Senior Director, Clinical Development

Definium Therapeutics is a late-stage clinical biopharmaceutical company and our mission is to forge a new era of psychiatry by applying scientific rigor to psychedelics, with the goal of developing accessible treatments that unlock healing at scale.  

Our lead product candidate, lysergide tartrate (our proprietary orally disintegrating tablet form of lysergide (LSD) D-tartrate), represents a highly differentiated, potential best-in-class opportunity for patients suffering from generalized anxiety, major depressive disorder, and posttraumatic stress disorder. Our early stage pipeline includes DT402, the R-enantiomer of MDMA and is under development to target the core symptoms of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), specifically addressing social communication challenges.     

Guided by the recognition that patients deserve more than better, Definium is relentlessly advancing a new generation of therapeutics intended to address the underlying causes of psychiatric and neurological disorders. By turning evidence into impact, Definium aims to change the trajectory of today’s mental health care crisis and enable a healthier future. Headquartered in New York, Definium Therapeutics trades on Nasdaq under the symbol DFTX. 

Together we are moving psychiatry forward—beyond better, into a boundless future. Join us!

The Sr. Director, Clinical Development will play a key role in the design and execution of ongoing and new clinical studies and contribute to the clinical development plan for one or more programs. The position will successfully lead and/or serve as the clinical science representative on one or more clinical studies (US and/or global) to deliver high quality data for registration. The position requires the ability to partner with Clinical Operations, Clinical Pharmacology, Regulatory, Early Development, Medical Affairs, Commercial and other stakeholders to deliver clinical programs for registration and launch. The successful candidate will have direct and recent experience in late phase clinical development, and in CRO and KOL interactions.   

Responsibilities: 

• Provides clinical science leadership within assigned teams or programs 

• Manage the design, planning and execution of clinical trial program(s) as needed with minimal guidance 

• Is able to play a leadership role in subject matter expertise when interacting with global health authorities 

• Has deep familiarity with registration submission strategies and can manage the Clinical needs for all submissions as needed 

• Leads the study design, implementation and execution of clinical trials on assigned programs. Is responsible for the preparation of clinical study synopses and serves as a major contributor to the writing of protocols/major amendments, the design of data collection systems, the interpretation of clinical data, and the preparation of final clinical study reports 

• Works cooperatively with project team members to provide clinical development expertise and leadership 

• Responsible for identifying and cultivating relationships with relevant national and international thought leaders to further project goals 

• In partnership with Regulatory Affairs and Project Management, oversee and ensure the quality, coordination and timeliness of clinical sections of IND's, Investigator Brochures, CTA's, ISS', ISE's and clinical expert reports, including writing and editing   

• Responsible for providing or supervising medical monitoring activities for all human clinical trials including support of adverse event reporting and safety management 

• Responsible for ongoing benefit/risk assessment, monitoring adherence to protocols, helping in the investigation of protocol deviations and providing leadership for monitoring activities related to execution of the protocol or program 

• Provides medical/clinical information for inclusion in reports submitted to regulatory authorities and supports the authoring of regulatory documents 

• Develops relationships with investigators and external organizations and experts to optimize study design and executions

Requirements: 

• Doctoral level degree (PhD, MD, PharmD, PsyD) required  

• 8+ years of relevant clinical development experience 

• Experience in CNS development (Psychiatry or neurology) strongly preferred 

• Possess strong knowledge of the clinical development process 

• Possess a solid understanding of the pharmaceutical industry, company competition and commercial side of business 

• Experience in small molecule development 

• Experienced in data review and analysis, presentations (internal and external) and regulatory writing (IND, CTD sections) 

• Experience building strong relationships within cross-functional groups to achieve results 

• Proven ability to identify and solve relevant problems related to clinical development 

• Experience in clinical research for psychiatry, addiction psychiatry, and addiction medicine programs, strongly preferred. 

• Background and proven relevant experience in engaging with clinical trial strategy and trial management 

• Understanding of the drug development process including technical, business, and regulatory issues. 

• IND experience strongly preferred 

• Diplomacy and professionalism, ability to build positive relationships both with company leadership and external experts

• Able to command respect from peers and subordinates, capable of highly independent work as well as being a team player and role model

• Excellent interpersonal, verbal and written communication skills 

• Proven ability to work remotely and with remote internal and external interdisciplinary teams 

• Problem-solving and strategic planning skills  

• Excited by innovative ideas in clinical research space 

• Self-motivated, resourceful with a ‘get the job done’ attitude in a fast-paced team environment 

Other Skills: 

• Excellent writing and communication skills  

• Managerial skills a plus 

• Ability to handle obstacles and roadblocks by anticipating challenges and preparing well thought out arguments and contingencies 

• Proven track record of garnering support for projects and recommendations through on-going collaboration, open and influential communications and commitment to improvement/change 

Special Working Conditions: 

Ability to travel as required, including international travel. Average 10-20%, reaching 50% or more in some months

The starting base pay range for this position is $247,649.00 - $298,800.00. Compensation will be determined based on several factors including, but not limited to, skill set, years of experience, and the employee’s geographic location.

Employees in this role may be entitled to additional compensation, including bonus and equity. Benefits information is listed on our Jobs Page. The Company provides competitive benefits to employees including:

• 100% paid health benefits including Medical, Dental and Vision for you and your dependents
• 401(k) program with company match and vesting after the turn of the first month after your start date
• Flexible time off
• Generous parental leave and some fun fringe perks!