Associate Director, Nonclinical Pharmacology

Oruka Therapeutics

Associate Director overseeing nonclinical pharmacology experiments for treatments of chronic skin diseases at Oruka Therapeutics in a hybrid role.

Posted 5/16/2026full-timeMenlo Park • California, Massachusetts • 🇺🇸 United StatesSenior💰 $182,000 - $208,000 per yearWebsite

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

As a key member of the Nonclinical team, this individual will be responsible for designing and overseeing nonclinical pharmacology experiments and related assays (working with CROs).
Representing the Nonclinical function on development teams.
Engaging in translational research efforts in support of clinical studies.
Developing effective models using preclinical and clinical data to assess Oruka’s strategic emphasis on creating best in class treatments.
Influencing the development of drugs and expanding the application of model-informed drug development (MIDD) while working with the clinical pharmacologist/modeler.
Engaging with and managing outside vendors, partners and consultants as necessary, including oversight and review of assays and experiments conducted by third party vendors.
Supporting Corporate and Business Development efforts requiring immunology expertise.
Contributing to the development or improvement of tools, processes and methodology, including involvement in internal cross-functional workgroups or initiatives, external alliances or committees, consortia and academic relationships.
Managing translational research efforts associated with clinical trial objectives by working with academic collaborators.
Partnering with key stakeholders and colleagues including Development teams and leaders, interfacing closely with clinical scientists to facilitate modeling and data analysis in the non-clinical and clinical programs.
Influencing and leading the external environment through scientific societies, publications, presentations, and collaborations.

Requirements

What you’ll need

Bachelor’s degree and 10 years of experience or PhD degree and 5 years of experience in life sciences, immunology, pharmacology with at least 4 years of experience in drug development.
Strong immunology background and experience.
Working knowledge of immunological experimental approaches.
Ability to design fit for purpose assays to support non-clinical and CMC development.
Hands-on experience with GraphPad Prism, Spotfire and/or other research software tools.
Strong attention to detail with extensive experience reviewing and interpreting complex basic immunology/pharmacology and PD data.
Strong interpersonal skills, with the ability to work across cross-functional teams.
Project management skills with sense of urgency, ability to collaborate and influence across teams.
Demonstrated ability to work across functions including medical writing, clinical operations, biometrics, clinical development, quality, CMC, business development and regulatory affairs.
Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written, with the ability to convey complex data concepts to stakeholders at all levels.

Benefits

Comp & perks

Competitive salary and benefits package.
Opportunities for professional growth and development.
A chance to be part of a vibrant startup culture where your work can directly impact bringing new medicines to patients.
A supportive and inclusive team environment where everyone is encouraged to bring their authentic selves to work.

ATS Keywords

✓ Tailor your resume

Applicant Tracking System Keywords

Tip: use these terms in your resume and cover letter to boost ATS matches.

Hard Skills & Tools

immunologypharmacologydrug developmentassay designmodel-informed drug development (MIDD)translational researchdata analysisclinical trial managementproject management

Soft Skills

interpersonal skillsattention to detailcollaborationinfluencecommunication skills

Certifications

Bachelor's degreePhD degree