Director, Competitive Intelligence

Acadia Pharmaceuticals Inc.•San Diego, CA

4d•$192,000 - $240,100•Hybrid

About The Position

The Director of Competitive Intelligence (CI) is a strategic role responsible for gathering, analyzing, and synthesizing competitive and market intelligence to support business decisions across therapeutic areas and product lifecycles. This individual will provide strategic insights and foresight to cross-functional stakeholders, including Commercial, R&D, Business Development, and Executive Leadership, enabling the company to maintain a competitive edge in a dynamic pharmaceutical landscape.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in life sciences, pharmacy, business administration, or a related field.
Targeting 10 years of experience in competitive intelligence, market research, strategic analysis, or related functions within a pharmaceutical or biotech environment.
In-depth knowledge of drug development, commercialization, and regulatory pathways required.
An equivalent combination of relevant education and experience may be considered.
Experience across multiple therapeutic areas is a plus
Strong analytical and strategic thinking skills.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
Ability to manage multiple priorities and work cross-functionally in a fast-paced environment.
Proficient in tools such as EvaluatePharma, Cortellis, Trialtrove, GlobalData, AlphaSense or similar databases.
Experience managing vendors and budgets.
High level of business acumen and executive presence.
Strategic thinker with a curious mindset and a proactive approach to problem‑solving.
Comfortable navigating ambiguity and fast-paced environments.
Passion for continuous learning and keeping up with industry trends.
Ability to influence without authority and foster collaboration across teams.
Must be able and willing to travel on occasion.

Nice To Haves

Advanced degree (PhD, PharmD, MBA, or MS) strongly preferred.

Responsibilities

Lead CI plans across key therapeutic areas, supporting early- to late-stage assets and marketed products. This includes leading CI initiatives to support internal product launches, lifecycle management, and portfolio optimization.
Continuously monitor, evaluate and synthesize competitive product and market developments (e.g., clinical trials, regulatory decisions, M&A activity, product launches, pricing/reimbursement, KOL sentiment, etc.).
Analyze and synthesize data to generate actionable CI insights; create high-quality CI deliverables such as landscape assessments, competitor profiles, SWOT analyses, and strategic implications.
Lead and/or manage third-party vendors to conduct primary intelligence (e.g., expert interviews, conference coverage) and synthesize secondary data sources (e.g., AlphaSense, EvaluatePharma, GlobalData, PubMed, other databases, news, publications).
Plan, execute, and report on intelligence gathering at major medical and scientific conferences.
Partner with market research, brand marketing and new product teams to help lead strategic planning sessions, including competitor simulations and war games to stress-test assumptions and inform strategic planning.
Partner with Commercial, Medical, Market Access, R&D, Regulatory, Business Development and Investor Relations teams to align CI efforts with strategic needs.
Present findings and strategic implications to senior leadership and cross-functional stakeholders in a clear, concise, and impactful manner.
Other responsibilities as assigned.

Benefits

Competitive base, bonus, new hire and ongoing equity packages
Medical, dental, and vision insurance
Employer-paid life, disability, business travel and EAP coverage
401(k) Plan with a fully vested company match 1:1 up to 5%
Employee Stock Purchase Plan with a 2-year purchase price lock-in
15+ vacation days
13 -15 paid holidays, including office closure between December 24th and January 1st
10 days of paid sick time
Paid parental leave benefit
Tuition assistance