Director, Drug Product Development

BioCryst Pharmaceuticals, Inc.; North Carolina; Hybrid; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

BioCryst Pharmaceuticals, Inc. in North Carolina seeks a Director of Drug Product Development to lead formulation and process development for parenteral biologics.

This role partners with CDMOs and internal teams to advance projects from discovery through transfer and commercialization, ensuring phase-appropriate execution and regulatory readiness. You will mentor teams, manage external partnerships, drive CMC strategies, and shepherd high-concentration protein formulations from preclinical to

Qualifications

• MS or PhD in a relevant field with 10+ years of end-to-end biologics drug product development experience.
• Experience directing and managing development with external partners.
• Strong regulatory, cGMP and biology/biophysics grounding.
• Proven ability to lead cross-functional teams in a fast-paced setting.
• Experience with high-concentration protein formulations and sterile dosage forms.

Responsibilities

• Provide leadership for formulation, process development and manufacturing of injectable biologics.
• Develop strategies through internal/external partnerships and product integration.
• Drive phase-appropriate development toward licensure and commercialization.
• Lead interactions with external partners and cross-functional teams.
• Mentor colleagues and manage regulatory documentation for submissions.

Skills

Leadership

External partnerships

Regulatory knowledge

Biochemistry/biophysics

Aseptic processing

Education

MS/PhD in Bio/Chemical Engineering, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Biochemistry

Job description

Job Summary

The Director of Drug Product Development will lead and direct formulation and process development for patient-centered parenteral drug products supporting BioCryst’s biologics portfolio. The role is responsible for development of portfolio projects in a phase‑appropriate manner while working with external Contract Development and Manufacturing Organizations (CDMOs). It involves responsibility for all aspects of biologics drug product development from early discovery to late-stage technology transfer, scale-up, process validation and commercialization. The incumbent will work cross‑functionally with other groups including Clinical Operations, Quality, and Device Development to support clinical and late‑stage development programs.

Responsibilities

• Provide scientific, technical and operational leadership for formulation, process development and manufacturing of patient-centered, injectable drug products from pre‑clinical to successful licensure, primarily through external partners.
• Develop drug product development strategies through internal/external partnerships and product integration into drug/device combination products.
• Enable the progression of BioCryst’s biologics portfolio that currently includes protein-based modalities as liquid and lyophilized dosage forms in vial, prefilled syringe, and cartridge-based presentations.
• Drive the product development efforts in a phase-appropriate manner defining formulation, manufacturing process, container/closure for clinical trials and towards commercialization.
• Lead interactions with external partners to drive the above activities.
• Maintain close collaboration with internal program leaders and stakeholders.
• Support organization and program leaders in developing budgets, timelines, tracking progress as well as risk identification, communication and mitigation.
• Provide subject matter expertise for technical due diligence and for the technical as well as strategic content of the relevant drug product sections of regulatory submissions.
• Author and review high-quality development reports, technical summaries and other documentation to support product development.
• Mentor and develop colleagues to internal and matrix teams, contributing to a high-performing pharmaceutical sciences organization.
• Stay current with evolving CMC and global regulatory strategies for biologics and small‑molecule programs through literature and external networking, ensuring alignment with industry best practices and regulatory expectations.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• MS / PhD in Bio/Chemical Engineering, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Biochemistry, or related discipline with at least 10 years of relevant field experience in end-to-end biologics drug product development (encompassing formulation, process development, scale up, technology transfer and manufacturing support).
• A significant part of this experience must include directing and managing development with external partners.
• Must be proficient in current approaches for formulation and drug product process development, manufacturing processes and equipment, regulatory expectations and applying these to developing efficient approaches to ensure product licensure.
• Experience with high concentration protein formulation development, aseptic processes, vial, prefilled syringe, cartridge presentations, liquid and lyophilization dosage forms is a must.
• Knowledge of current regulatory guidelines and cGMP requirements is necessary.
• Must have a strong grounding in biochemistry / biophysics to ensure a science-driven approach to biologics product development.
• Demonstrated experience supporting regulatory submissions and interacting with Analytical, Quality and Regulatory functions.
• Proven ability to manage external partners and deliver results in a fast‑paced biotech environment.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including experience authoring technical reports and regulatory documentation.

EEO Statement

BioCryst is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to providing equal employment opportunities without regard to age, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veterans status, disability and/or other protected class characteristics. BioCryst is additionally committed to achieving its business objectives in compliance with all federal, state and local law. This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws. For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.