Senior Director, Head of Research & Early Development

Jazz Pharmaceuticals

Dublin

On-site

EUR 190,000 - 260,000

Full time

11 days ago

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Job summary

Jazz Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is seeking a Senior Director, Head of Research and Early Development Project Management to build scalable, world-class PM capabilities across the discovery and early pipeline.

This executive will drive lifecycle optimization from Candidate Drug Nomination through FIH and ensure governance and portfolio continuity across oncology, neuroscience, and rare diseases. The role blends strategic leadership with hands-on project execution, building high-performing teams and

Qualifications

Experience in early drug development across discovery to FIH.
Proven track record of line-managing and developing senior PMs.
Outstanding ability to influence executive-level scientists and governance bodies.
Hands-on proficiency with Planisware, Smartsheet, and Oracle.
Proven capability to optimize drug development pathways.

Responsibilities

Champion process optimization across early drug development from Discovery to IND/CTA and FIH.
Establish cycle-time benchmarks and remove bottlenecks to accelerate priority programs.
Design and scale R&D operational processes for neuroscience, oncology, and rare disease pipelines.
Maintain end-to-end operational visibility of risk, dependencies, and governance.
Embed Orchestra Operating Model across teams and clarify roles and decision rights.
Foster cross-functional collaboration and align project management with strategic goals.
Directly manage and develop a global team of early development PMs.
Partner with finance to optimize budgeting, forecasting, and governance.

Skills

Executive leadership

Line management

Cross-functional collaboration

Strategic prioritization

PPM tools

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Advanced degree preferred

PMP certification a plus

Tools

Planisware

Smartsheet

Oracle

Job description

Brief Description:

The Senior Director, Head of Research and Early Development Project Management is an executive-level operational and strategic leader accountable for establishing scalable, world-class project management capabilities across Jazz Pharmaceuticals' growing discovery and early pipeline. Reporting directly to the Vice President, Head of Pipeline and Project Management, this leader will drive process optimization throughout the drug development life cycle from Candidate Drug Nomination through First-in-Human (FIH) clinical trials.

This newly created role ensures robust cross-functional project execution across Oncology, Neuroscience, and emerging Rare Disease indications. The incumbent will cultivate high-performing project managers who operate as the operational leaders ("COOs") of their respective drug programs, institutionalize the Orchestra Team Operating Model, and ensure seamless portfolio continuity into late-stage development. By partnering closely with Chief Scientific Officers, Corporate Strategy, Governance, and Finance, this leader will optimize development cycle times, accelerate pipeline progression, and translate scientific innovation into clinical assets for patients. Additionally, as a player-coach, this leader may personally lead high-priority projects and take on direct hands‑on project work as needed to support portfolio capacity and strategic demand.

Essential Functions

1. Process Optimization & Life Cycle Progression (Discovery to FIH)

Path Acceleration: Champion continuous process improvement across the early drug development continuum from Discovery and Candidate Nomination through Investigational New Drug (IND) / Clinical Trial Authorization (CTA) and First-in-Human (FIH).

Cycle-Time Excellence: Establish standardized cycle-time benchmarks, identify key operational bottlenecks, and remove development friction to accelerate high-priority early medicines.

Scalable Infrastructure: Design and scale R&D operational processes to support the increasing demand of a growing neuroscience, oncology, and rare disease early-stage pipeline.

2. Portfolio Oversight, Risk Management & Governance Partnering

Early Portfolio Monitoring: Maintain holistic, end-to-end operational visibility over risk profiles, critical-path dependencies, and strategic opportunities within the early-stage portfolio.

Governance Partnership: Partner with the Governance and Portfolio Management Lead to design and align consistent templates for early-stage governance presentations and rigorous post-governance project tracking.

Accountability Frameworks: Establish frameworks to ensure projects stay precisely on track with agreed-upon target timelines, milestones, and approved development budgets.

3. Orchestra Operating Model & High-Performing Teams

Model Integration: Lead the active embedding and continuous sustainment of the Orchestra Team Operating Model across all early-stage project teams, clarifying roles, responsibilities, and team decision rights.

Cross-Functional Collaboration: Break down traditional functional silos to build highly collaborative, high-performing drug discovery and early development teams.

PPM Vision Alignment: Embed the department’s core strategic pillars into day-to-day operations, shaping project managers as the strategic "COOs of their projects".

4. Executive Stakeholder Collaboration & Strategic Prioritization

C-Suite & CSO Engagement: Serve as an influential strategic partner to the Oncology and Neuroscience Chief Scientific Officers (CSOs), Corporate Strategy, and Governance leads.

Goal Setting & Trade‑offs: Facilitate prioritization reviews and stage-gate trade-off scenarios to support R&D annual goal setting and executive-level portfolio prioritization.

Continuity Partnering: Collaborate actively with Late Development Project Leads to ensure seamless transitions, operational continuity, and robust portfolio-wide resource balancing.

5. People Leadership & Talent Development

Line Management: Directly manage, mentor, and inspire a global team of early development project managers (Associate Directors and Directors).

Talent Strategy: Champion career progression, professional project management capability building, and capability development within the PPM organization.

Agile Resource Allocation: Strategically deploy team resources across early development programs while coordinating cross-portfolio support for late-stage programs when critical demand peaks.

6. Financial Stewardship & Enterprise Systems

Budget Management: Partner with R&D Finance to develop, embed, and continuously optimize best practices for early-stage project budget formulation, forecasting, and financial governance.

Enterprise Mastery: Champion the rigorous use of enterprise planning tools, ensuring high data quality at the source:

Planisware: For enterprise work breakdown structures, schedule tracking, and detailed resource demand planning.

Smartsheet: For agile operational trackers, milestones, and executive-level dashboards.

Oracle: For project-level financial ledger tracking and variance analyses.

Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

Experience Level: Extensive progressive biopharmaceutical industry experience, including extensive direct experience in early drug development (Discovery and Pre-clinical through IND enabling and FIH).

Leadership & Line Management: Proven track record of line-managing, coaching, and developing highly skilled, senior project/program managers.

Executive Presence: Outstanding capability to lead, align, and influence executive-level scientists, C-suite leaders, and scientific governance bodies without direct authority.

Technical & Platform Mastery: Hands‑on experience and professional proficiency with PPM enterprise tools, specifically Planisware, Smartsheet, and Oracle.

Pathway Optimization: Proven, referenceable track record of optimizing drug development pathways, driving process redesign, and reducing pre-clinical cycle times.

Required/Preferred Education and Licenses