Vice President, Head of Translational Science and Medicine

Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.; Boston (MA); On-site; USD 337,000 - 505,000; Full time

Job summary

Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. in Boston seeks a senior leader to drive translational medicine and translational science strategies across the portfolio, overseeing medicines, biomarker development, and cross‑functional teams.

You will shape evidence generation and program differentiation to support asset progression. In this role you will build a connected, agile organization, participate in governance, and mentor a high‑performing team, collaborating with R&D, BD, CI, and other partners to

Qualifications

• MD, PhD, or equivalent in a medical or scientific discipline.
• 15+ years of leadership in translational medicine/science, drug discovery and development.
• Experience leading large cross-functional and matrixed teams.
• Strong understanding of translational strategy and portfolio decision-making.
• Experience guiding discovery to development to support therapeutic advancement.
• Background in disease biology, biomarkers, diagnostics and translational approaches.
• Experience with regulatory interactions and evidence-generation strategy.
• Fluent in leveraging AI to accelerate drug development.
• Excellent communication and leadership across scientific and executive audiences.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic and operational leadership across Translational Medicine and Translational Science.
• Drive development and execution of translational strategies supporting prioritization, evidence generation, and biomarker development.
• Build a connected, agile translational organization across research and development.
• Lead Translational Sciences Center of Excellence and prioritize initiatives.
• Contribute to portfolio strategy, indications, target validation, and external collaborations.
• Participate in leadership and portfolio committees to inform decision-making.
• Mentor and develop a high-performing team fostering scientific excellence.

Skills

Translational medicine

Cross-functional leadership

Regulatory interactions

AI in drug development

Science communication

Leadership

Education

MD, Ph.D., or equivalent

Job description

What You Will Do

You will provide strategic and operational leadership for thecombined Translational Medicine and Translational Scienceorganizations, including oversight of translational medicine leads, translational research teams, and other related scientific capabilities across the portfolio.

You will drive the development and execution of translational strategies that support target and indication prioritization, evidence generation, biomarker development, and scientific /clinical differentiation across programs. You will help create strong scientific and data narratives that support asset progression and strengthen the positioning of programs within the competitive landscape. This includes providing timely bioanalytics and diagnostics support and development.

You will lead efforts to build a more connected and agile translational organization, strengthening integration across research and development and ensuring translational activities are initiated and executed at the appropriate stages of the pipeline.

You will serve as the leader of aTranslational Sciences Center of Excellence, overseeing and prioritizing ongoing and future translational initiatives while continuously improving platforms, processes, and scientific capabilities to enhance quality, speed, and impact.

You will play a key role in portfolio strategy, including support forindication selection,human target validation, and evaluation of external innovation throughbusiness development, partnerships, and scientific collaborations. You will work closely withR&D,Business Development,Competitive Intelligence, and other cross-functional partners to align translational strategy with broader corporate and portfolio priorities.

You will contribute to governance and enterprise decision‑making through participation in key leadership and portfolio committees, bringing scientific insight and strategic perspective to research prioritization and pipeline discussions.

You will also lead, mentor, and develop a high-performing team, fostering a culture of scientific excellence, innovation, collaboration, and accountability.

Why This Role Matters

This is a unique opportunity to define and elevate the translational medicine and translational science strategy for a portfolio focused on high-impact science and rare disease innovation. The role offers broad visibility, enterprise influence, and the opportunity to shape how translational insights support the advancement of innovative therapies from research through development.

Essential Qualifications

• M.D., Ph.D., or equivalentin a relevant scientific or medical discipline
• Significant leadership experience intranslational medicine,translational science, drug discovery, and development, typically15+ years
• Demonstrated success leadinglarge cross‑functional and matrixed teamsin a complex organizational environment
• Deep understanding of how translational strategy supports program progression, scientific differentiation, and portfolio decision‑making
• Experience connecting discovery, translational research, and development to support therapeutic advancement
• Strong scientific background in disease biology, biomarkers, diagnostics and translational approaches across multiple therapeutic areas
• Experience contributing toregulatory interactions, scientific documentation, and evidence‑generation strategy
• Fluent in the potential of artificial intelligence to enhance and accelerate the process of drug development
• Excellent communication, leadership, and influencing skills, with the ability to engage effectively across scientific and executive audiences

Desirable Qualifications

• Experience inrare disease drug development
• Track record of productivity as illustrated by publications, patents and regulatory filings
• Experience supportingbusiness development, scientific diligence, portfolio evaluation, or external collaborations
• Experience building or scaling translational capabilities, platforms, or centers of excellence within a research and development organization
• Well networked with external stakeholders

Leadership Profile

The ideal candidate will bring scientific depth, strategic agility, and executive presence. You will be a collaborative, forward-looking leader who can inspire teams, influence across a matrixed organization, and translate scientific complexity into clear strategic direction.

You should be recognized for your ability to build strong partnerships, develop talent, and lead through both vision and execution.

Working Conditions

The duties of this role are generally conducted in an office environment. As is typical of an office-based role, employees must be able, with or without accommodation, to use a computer, communicate via phone, video, and electronic messaging, engage in analysis and problem solving, collaborate with others, and maintain general availability during standard business hours.

The annual base pay for this position ranges from $336.785,60 to $505.178,40. Hourly and salaried non-exempt employees will also be paid overtime pay when working qualifying overtime hours.Base pay offered may vary depending on multiple individualized factors, including market location, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. In addition, our positions offer a short‑term incentive bonus opportunity; eligibility to participate in our equity‑based long‑term incentive program (salaried roles),to receive a retirement contribution (hourly roles), and commission payment eligibility (sales roles). Benefits offered included a qualified retirement program [401(k) plan]; paid vacation and holidays; paid leaves; and, health benefits including medical, prescription drug, dental, and vision coverage in accordance with the terms and conditions of the applicable plans. Additional details of participation in these benefit plans will be provided if an employee receives an offer of employment. If hired, employee will be in an “at‑will position” and the Company reserves the right to modify base pay (as well as any other discretionary payment or compensation program) at any time, including for reasons related to individual performance, Company or individual department/team performance, and market factors.

Date Posted

11-nov-2026

Closing Date

14-dic-2026

Our mission is to build an inclusive environment where equal employment opportunities are available to all applicants and employees. In furtherance of that mission, we welcome and consider applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of their protected characteristics. If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please complete the corresponding section in the application form.