Director, Drug Product Development

Structure Therapeutics • South San Francisco, CA

23d • $190,000 - $257,000

About The Position

Reporting to the Head of Drug Product Technical Operations, this position will lead late-stage small molecule drug product programs, including the development of robust and scalable drug product formulations and manufacturing processes. The role will focus on Late Stage program, PPQ, commercialization readiness, and life-cycle management activities. This individual will manage drug product–related activities with external CDMOs and internal stakeholders, ensuring effective coordination and execution across functions. The role will also support the authoring and review of relevant sections of regulatory filings, development reports, and risk assessments, contribute to the development of mitigation strategies, and support clinical and commercial supply planning.

Requirements

• Ph.D. or M.S. in Pharmaceutics, Pharmaceutical Sciences, or a related discipline.
• Minimum of 12 years of experience in drug product development within the biotech or pharmaceutical industry, with demonstrated application of cGMP principles.
• Extensive hands-on experience in small molecule drug product development, including formulation, process development, and scale-up.
• Direct experience planning and executing drug product PPQs, as well as authoring and/or reviewing drug product sections of NDAs.
• Strong expertise in drug product formulation and process technologies, scale-up principles, and process analytical technologies.
• Experience with conventional and advanced drug product packaging technologies, including primary and secondary packaging systems, to support clinical and commercial supply.
• Demonstrated ability to critically evaluate complex analytical and development data and to troubleshoot formulation, process, and manufacturing challenges.
• Proven track record of working with and managing CROs and CDMOs to support development, scale-up, and GMP manufacturing activities.
• Experience preparing and delivering scientific posters and technical presentations for internal governance forums and external scientific or industry conferences.
• Experience operating effectively in a fast-paced, science-driven, and entrepreneurial environment, with strong execution focus and professional integrity.

Responsibilities

• Lead late-stage drug product formulation and process development, including risk assessments and mitigation strategies (FMEA), application of Quality by Design (QbD) principles, PPQ planning and execution, commercialization readiness, and life-cycle management activities.
• Partner with CROs and CDMOs to develop robust, scalable, and commercially viable drug product processes; troubleshoot process variability and optimize manufacturing performance and yields.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to transition early-stage drug product assets into Late Stage development and commercial manufacturing platforms, applying strong working knowledge of oral drug delivery modalities to guide formulation, process development, and technical decision-making.
• Coordinate drug product deliverables with CROs and CDMOs, including pharmaceutical developability assessments, drug product development activities, and GMP manufacturing of clinical and commercial batches.
• Partner with Clinical and Supply Chain teams to forecast demand and ensure timely supply of investigational medicinal products (IMPs).
• Oversee GMP manufacturing activities at CDMOs for clinical and commercial batches, including establishment and deployment of continuous process verification (CPV) programs for drug product.
• Support CMC regulatory submissions (e.g., INDs and NDAs) by contributing high-quality, submission-ready drug product sections and associated development documentation.
• Oversee CRO and CDMO activities to ensure compliance with cGMPs, FDA and ICH guidelines, internal SOPs, and applicable global regulatory requirements.
• Build and maintain strong internal and external development networks, including CROs, CDMOs, and academic collaborators; prepare and deliver technical presentations at internal forums and external scientific or industry conferences.

Benefits

• The successful candidate will be eligible for an annual performance incentive bonus, new hire equity, and ongoing performance-based equity.
• Structure Therapeutics also offers various benefits offerings, including, but not limited to, medical, dental, and vision insurance, 401(k) match, unlimited PTO, and a number of paid holidays including winter shutdown.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree