Director, Translational Medicine, Immunology

Otsuka Pharmaceutical Company is a global healthcare company with the corporate philosophy: “Otsuka-people creating new products for better health worldwide.” Otsuka researches, develops, manufactures and markets innovative products, with a focus on pharmaceutical products to meet unmet medical needs and nutraceutical products for the maintenance of everyday health.

As a Director of Translational Medicine (TM), you will be a champion of Otsuka’s culture and values and will support Discovery and Early Development activities for Jnana Therapeutics, an Otsuka Discovery entity. You will lead the integration of human biology and biomarker insights into our discovery pipeline and early clinical programs. This critical role will shape how we translate novel immunology targets and innovative biomarker endpoints into first-in-human and proof-of-concept studies, guiding both strategy and execution.

The ideal candidate is an experienced physician-scientist (MD, MD/PhD) with a strong background in early clinical development, biomarkers, and translational research, and thrives in a cross-functional biotech setting. This is a hybrid position based in Boston and regular on-site presence is required to foster collaboration.

Job Description:
• Lead clinical translational strategy for late discovery and early clinical-stage programs in immunology and nephrology.
• Oversee the design, validation, and implementation of biomarker strategies, including pharmacodynamic and target engagement markers, to enable early clinical go/no-go decisions, patient stratification and dose selection.
• Provide medical oversight of early phase studies and oversee protocol development and study execution in collaboration with cross functional stakeholders
• Partner with Discovery Biology and Nonclinical functions to identify and evaluate new targets, assess potential safety concerns, and build go/no-go development rationale.
• Provide clinical insight to a team of translational scientists developing primary human cell and ex vivo systems to support program hypotheses and biomarker discovery.
• Support regulatory filings including INDs, IBs, and CTAs, with specific responsibility for translational content and strategy.
• Provide medical support to Nonclinical toxicology team to ensure appropriate toxicology coverage for intended indication and dose regimen.
• Lead or participate in Key Opinion Leader (KOL) meetings, advisory boards, and academic/scientific collaborations to stay on the leading edge of biomarker innovation.
• Represent Translational Medicine at internal governance, strategic planning, and portfolio review forums.
• Manage and support accurate preparation of scientific material for conference/congress presentations, manuscripts/publications, as well as any internal or external scientific communication related to clinical studies or mechanism of action of the study drug.

Desired Qualifications & Past Experience:
• MD or MD/PhD, or equivalent in immunology, pharmacology, or related field. Board certified in Rheumatology or Nephrology strongly preferred.
• At least 2+ years of industry experience in translational medicine and early clinical development, with great working knowledge of drug discovery, biomarker, and translational tools.
• Strong background in immunology and rheumatological disease; knowledge of nephrology or metabolic disease is a plus.
• Proven track record in biomarker strategy and execution in First-in-Human through Proof of Concept trials.
• Experience leading teams, mentoring scientific staff and working effectively in cross-functional environments.
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to influence across functions and levels.
• In-depth knowledge of pharmacology models strongly preferred.
• Experience with small molecules and human cell-based translational platforms is a plus.

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