yoinka

Executive Director, Immunology Discovery

Merck

San Diego, California, United States of AmericaFull TimeStaff$255.8k – $402.7k/yr
Sign in to applyVerified 1h ago
Location
San Diego, California, United States of America
Employment
Full Time
Work model
On-Site
Level
Staff
Salary
$255.8k – $402.7k/yr
Posted
Sep 10, 2026

Skills

Spark

About this role

Job Description

Our company is on a quest for cures and is committed to being the world’s premier, most research-intensive biopharmaceutical company. Today, we’re doubling down on this goal. Our Research & Development (R&D) Division is a true scientific research facility of tomorrow and will take our company's leading discovery capabilities and world-class small molecule and biologics R&D expertise to create breakthrough science that radically changes the way we approach serious diseases. Our research scientists are our inventors. We identify and target steps in disease mechanisms or pathways that could be inhibited or enhanced. Our goal is to isolate a compound that is effective against a disease target. Using innovative thinking, state-of-the-art facilities, and robust scientific methodology, we collaborate to discover the next medical breakthroughs. Our company is seeking a highly motivated candidate for the position of Executive Director of Immunology Discovery research, reporting directly to the Vice President of Immunology Discovery. This position is a senior role, responsible for leading an Immunology research group at our Research and Development San Diego site that is focused on Gastroenterology, Dermatology and Rheumatology therapeutics; the Executive Director will strategically shape our Immunology discovery pipeline. The position will require an excellent understanding of the competitive landscape, target selection and portfolio management and the incumbent will evaluate and integrate external business development opportunities. The Executive Director will partner with the Vice President and other Leadership Team (LT) members to shape and implement our Immunology strategy and work collaboratively with programmatic, functional and cross-division partners to achieve results. This role will be a key interface with other drug discovery and development scientists as well as collaborators and stakeholders across the organization from Clinical, Translational Medicine, CMC, Regulatory and Commercial. The Executive Director will be involved with tech transfer and development of new products and functions within our company as well as with external academic and industrial partners. The successful applicant will have a track record in the discovery of multiple Immunology drug candidates and a holistic understanding of advancing candidates from target identification through to product launch. In this role, the Executive Director will also supervise multiple teams of scientists on projects. The candidate must have strong people management skills and excel in creating high performing teams to lead the conduct of scientific research, from the laboratory through to commercialization, thereby translating breakthroughs in fundamental science to afford world class human health products. Excellent communication and influencing skills will be required to socialize and gain buy-in on the Immunology strategy and vision across the enterprise. We recognize that our team is our strength and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. Successful candidates must demonstrate inclusive behaviors in working with their peers and a broad group of scientists to drive our core mission.

Primary Responsibilities

Sets the vision and strategy for their Immunology team to drive performance and deliver on projects to invent drugs that impact patients and save lives. Responsible for managing priorities, resources, and investments aligned with the greater Immunology Discovery strategy. Partners with Research, Translational, and Clinical colleagues to manage early and late-stage discovery programs including FIH and POC clinical studies in human subjects. Actively develops talent to strengthen their team. Collaborates with Search & Evaluation teams to identify and evaluate external business development opportunities that complement existing internal programs. Fosters a high-performance culture of collaboration, engagement,

Listing verified 1h ago. Applications go through the company's official careers site.

← Back to Yoinka

Executive Director, Immunology Discovery at Merck, San Diego, California, United States of America | Yoinka