Morgan Prestwich - Life Science & Healthcare Executive Search
Head of Non-Clinical Development
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Location: UK-based | Hybrid - home-based and Oxford
Travel: Regular attendance in Oxford, typically a couple of times per month
The Opportunity
An exciting opportunity has arisen for an experienced VP, Non-Clinical Development to take a highly influential leadership role within a growing biotech organisation.
This is a broad and strategically important position, with responsibility for strengthening and leading the non-clinical development capability across a multi-programme pipeline. While the role spans the full breadth of non-clinical development, deep toxicology expertise is central to the appointment, with the successful individual expected to bring the scientific judgement and experience to make important development decisions with a high degree of autonomy.
Reporting directly to the Chief Scientific Officer, you will play a central role in shaping the future non-clinical development organisation and helping translate strong scientific understanding into robust, pragmatic development strategies.
This role will suit a senior development leader who combines scientific depth with sound judgement, commercial pragmatism and a genuinely collaborative leadership style.
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The Role
You will provide strategic leadership across non-clinical development activities and work closely with colleagues across discovery and clinical development.
Key responsibilities will include:
- Providing strategic leadership across non-clinical development activities.
- Overseeing non-clinical development packages across multiple programmes.
- Ensuring effective integration of toxicology and DMPK activities.
- Providing senior scientific judgement at critical development decision points.
- Working closely with discovery and clinical development leaders to shape programme strategy.
- Translating scientific understanding into robust, practical development plans.
- Identifying, assessing and managing non-clinical development risk.
- Providing effective oversight of external consultants, CROs and specialist providers.
- Challenging assumptions and helping teams make clear, evidence-based development decisions.
- Contributing to the evolution and future structure of the non-clinical development organisation.
Toxicology Expertise Is Critical
Although this is a broad leadership role, toxicology expertise will be a defining part of the appointment. The organisation is looking for an individual with sufficient depth and credibility to be entrusted with its most significant toxicology decisions, while also being able to operate effectively across the wider development landscape.
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The Ideal Candidate
You will be an experienced non-clinical development professional with a strong track record supporting programmes through development and IND-enabling activities. We are particularly interested in individuals who can demonstrate:
- Significant experience in non-clinical development and development-stage programmes.
- Experience supporting programmes through IND-enabling development.
- Deep toxicology expertise and the confidence to make important scientific and development decisions.
- Experience managing and influencing external toxicology providers and specialist consultants.
- The ability to provide appropriate strategic leadership and oversight across DMPK.
- Broad, cross-functional understanding of drug development rather than a narrowly functional perspective.
- Experience in rare disease, chronic disease, autoimmune disease and/or immunology would be advantageous.
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