Director - Efficacy, Therapeutic Area - Endocrine /Internal Medicine
Job Introduction
Thanks for checking out our vacancy, we’re delighted you want to learn more about Dechra!
Dechra is a growing, global specialist within the world of veterinary pharmaceuticals. Our expertise is in the development, manufacture, marketing and sales of high quality products exclusively for veterinarians worldwide.
Here at Dechra, our values are embedded within our culture and thrive within our family of almost 3000 colleagues globally. From manufacturing to marketing, (D)edication, (E)njoyment, (C)ourage, (H)onesty, (R)elationships and (A)mbition are at the heart of our everyday operations and the way we do business.
The Opportunity
The Director, Efficacy, Therapeutic Area: Endocrine/Internal Medicine is a senior leader within Product Development, responsible for providing scientific, strategic, and people leadership for all efficacy activities across small- and large-molecule programs within the assigned therapeutic area.
The role leads a team of Efficacy Principal Scientists and Senior Principal Scientists responsible for the design, execution, and regulatory delivery of efficacy programs across the full development lifecycle, from early proof of concept through product registration and lifecycle management.
The Director sets direction, creates clarity, and drives execution through others, ensuring that efficacy strategies are scientifically robust, operationally feasible and aligned with regulatory, clinical and commercial objectives.
The role operates within a highly matrixed development environment and plays a central role in shaping project direction, enabling informed decision-making and ensuring integration of efficacy strategy across functions.
In addition, the role serves as the primary scientific interface to Global Marketing and Technical Excellence (GMTE), ensuring that enabling models, technologies and scientific capabilities are developed in advance of portfolio expansion and future opportunity generation.
Role Responsibility
The Director, Efficacy provides functional leadership for the assigned therapeutic area, including:
Efficacy Therapeutic Area Leadership
- Set the scientific and strategic direction for efficacy activities within the therapeutic area and translate that direction into clear execution priorities.
- Build and lead a high-performing, engaged team with strong accountability, collaboration and scientific excellence.
- Coach, develop, and empower Efficacy Leads to take ownership, make decisions and drive outcomes.
- Establish a strong delivery culture with clear expectations for quality, timelines and cross-functional collaboration.
- Act as the senior escalation point for scientific or operational efficacy challenges across programs.
- Ensure efficacy strategies and deliverables align with the Co-Development (CoDev) framework and associated governance processes.
Portfolio and Project Oversight
- Maintain end-to-end visibility of all projects within the therapeutic area, including status, risks, dependencies and resource utilization.
- Ensure efficacy activities are aligned with portfolio priorities, timelines, budgets and regulatory strategies.
- Provide strategic input and recommendations to governance forums on portfolio performance, prioritization, and investment decisions.
- When required, act as Project Lead for selected programs of elevated complexity or strategic importance.
Scientific and Translational Leadership
- Ensure scientifically robust and clinically relevant efficacy strategies, including study design, endpoint selection and success criteria.
- Drive integration of disease biology, clinical practice and translational science into development programs.
- Ensure efficacy strategies support regulatory approval, product differentiation and real-world clinical use.
- Maintain awareness of emerging scientific and clinical developments and translate these into program and portfolio direction.
Platform and Model Development
- Lead the development, validation and life cycle management of in vitro and in vivo disease models required to support proof of concept, dose selection, and efficacy demonstration.
- Ensure models are fit for purpose, well characterized and scalable for use across multiple programs.
- Align model development priorities with current and future portfolio needs, ensuring readiness ahead of demand.
- Drive continuous improvement in model relevance, predictive value, scalability and scientific impact.
Strategic Alignment with GMTE
- Partner closely with GMTE to align efficacy capabilities, disease models, and translational tools with target product profiles and business strategy.
- Translate future portfolio concepts into clear scientific capability roadmaps and model-development plans.
External Scientific Ecosystem
In collaboration with GMTE and External Innovation:
- Identify and evaluate emerging therapeutic targets, technologies, and innovation opportunities.
- Establish and maintain strategic collaborations with key opinion leaders, academic institutions, CROs and specialist consultants.
- Build a high-performing external network capable of supporting translational research and development programs.
- Provide scientific leadership in due diligence and external partnership evaluations.
Cross-Functional Leadership
- Partner closely with Regulatory Affairs, Safety, CMC, Clinical Operations, GMTE, Portfolio and Commercial functions to ensure integrated development strategies.
- Ensure efficacy considerations are fully integrated into development planning, decision-making and execution.
- Communicate scientific rationale, risks, trade-offs, and decisions clearly across project teams and governance forums.
Leadership Team Membership
- Serve as a member of the Product Development Leadership Team (PDLT) and the DRD Extended Leadership Team (DRD-ExLT).
- Organizational Accountability
- Accountable for efficacy capability, scientific standards, model development and performance within the therapeutic area.
Key Performance Indicators
- Delivery of efficacy programs to agreed timelines, budgets, and regulatory quality standards
- Strength and readiness of efficacy strategies to support regulatory approval and product differentiation
- Readiness, robustness and utilization of disease models and enabling scientific platforms
- Effectiveness of cross-functional collaboration and integration
- Strength, scalability and productivity of external scientific partnerships
- Capability, engagement and development of the Efficacy team
Decision-Making & Judgment
- Makes balanced, risk-based decisions considering scientific, regulatory and commercial factors.
- Applies structured, scenario-based thinking to evaluate options, anticipate risks and guide decision-making.
Leadership, Team Culture & Influence
- Builds and leads high-performing teams with strong ownership and accountability.
- Influences across functions and with external stakeholders through scientific credibility, clarity and consistency.
- Creates a culture of collaboration, transparency, and delivery excellence.
Leadership & Capability Development
- Develops and coaches Efficacy Leads and scientists.
- Builds long-term capability through succession planning, mentoring and recruitment.
- Establishes clear expectations for performance, behaviors and decision-making.
The Ideal Candidate
Here at Dechra we pride ourselves on being an inclusive employer and we embrace candidates from all walks of life. We’re particularly excited to hear from those who have/are:
Essential
- Experience in companion-animal or equine clinical practice or research
- 10+ years’ experience in veterinary pharmaceutical or biopharmaceutical R&D
- Experience designing and delivering efficacy programs aligned with VICH, GCP and GLP requirements
- Experience interacting with regulatory agencies (FDA-CVM, USDA, EMA-CVMP, UK-VMD)
- Experience developing,validating and applying disease models
- Track recordof delivering multi-site and/or multi-national studies
Desirable
- Market-informed mindset in application of scientific research
- Working knowledge of pharmacokinetics
Qualifications
Essential
- DVM,BVMed, or equivalent or Biomedical or animal science degree with significant experience in veterinary drug development.
Desirable
- Advanced degree (MSc, PhD, doctorate), specialty board certification, or diploma
Travel
Ability and willingness to travel nationally and internationally as require
About the Company
As a people first values-based culture, we provide free weekly wellness sessions focused on our employee's physical and mental wellbeing, and flexible work arrangements. We offer a generous employer 401k match and an other incentives for long-term financial wellness. Our full array of health, financial and voluntary benefit programs are what you would expect from a recognized Best Place to Work.