Senior Director, Head of Research & Early Development at Jazz Pharmaceuticals in Home-Based

Job description

If you are a current Jazz employee please apply via the Internal Career site Jazz Pharmaceuticals is a global biopharma company whose purpose is to innovate to transform the lives of patients and their families. We are dedicated to developing life-changing medicines for people with serious diseases — often with limited or no therapeutic options. We have a diverse portfolio of marketed medicines, including leading therapies for sleep disorders and epilepsy, and a growing portfolio of cancer treatments. Our patient-focused and science-driven approach powers pioneering research and development advancements across our robust pipeline of innovative therapeutics in oncology and neuroscience. Jazz is headquartered in Dublin, Ireland with research and development laboratories, manufacturing facilities and employees in multiple countries committed to serving patients worldwide. Please visit www.jazzpharmaceuticals.com for more information. Job Description Brief Description: The Senior Director, Head of Research and Early Development Project Management is an executive-level operational and strategic leader accountable for establishing scalable, world-class project management capabilities across Jazz Pharmaceuticals’ growing discovery and early pipeline. Reporting directly to the Vice President, Head of Pipeline and Project Management, this leader will drive process optimization throughout the drug development life cycle from Candidate Drug Nomination through First-in-Human (FIH) clinical trials. This newly created role ensures robust cross-functional project execution across Oncology, Neuroscience, and emerging Rare Disease indications. The incumbent will cultivate high-performing project managers who operate as the operational leaders (“COOs”) of their respective drug programs, institutionalize the Orchestra Team Operating Model, and ensure seamless portfolio continuity into late-stage development. By partnering closely with Chief Scientific Officers, Corporate Strategy, Governance, and Finance, this leader will optimize development cycle times, accelerate pipeline progression, and translate scientific innovation into clinical assets for patients. Additionally, as a player-coach, this leader may personally lead high-priority projects and take on direct hands-on project work as needed to support portfolio capacity and strategic demand. Essential Functions 1. Process Optimization & Life Cycle Progression (Discovery to FIH) Path Acceleration: Champion continuous process improvement across the early drug development continuum from Discovery and Candidate Nomination through Investigational New Drug (IND) / Clinical Trial Authorization (CTA) and First-in-Human (FIH). Cycle-Time Excellence: Establish standardized cycle-time benchmarks, identify key operational bottlenecks, and remove development friction to accelerate high-priority early medicines. Scalable Infrastructure: Design and scale R&D operational processes to support the increasing demand of a growing neuroscience, oncology, and rare disease early-stage pipeline. 2. Portfolio Oversight, Risk Management & Governance Partnering Early Portfolio Monitoring: Maintain holistic, end-to-end operational visibility over risk profiles, critical-path dependencies, and strategic opportunities within the early-stage portfolio. Governance Partnership: Partner with the Governance and Portfolio Management Lead to design and align consistent templates for early-stage governance presentations and rigorous post-governance project tracking. Accountability Frameworks: Establish frameworks to ensure projects stay precisely on track with agreed-upon target timelines, milestones, and approved development budgets. 3. Orchestra Operating Model & High-Performing Teams Model Integration: Lead the active embedding and continuous sustainment of the Orchestra Team Operating Model across all early-stage project teams, clarifying roles, responsibilities, and team decision rights. Cross-Functional Collaboration: Break