as the experience to understand and execute drug discovery innovation and commercialization. They must recognize both the power and potential pitfalls of a major pharmaceutical company and understand how to leverage and navigate such dynamics.
From a scholarly perspective, we are seeking a highly regarded scientist and/or physician. Given the quality of scientific talent resident within the company, impeccable educational credentials are particularly important, with a history of publications and recognition in leading peer-reviewed journals.
In terms of a professional background, this individual should possess at least fifteen years of academic and/or industry experience with a successful track record in creating novel targets and therapeutic modalities in the Cardiovascular and Metabolic areas. This individual must be facile at leading our external assessment and collaborations and coordinating those efforts with our company's internal pipeline.
Most importantly, this leader must be a visionary: one who both respects lineage and looks toward the future with a deep dedication to ultimately serving the patient population. They will be an instinctive “drug hunter” and creator. There are critical choices to make in drug discovery, and full datasets are often impractical to gather ahead of early decisions. This leader must be capable of teaching elements of this thinking to his or her team. They will be an expert in biology-oriented research and its translation to clinical unmet needs, and will possess a thorough understanding of the cellular basis of disease, molecular pathways, and biomarkers in cardiometabolic.
The successful candidate will furthermore possess a demonstrated history of driving and managing effective scientific collaboration across multiple functions, building and leading productive research teams, and a track record of driving successful projects forward to completion within a sophisticated biomedical research enterprise.
At a personal level, we are seeking a highly motivated individual who thrives on being challenged and working in highly collaborative, often changing environments to contribute to the company’s cutting-edge drug discovery efforts. Strong interpersonal skills are necessary, as this individual will serve as a voice for the cardiometabolic therapeutic area, broadly serve as a trusted team member of the research organization, and be the face of cardiometabolic biology to our external academic and industry partners. A proven ability to communicate with other members of the executive management team, external thought-leaders, and research and development colleagues in a matrixed environment is crucial. We seek a steady, open-minded leader who values the past, present and future and can both inspire and motivate. The successful candidate’s innate humility, both scientifically and interpersonally, is critical to the continued success of our company's Cardiovascular and Metabolic Diseases and is core to the evolving culture of R&D.
Education
- US Doctoral level Degree or equivalent international academic pedigree (PhD and/or MD)
Summary Of Ideal Qualifications & Experience
- A strong scientific profile with a track record of publication in top-tier, peer reviewed journals are a prerequisite for this role, to establish internal credibility with a highly sophisticated scientific team.
- Deep expertise of diseases relevant to cardiometabolic biology.
- To attract and mentor highly effective drug discoverers/”hunters”, and nurture a culture of top talent whose mission translates innovative biological science into novel therapeutics.
- Record of effective leadership across a research-driven enterprise.
- Experience in academia, pharmaceutical and/or biotechnology R&D with a track record of leveraging emerging science in areas of unmet medical need to deliver breakthrough oncologic therapeutics up to clinical proof-of-concept.
Location:
- The R&D Cardiometabolic Research team has scientists and staff located in both the San Francisco Bay area and Cambridge, MA. The Vice President, Cardiometabolic Research will be based in South San Francisco, CA. Frequent travel to New Jersey and occasionally to Massachusetts is necessary.
We are a research-driven biopharmaceutical company. Our mission is built on the simple premise that if we “follow the science” that great medicines can make a significant impact to our world. We believe that a research-driven enterprise dedicated to world-class science can succeed by inventing medicine and vaccine innovations that make a difference for patients across the globe.
Who We Are …
We are known as Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, New Jersey, USA in the United States and Canada and MSD everywhere else. For more than a century, we have been inventing for life, bringing forward medicines and vaccines for many of the world's most challenging diseases. Today, our company continues to be at the forefront of research to deliver innovative health solutions and advance the prevention and treatment of diseases that threaten people and animals around the world.
What We Look For …
Imagine getting up in the morning for a job as important as helping to save and improve lives around the world. Here, you have that opportunity. You can put your empathy, creativity, digital mastery, or scientific genius to work in collaboration with a diverse group of colleagues who pursue and bring hope to countless people who are battling some of the most challenging diseases of our time. Our team is constantly evolving, so if you are among the intellectually curious, join us—and start making your impact today.
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Expected Salary Range
$353,800.00 - $556,900.00
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Employee Status
Regular
Relocation:
VISA Sponsorship
Travel Requirements:
Shift
Flexible Work Arrangements:
Valid Driving License
Hazardous Material(s):
Requisition ID:R235444
