Director – Small Molecule Portfolio Strategy & Leadership

Amgen

Director of PKDM at Amgen driving small molecule programs from discovery to regulatory submission. Leveraging scientific and leadership skills to influence portfolio strategy and development.

Posted 6/26/2026full-timeSouth San Francisco • California • 🇺🇸 United StatesSenior💰 $209,657 - $283,653 per yearWebsite

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Provide strategic PKDM-BA leadership for small molecule discovery and development programs, enabling informed decision-making and successful advancement of portfolio assets.
Drive the progression of cross-functional project teams through scientific innovation, risk assessment, and proactive problem solving.
Lead PKDM-BA contributions to regulatory submissions, including INDs, NDAs, and interactions with global health authorities.
Define and execute scientific strategies that support candidate selection, optimization, development, and registration of small molecule therapeutics.
Identify, evaluate, and implement emerging technologies and approaches that enhance understanding of drug disposition and improve development outcomes.
Partner closely with business development teams to assess external opportunities and support scientific due diligence activities.
Build strong collaborative relationships across therapeutic areas and partner functions to advance portfolio objectives.
Recruit, develop, mentor, and inspire scientific talent while fostering a culture of scientific excellence and innovation.
Contribute to organizational strategy and help shape the future direction of small molecule PKDM-BA capabilities at Amgen.

Requirements

What you’ll need

Doctorate degree PhD OR PharmD OR MD [and relevant post-doc where applicable] and 5 years of industry experience in Pharmaceutical Sciences, Pharmacokinetics, Drug Metabolism, Pharmacology, Chemistry, or a related discipline OR Master’s degree and 8 years of industry experience in Pharmaceutical Sciences, Pharmacokinetics, Drug Metabolism, Pharmacology, Chemistry, or a related discipline OR Bachelor’s degree and 10 years of industry experience in Pharmaceutical Sciences, Pharmacokinetics, Drug Metabolism, Pharmacology, Chemistry, or a related discipline.
A demonstrated track record of scientific and strategic leadership across multiple small molecule discovery and development programs.
Extensive experience supporting regulatory submissions for small molecule therapeutics, including INDs and NDAs.
Deep expertise in drug disposition, pharmacokinetics, and translational strategies that inform candidate progression and development decisions.
Proven success accelerating project advancement and influencing key portfolio decisions within a matrixed environment.
Prior experience in direct people management, including recruiting, coaching, developing, and leading high-performing scientific teams.
Experience working across multiple therapeutic areas and/or drug modalities.
Strong external scientific presence through publications, presentations, and engagement with the broader scientific community.
Excellent communication, collaboration, and leadership skills with the ability to influence stakeholders across functions and organizational levels.
Experience developing and mentoring scientists and building high-performing teams.

Benefits

Comp & perks

A comprehensive employee benefits package, including a Retirement and Savings Plan with generous company contributions
group medical, dental and vision coverage
life and disability insurance
flexible spending accounts
A discretionary annual bonus program, or for field sales representatives, a sales-based incentive plan
Stock-based long-term incentives
Award-winning time-off plans
Flexible work models where possible.

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Applicant Tracking System Keywords

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Hard Skills & Tools

Pharmaceutical SciencesPharmacokineticsDrug MetabolismPharmacologyChemistryregulatory submissionsINDsNDAsdrug dispositiontranslational strategies

Soft Skills

strategic leadershipscientific innovationproblem solvingcollaborationmentoringcommunicationinfluencing stakeholdersteam developmentrelationship buildingorganizational strategy

Certifications

PhDPharmDMD