Executive Director, R&D Strategy & Operations

Travere Therapeutics; San Diego (CA); On-site; USD 246,000 - 332,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

401(k) with company match

Generous paid time off

Job summary

The role emphasizes strategic thinking, organizational leadership, and change management, with 20% travel and onsite presence in San Diego.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree is required; advanced degree strongly preferred.
• Equivalent combination of education and applicable job experience may be considered.
• Proven leadership in R&D strategy, operations, and portfolio planning with cross-functional impact.

Responsibilities

• Partner with EVP, Head of R&D & CMO to drive strategic initiatives across R&D functions.
• Lead governance, portfolio planning, and executive reporting for R&D leadership.
• Advance organizational effectiveness, change management, and cross-functional collaboration.
• Coordinate budgeting, resource planning, and enterprise-wide strategic initiatives.

Skills

Strategic leadership

Cross-functional collaboration

Executive communication

Change management

R&D lifecycle understanding

Travel readiness

Education

Bachelor's degree in life sciences, business, healthcare, or related discipline

Advanced degree (PhD, MD, PharmD, MBA, or equivalent) strongly preferred

Job description

Department: 106100 R&D Admin Location: San Diego, USA- Remote Be a part of a global team that is inspired to make a difference in the lives of people living with rare disease. At Travere Therapeutics, we recognize that our exceptional employees are vital to our success. We are a dedicated team focused on meeting the unique needs of rare patients. Our work is rewarding - both professionally and personally - because we are making a difference. We are passionate about what we do. We are seeking talented individuals who will thrive in our collaborative, diverse, fast-paced environment and share in our mission - to identify, develop and deliver life-changing therapies to people living with rare disease. We stick by our values centered on patients, courage, community, and collaboration to pursue our vision of becoming a leading biopharmaceutical company dedicated to the delivery of innovation and hope to patients in the global rare disease community. At Travere Therapeutics, we are in rare for life. We continue to courageously forge new paths as we move toward a common goal of elevating science and service for rare patients.

Position Summary:

The Executive Director, R&D Strategy & Operations, serves as the strategic partner and Chief of Staff to the EVP, Head of R&D & Chief Medical Officer, driving organizational effectiveness, strategic alignment, and operational excellence across the R&D organization. This highly visible leadership role partners closely with the EVP and the R&D Leadership Team to ensure strategic priorities are translated into coordinated execution, organizational risks are proactively identified, and opportunities for collaboration are realized across Research, Technical Operations, Clinical Development, Clinical Operations, Clinical Pharmacology, Biometrics, Pharmacovigilance, Regulatory Affairs, Quality, and Medical Affairs. As a cross-functional strategic partner, this role provides enterprise-wide visibility into organizational priorities, portfolio strategy, resource allocation, and operational performance, facilitating informed executive decision-making and ensuring alignment between strategic objectives, organizational capabilities, and financial investments. This role complements existing Project and Program Management functions by focusing on R&D strategy, organizational effectiveness, executive decision support, and cross-functional integration rather than day-to-day program execution. The Executive Director serves as a key interface between R&D leadership and enterprise-wide strategic initiatives, partnering closely with the Enterprise Effectiveness Committee to ensure R&D priorities are aligned with broader company objectives while representing the needs of R&D within enterprise planning and governance. Success in this role requires exceptional strategic thinking, organizational leadership, change management expertise, and the ability to influence across functions without direct authority.

Responsibilities:

