Associate Director, CMC Operations

Ardelyx, Inc. • Waltham, MA

37d • $178,000 - $200,000

About The Position

Ardelyx is a publicly traded commercial biopharmaceutical company founded with a mission to discover, develop and commercialize innovative first-in-class medicines that meet significant unmet medical needs. Ardelyx has two commercial products approved in the United States, IBSRELA (tenapanor) and XPHOZAH (tenapanor). Ardelyx has agreements for the development and commercialization of tenapanor outside of the U.S. Kyowa Kirin commercializes PHOZEVEL (tenapanor) for hyperphosphatemia in Japan. A New Drug Application for tenapanor for hyperphosphatemia has been approved in China with Fosun Pharma. Knight Therapeutics commercializes IBSRELA in Canada. Position Summary: The Associate Director, CMC Operations will lead and coordinate cross-functional activities within the Chemistry, Manufacturing, and Controls (CMC) organization to ensure timely execution of pharmaceutical development, manufacturing, and regulatory deliverables. This role will serve as the operational hub between Technical Operations, Quality, Regulatory Affairs, Analytical Development, Supply Chain, and external partners (CDMOs/CMOs), driving alignment, accountability, and on-time delivery of CMC objectives from clinical through commercial stages.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Chemistry, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chemical Engineering, or related field preferred with 8 - 10 years of experience in pharmaceutical or biotech industry or equivalent experience
• 3+ years in CMC project management or related technical operations role
• Strong understanding of drug substance and/or drug product development, technology transfer, and GMP manufacturing
• Experience managing external partners (CMOs/CDMOs)
• Working knowledge of regulatory CMC requirements (FDA, ICH)
• Exceptional organizational and communication skills with ability to lead through influence
• Proficiency with project management tools (MS Project, Smartsheet, or equivalent)
• Strong problem-solving, critical thinking, and risk management skills
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, dynamic environment with shifting priorities

Responsibilities

• Develop, maintain, and manage detailed CMC project timelines across product lifecycle phases (development, validation, technology transfer, registration, and commercial supply)
• Lead and facilitate cross-functional meetings, ensuring clear communication of priorities, risks, and deliverables
• Monitor project progress and proactively identify and mitigate risks to ensure adherence to timelines and budgets
• Lead scenario planning and "what-if" analyses to support strategic decision-making
• Act as the primary operational liaison between Technical Operations, Quality, Regulatory, Analytical, and Supply Chain teams
• Oversee change controls and resolution of technical and logistical issues by partnering with external CMOs/CDMOs to align project milestones
• Support governance and communication with senior management through regular project updates and dashboards
• Ensure alignment of CMC documentation with regulatory and quality expectations (e.g., IND / NDA submissions)
• Maintain up-to-date project documentation, decision logs, and meeting summaries
• Drive process improvement initiatives to optimize CMC workflows, document review cycles, and communication with partners
• Contribute to development of best practices, templates, and metrics within the Technical Operations organization

Benefits

• Ardelyx also offers a robust benefits package to employees, including a 401(k) plan with generous employer match, 12 weeks of paid parental leave, up to 12 weeks of living organ and bone marrow leave, equity incentive plans, health plans (medical, prescription drug, dental, and vision), life insurance and disability, flexible time off, annual Winter Holiday shut down, and at least 11 paid holidays.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director
• Industry: Chemical Manufacturing
• Number of Employees: 251-500 employees