Executive Director, Entrepreneur in Residence (EIR), Portfolio Strategy Team

Crinetics is a pharmaceutical company based in San Diego, California, developing much-needed therapies for people with endocrine diseases and endocrine-related tumors. We were founded by a dedicated team of scientists with the simple belief that better therapies developed from rigorous innovation can lead to better lives. Our work continues to make a real difference in the lives of patients. We have a prolific discovery engine and a robust preclinical and clinical development pipeline. We recently submitted our first NDA and have funding through 2029 with >$1.4B on the balance sheet. We are driven by science with a patient-centric and team-oriented culture. Crinetics is known for its inclusive workplace culture. We are also a dog-friendly workplace. This is an exciting time to join Crinetics as we shape our organization into the world’s premier fully-integrated endocrine company from discovery to patients. Join our team as we transform the lives of others.

Position Summary

Crinetics Pharmaceuticals is seeking a passionate Entrepreneur in Residence (EIR) to drive our lead clinical candidate for autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD), and potentially other indications, through IND enabling studies and clinical proof-of-concept as well as pioneer new approaches to leadership of early-stage drug programs and product management in the context of a well-financed, mid-cap biotech. This role will also drive development of strategic options for the program that may include commercialization by Crinetics, partnering with larger pharma, or spin-off of a new entity. This is a unique opportunity to operate both independently and collaboratively, driving forward innovative drug development strategies and seeking creative ways to accelerate our drug development processes while maintaining regulatory and legal compliance. You will bring all the tools and passion of entrepreneurship to bear, but in the context of a well-funded and resourced environment. The ideal candidate will have a strong entrepreneurial spirit, an urgency to serve patients, a proven track record in creative drug development, and the ability to harness both internal and external resources to achieve breakthrough results. This position reports into the office of the CEO through the Chief of Staff and Head of Portfolio Strategy.

The mission of this role is to bring a potential breakthrough therapy to patients suffering with ADPKD and other potential diseases using all the tools of entrepreneurship and creative drug development in the context of a well-financed mid-cap biotech.

Essential Job Functions And Responsibilities

Responsibilities may include, but are not limited to:

Strategic Planning & Execution

• Develop and execute a comprehensive development plan and budget to advance our lead candidate through proof of concept, including evaluating potential new indications and opportunities.
• Operate without reliance on existing internal structures and shrewdly utilize external or internal resources, as appropriate, to rapidly, efficiently and effectively move towards regulatory approval.
  
  

Innovative Leadership

• Act with the ownership and strategic insight of a CEO to pilot new approaches to product management and innovation, identifying blind spots, and challenging and improving existing systems.
• Support and collaborate with other Global Product Leaders (GPLs) in the Portfolio Strategy Team as a peer thought partner, enabling GPLs to blend best practices and innovations from all programs to drive operational excellence with increasing independence and creativity of product teams.
  
  

Resource Mobilization, Funding & Management

• Assemble and lead a team of experts and resources (internal or external) to identify and execute the path forward for the lead candidate for ADPKD.
• May lead efforts to secure external funding, leveraging insights from previous funding partnerships.
  
  

Entrepreneurial Culture Development

• Serve as a thought partner to the CEO and Portfolio Strategy Team, providing entrepreneurial insights and strategies to maintain and foster a forward-thinking entrepreneurial culture within Crinetics.
• Introduce and implement novel solutions to drug development and resourcing challenges that can be replicated by other Global Product teams in advancing their programs through possibly less conventional and yet more effective methods.
  
  

Governance & Budget Management

• Maintain alignment with internal governance at the budgetary level to ensure fiscal responsibility and strategic coherence while maintaining independent decision making that ensure the programs are moving forward efficiently.
• Adherence to applicable Crinetics policies and procedures, relevant regulatory and industry standards and an unwavering commitment to ethical drug development.
  
  

Required

Education and Experience:

• An advanced degree (PhD, MD, or MBA) in life sciences, business, or a related field and a minimum of 13 years of drug development experience, with a significant portion of that time spent in entrepreneurial or leadership roles.
• Demonstrated success in moving early-stage drug programs forward through phase 2/proof of concept, including experience successfully engaging internal and external resources.
• Deep passion for making a life-changing difference in the lives of patients with polycystic or other rare diseases.
• Creative thinking in leading programs through drug development efficiently and rapidly.
• Proven ability to secure funding and manage partnerships with external stakeholders.
• Strong entrepreneurial mindset with the ability to lead and inspire teams, both within and outside of traditional corporate structures.
• Experience in piloting new approaches to product management and drug development.
• Exceptional strategic planning and execution skills, with a track record of innovative problem-solving in drug development.
• Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills, capable of articulating complex strategies to stakeholders across multiple levels of an organization.
• Ability to navigate and influence complex internal and external environments to achieve project goals.
• A strong commitment to maintaining and fostering an entrepreneurial culture within a growing pharmaceutical company.
• Ability to work collaboratively with cross-functional teams while maintaining the independence required to drive entrepreneurial initiatives.
• Demonstrate flexibility and a positive attitude by responding to unanticipated & complex issues.
  
  

Physical Demands And Work Environment

Physical Activities: On a continuous basis, sit at desk for a long period of time; intermittently answer telephone and write or use a keyboard to communicate through written means. Some walking and lifting up to 25 lbs. may be required. The noise level in the work environment is typically low to moderate. The physical demands described above are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions and responsibilities of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions and responsibilities.

Travel

You may be required to travel for up to 15% of your time.

The Anticipated Base Salary Range: $220,000 - $275,000

In addition to your base pay, our total rewards program consists of a discretionary annual target bonus, stock options, ESPP, and 401k match. We also provide top-notch health insurance plans for employees (and their families) to include medical, dental, vision and basic life insurance, 20 days of PTO, 10 paid holidays, and a winter company shutdown.

The final salary offered to a successful candidate will be dependent on several factors that may include but are not limited to the type and length of experience and education. Crinetics Pharmaceuticals is a multi-state employer, and this salary range may not reflect positions that work in other states. Your recruiter can share more about the specific salary range during the hiring process.

Equal Opportunity Employer

Crinetics is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. We provide equal employment opportunities to all employees and employment applicants without regard to unlawful considerations of sex, sexual orientation, gender (including gender identity and/or expression), pregnancy, race, color, creed, national or ethnic origin, citizenship status, religion or similar philosophical beliefs, disability, marital and civil union status, age, genetic information, veteran status or any personal attribute or characteristic that is protected by applicable local, state or federal laws.

Vaccination Requirement

Following extensive monitoring, research, consideration of business implications, and advice from internal and external experts, Crinetics requires that all employees and contractors be fully vaccinated and have received the COVID-19 vaccines as a condition of employment. “Full vaccination” is defined as two weeks after both doses of a two-dose vaccine or two weeks since a single-dose vaccine has been administered. Anyone unable to be vaccinated, either because of a sincerely held religious belief or a medical condition or disability that prevents them from being vaccinated, can request a reasonable accommodation.