• Strategic Partnership to the EVP, Head of R&D & Chief Medical Officer Serve as a trusted strategic advisor and Chief of Staff to the EVP, Head of R&D & CMO. Maintain broad visibility across all R&D functions to identify emerging opportunities, organizational risks, and issues requiring executive attention. Provide regular synthesis of priorities, risks, dependencies, resources, and key decision points. Represent the Office of the EVP in cross-functional meetings and strategic initiatives. Support Executive Team, Board, and strategic planning materials.
• R&D Strategy & Portfolio Planning Support long-range R&D strategy and portfolio planning. Monitor the external scientific, clinical, competitive, and business landscape. Enable cross-functional diligence for licensing, partnership, and acquisition opportunities. Support integration planning for newly acquired or partnered assets. Develop executive analyses and recommendations for trade-offs, sequencing, and risk/return considerations.
• Organizational Leadership & Effectiveness Improve organizational effectiveness and cross-functional collaboration. Facilitate resolution of complex cross-functional issues. Support organizational design and change initiatives. Partner with People Success on leadership development and succession planning.
• Governance & Executive Operations Lead the R&D Leadership Team operating model and governance framework. Plan and lead cross-functional R&D leadership meetings (R&D Leadership Roundtable), strategic planning sessions, portfolio reviews, off-sites, and R&D Leadership workshops. Develop executive dashboards and reporting.
• Strategic Planning, Resource Management & Budget Coordination Partner with Finance Business Partners and R&D leaders on budgeting, forecasting, and resource planning, as needed. Maintain an enterprise-level view of R&D investments. Identify resource constraints and investment gaps. Lead integrated R&D resource planning and allocation discussions across R&D. Develop integrated operational, portfolio, and financial analyses.
• Enterprise Partnership Serve as a trusted liaison between R&D and the Enterprise Effectiveness Committee. Represent R&D priorities in enterprise initiatives. Translate enterprise priorities into coordinated R&D action plans.
• Executive Communication Coordinate communications from the Office of the EVP with clarity, accuracy, and aligned with Travere values. Lead the agenda, cadence and planning of R&D leadership meetings Develop executive presentations and leadership messaging, as needed. Support Board, Executive Team, investor, and scientific meeting preparation.
• Administration Excellence Lead administrative operations supporting the Office of the EVP. Provide leadership to the Executive Assistant supporting the R&D Leadership Team. Develop and lead implementation of scalable administrative processes.

Education/Experience Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree in life sciences, business, healthcare, or related discipline required.
• Equivalent combination of education and applicable job experience may be considered.
• Advanced degree (PhD, MD, PharmD, MBA, or equivalent) strongly preferred.
• 12+ years of biotechnology/pharmaceutical industry experience required.
• 10+ years of demonstrated progressive leadership experience in R&D strategy, operations, portfolio strategy, organizational effectiveness, or related roles, including significant experience partnering with executive leadership and leading complex, R&D initiatives.

Additional Skills/Experience:

• The ideal candidate will embody Travere's core values: Courage, Community Spirit, Patient Focus and Teamwork Driven, intelligent, passionate about making a difference for patients with rare diseases
• Strong understanding of the end-to-end drug development lifecycle.
• Demonstrated experience in establishing an operating model for R&D leadership teams to increase effectiveness and collaboration across R&D functions.
• Proven ability to improve visibility into priorities, risks, resources, and portfolio execution.
• Strong leadership skills in managing organizational change by establishing clear change objectives, engaging stakeholders, anticipating barriers, and driving sustained adoption of new ways of working.
• Strong experience in fostering collaborative relationship building in designing scalable processes supporting organizational growth.
• Exceptional communication, strategic thinking, influence, and discretion.
• Ability to travel 20% domestically and internationally
• All positions have an essential job function to be able to perform face to face work with colleagues and/or onsite in San Diego. No role is expected to be 100% remote.

Total Rewards Offerings:

Travere provides comprehensive total rewards offerings that demonstrate our commitment as a diverse, equitable, people-centric, and pay-for-performance organization.

Benefits: Our benefits include premium health, financial, work-life and well-being offerings for eligible employees and dependents, wellness and employee support programs, life insurance, disability, retirement plans with employer match and generous paid time off.

Compensation: Our competitive compensation package includes a combination of both cash compensation (base pay and short-term incentive) and long-term incentive compensation (company stock), designed to recognize, retain, and reward employees.

Target Base Pay Range: $246,000.00 - $332,000.00 *This information is current as of the date of this posting and may be modified in the future. Actual pay offered to a candidate will depend on a variety of factors including the candidate’s experience, education, skills, and location.

Travere Therapeutics, Inc. is an EEO/AA/Veteran/Disability Employer.

If you require a reasonable accommodation to complete the application or interview process, please contact us by sending an email to [e-mail]. Please note that this email address is to be used exclusively to request an accommodation with the online application, interview or hiring process only. Travere HR will not reply to emails sent to this address for any other reason.

At Travere Therapeutics, we are in rare for life. We are a biopharmaceutical company that comes together every day to help patients, families and caregivers of all backgrounds as they navigate life with a rare disease. On this path, we know the need for treatment options is urgent - that is why our global team works with the rare disease community to identify, develop and deliver life-changing therapies. In pursuit of this mission, we continuously seek to understand the diverse perspectives of rare patients and to courageously forge new paths to make a difference in their lives and provide hope - today and tomorrow. For more information, visit travere.com.