Executive Director, Epilepsy R&D

Essential Functions

• Scientific & Clinical Accountability for the R&D Epilepsy Portfolio
• Develop and shape epilepsy clinical development strategy aligned with portfolio, regulatory expectations, and unmet needs.
• Define clinical endpoints, trial designs, and patient populations across epilepsy development programs.
• Integrate scientific insights, literature, and competitive intelligence into actionable program strategies.
• Steward epilepsy programs through governance to align budget and timeline expectations.
• Execute multiple epilepsy programs according to budget and timeline

External Engagement & Key Opinion Leadership

• R&D leader for the Jazz Scientific Advisory Board in Epilepsy.
• Serve as a leading external scientific voice, building trusted relationships with epilepsy experts and stakeholders.
• Engage academic epileptologists and experts to inform strategy, evidence generation, and trial design.
• Represent company at congresses, symposia, and regulatory interactions as epilepsy clinical expert.

Research Collaboration & Innovation

• Drive collaborative research initiatives with academic institutions and external partners advancing epilepsy science.
• Establish and oversee collaborative research aligned with strategic priorities.
• Identify emerging scientific opportunities and innovative technologies to advance epilepsy therapeutic development.

Translational Science Leadership

• Bridge preclinical discoveries and clinical development to enhance probability of success for epilepsy programs.
• Translate mechanistic insights and biomarkers into clinical hypotheses, endpoints, and decision frameworks.
• Partner with nonclinical teams to refine target validation and support translational development strategies.

Internal Leadership & Influence

• Provide R&D leadership at enterprise-wide epilepsy forums to advance epilepsy pipeline, commercial portfolio, and category leadership.
• Influence Executive Committee and Board stakeholders through clear, evidence-based scientific presentations.
• Mentor internal teams and contribute to capability building in epilepsy expertise across organization.

Community & Advocacy Integration

• Embed patient and caregiver perspectives into development strategy through meaningful community engagement.
• Partner with advocacy organizations and patients to incorporate patient centricity into trial design and endpoint selection.
• Ensure development programs reflect diversity, access considerations, and real-world patient priorities.

Required/Preferred Education And Licenses

MD/PhD with specialization in Epilepsy

Required Knowledge, Skills And Abilities

• Minimum of 10 years' experience in drug development (academia or in a global organization)
• National or international recognition as an academic epileptologist or epilepsy drug developer
• Significant experience in:
• Clinical research and trial leadership
• Investigator-initiated studies
• Strong track record of:
• Publishations
• Conference presentations
• Scientific leadership roles
• Established network across:
• Academic centers
• Clinical trial sites
• Epilepsy organizations
• People Leadership:
• Proven experience managing and developing people and teams in a global organization
• Ability to effectively lead cross functional teams and successfully leverage internal and external partnerships
• Excellent organizational and time management skills, ability to lead and represent department functions on project teams in a matrix organisation
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills with collaborative interpersonal skills
• Ability to travel (up to 10%-20% of time)

Jazz Pharmaceuticals is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any characteristic protected by law.

FOR US BASED CANDIDATES ONLY

Jazz Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is committed to fair and equitable compensation practices and we strive to provide employees with total compensation packages that are market competitive. For this role, the full and complete base pay range is: $348,000.00 - $522,000.00

Individual compensation paid within this range will depend on many factors, including qualifications, skills, relevant experience, job knowledge, and other pertinent factors.

The goal is to ensure fair and competitive compensation aligned with the candidate's expertise and contributions, within the established pay framework and our Total Compensation philosophy.

Internal equity considerations will also influence individual base pay decisions.

This range will be reviewed on a regular basis.

At Jazz, your base pay is only one part of your total compensation package.

The successful candidate may also be eligible for a discretionary annual cash bonus or incentive compensation (depending on the role), in accordance with the terms of the Company's Global Cash Bonus Plan or Incentive Compensation Plan, as well as discretionary equity grants in accordance with Jazz's Long Term Equity Incentive Plan.

The successful candidate will also be eligible to participate in various benefits offerings, including, but not limited to, medical, dental and vision insurance, 401k retirement savings plan, and flexible paid vacation.

For more information on our Benefits offerings please click here: https://careers.jazzpharma.com/benefits.html.