Director - Endocrine/Internal Medicine

Dechra is a growing, global specialist in veterinary pharmaceuticals, focused on the development, manufacture, marketing, and sales of high-quality products exclusively for veterinarians worldwide. Our values—(D)edication, (E)njoyment, (C)ourage, (H)onesty, (R)elationships, and (A)mbition—are embedded in our culture and guide our team of nearly 3,000 colleagues globally.

About the role

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 in the assigned therapeutic area. This role leads a team of Efficacy Principal Scientists and Senior Principal Scientists, overseeing the design, execution, and regulatory delivery of efficacy programs throughout the development lifecycle—from early proof of concept to product registration and lifecycle management.

The Director sets direction, creates clarity, and drives execution, ensuring efficacy strategies are scientifically robust, operationally feasible, and aligned with regulatory, clinical, and commercial objectives. Operating within a highly matrixed environment, the role shapes project direction, enables informed decision-making, and ensures integration of efficacy strategy across functions. Additionally, the role serves as the primary scientific interface to Global Marketing and Technical Excellence (GMTE), aligning enabling models, technologies, and scientific capabilities with portfolio expansion and future opportunities.

Responsibilities

• 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 align with portfolio priorities, timelines, budgets, and regulatory strategies.
  • Provide strategic input and recommendations to governance forums on portfolio performance, prioritization, and investment decisions.
  • Act as Project Lead for selected programs of elevated complexity or strategic importance when required.
• 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 lifecycle 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
  • Identify and evaluate emerging therapeutic targets, technologies, and innovation opportunities in collaboration with GMTE and External Innovation.
  • 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.

Requirements

• Essential Experience
  • 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 record of delivering multi-site and/or multi-national studies.
• Desirable Experience
  • Market-informed mindset in the 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 required.

Skills

• 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.