Vice President Global Head of Early Development, Late Stage and Marketed Medicines Safety

At Roche, you can show up as yourself, embraced for the unique qualities you bring. Our culture encourages personal expression, open dialogue, and genuine connections, where you are valued, accepted, and respected for who you are, allowing you to thrive both personally and professionally. Join Roche, where every voice matters.

The Position

Purpose

The Global Head of Early Development, Late Stage, and Marketed Medicines Safety sets the strategic direction and provides global leadership for their function. They empower line-leaders and experts within their teams to deliver safety leadership at the disease area and molecule/program levels. They shape the clinical safety and risk management approach for all early development assets, from pre-IND to late-stage and marketed medicines safety. They are a member of the PDS leadership team, collaborating across functions to deliver the Safety Strategy & Value Propositions. They ensure compliance with safety, quality, and GCP standards, and effective resource sharing.

The role promotes a strategic approach to clinical safety development across the portfolio, fostering an environment where safety experts build shared safety strategies and take an ‘entire lifecycle view’. They work closely with global safety leaders to ensure effective recruitment, training, and deployment of safety resources.

The function partners with other Roche groups to implement scientific safety strategies, and the postholder leads relationships with senior stakeholders, ensuring safety approaches are aligned across programs. They act as a point of escalation for portfolio safety issues and contribute to governance bodies. They support translational safety, safety content in product profiles, early development plans, and innovative safety risk prediction approaches.

Highly effective leadership, promoting quality, agility, and a growth mindset, is crucial. The successful candidate will inspire and develop their teams, promote knowledge sharing, and foster collaboration. Global travel of over 30% may be required.

Primary Responsibilities and Accountabilities

Leadership Behaviors

• Models Roche Values and Leadership Commitments.
• Sets strategic direction and promotes new ways of working.
• Influences and influences without authority to deliver outcomes.
• Shapes current issues into actionable strategies.
• Anticipates risks and opportunities, taking proactive measures.
• Challenges embedded behaviors to improve quality and efficiency.
• Supports leadership and team development.

Functional Delivery Oversight

• Responsible for planning, prioritization, and goal setting.
• Ensures mechanisms for performance oversight of safety activities.
• Oversees safety strategy development for each medical asset.
• Promotes consistency in safety approach across the portfolio.

Stakeholder Management and Relationship Building

• Participates in leadership teams and cross-functional programs.
• Builds strong partnerships within Roche and externally.
• Represents the function in governance bodies.

Strategic Molecule/Product Deliverables

• Ensures safety strategies align with portfolio plans.
• Monitors safety risk minimization and decision-making.
• Implements innovative safety approaches.

Talent Development & Resourcing

• Plans capacity and resource deployment.
• Develops learning and development programs for talent.

People Leadership & Line Management

• Leads a global team of scientists and health professionals.
• Sets organizational culture and values.
• Ensures high performance and compliance with HR policies.

Education, Experience, Skills, Knowledge

• Medically qualified (MD, MB ChB, or equivalent), with extensive clinical R&D and safety experience.
• Over 15 years in biopharma or clinical research, with senior leadership experience.
• Deep knowledge of clinical safety, risk management, and regulatory requirements.
• Strong leadership, strategic thinking, and relationship management skills.
• Experience leading cross-cultural teams and managing transformational change.

Who we are

We are committed to a healthier future through innovation. Over 100,000 employees worldwide are dedicated to advancing science and ensuring access to healthcare. Our efforts have treated over 26 million people and conducted over 30 billion tests. Join us in building a healthier future.

Basel is Roche’s headquarters, with over 10,700 employees from more than 100 countries. We offer extensive development opportunities, flexible working, and on-site services. Read more about us here.

Roche is an Equal Opportunity Employer.