Join a Legacy of Innovation 110 Years and Counting!
Daiichi Sankyo Group is dedicated to the creation and supply of innovative pharmaceutical therapies to improve standards of care and address diversified, unmet medical needs of people globally by leveraging our world-class science and technology. With more than 100 years of scientific expertise and a presence in more than 20 countries, Daiichi Sankyo and its 15,000 employees around the world draw upon a rich legacy of innovation and a robust pipeline of promising new medicines to help people. Under the Group’s 2025 Vision to become a “Global Pharma Innovator with Competitive Advantage in Oncology,” Daiichi Sankyo is primarily focused on providing novel therapies in oncology, as well as other research areas centered around rare diseases and immune disorders.
Summary
As Translational Strategy Leader, you will define and lead cross-project translational strategy and guide research across immunology related projects in the R&D portfolio, including immune-oncology and immunologic therapies in specialty medicine. Responsibilities include: (1) review available translational and clinical results, both from internal as well as external research, (2) determine the implications for cross-project strategy, and (3) coordinate pre-clinical/clinical research plans to progress the strategy with keen attention to the potential for impact on the clinical development of each project, the portfolio of related projects and next generation therapies.
- Review cross-project strategy with leaders in translational science, precision medicine and R&D to ensure alignment and support. Ability to prioritize portfolio-level translational questions and reduce them to scientific hypotheses that can be evaluated with tractable research plans is critical. Leveraging your deep knowledge of immunology, translational sciences, and drug development, you will advise and work closely with project translational leaders to optimize translational strategy for each related project and integrate the individual project strategy with the strategy across projects.
- Ensure that novel scientific ideas are translated efficiently into demonstration of proof-of-mechanism (PoM), proof-of-principle with impact on disease pathogenesis (PoP), and clinical proof of concept (PoC), which are key priorities for early-stage projects.
- Contribute to indication expansion and rational combinations for later stage projects, compiling and interpreting internal cross-project and external information.
- Pay close attention to patient needs and understand relevance to commercial value. You will also establish and/or support close collaboration with academic researchers, including clinical study investigators as well as experts in disease pathophysiology or target receptor biology, to drive precision medicine objectives with the external medical and scientific community.
- Work closely with translational and precision medicine leadership teams to contribute to optimization of translational research capabilities, ways of working, and cross-functional coordination.
- You are expected to establish a positive working environment with smooth interaction between teams, functions and departments, to deliver the cross-project strategy.
- Maintain solid knowledge about translational research and strategy of main competitors in each preclinical/clinical program, especially in immunology.
- You will have responsibility to incorporate translational research plans into clinical protocols and ensure proper documentation and regulatory compliance.
- Help to develop translational scientists by providing on-the-job training based on the individual mid-term career plans.
Responsibilities
- Lead the development and implementation of cross-project translational strategies in applicable preclinical/clinical immunology projects. Demonstrate and maintain leadership in cross-project translational strategy and implementation.
- Partner with project-level precision medicine, discovery research, and clinical development scientists to optimize translational research to demonstrate PoM/PoP/PoC in early-stage clinical studies and to expand indications and rational combinations in later stage projects.
- Identify and interact with key external experts; design and execute collaborative research as necessary while defining the key scientific questions to be addressed to impact clinical development and portfolio strategy. Maintain solid knowledge about translational research of main competitors in each preclinical/clinical program and a broader area of immune-oncology and immunologic diseases.
- Manage and understand the process from translational research planning to individual research reports and regulatory documentation. Contribute to optimization of translational research capabilities, ways of working, and cross-functional coordination.
Qualifications: Successful candidates will be able to meet the qualifications below with or without a reasonable accommodation.
Education Qualifications (from an accredited college or university)
- PhD or equivalent required
- MD or equivalent preferred
- Postgraduate training in scientific specialty required.
Experience Qualifications
- 10 or more years of relevant experience in academia and/or pharmaceutical industry in translational research with strong, demonstrated expertise in immunology and/or immuno-oncology required.
- 10 or more years demonstrated translational leadership and ability to define clear translational strategies anchored on specific scientific hypotheses with deep knowledge of disease biology, drug mechanism of action, target receptor biology and large potential impact to clinical development decisions at a large project or portfolio level. Deep knowledge in biomarker technologies including NGS, immunoassay, genomics, proteomics, and immunohistochemistry including assay validation required.
- 4 or more years of extensive experience in the discovery, characterization, and utilization of innovative translational strategies across the continuum of research/preclinical and clinical stages preferred.
Daiichi Sankyo, Inc. is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, religion, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, age, or any other characteristic protected by law.
