Associate Director, Product Innovation

Are you passionate about finding new drug opportunities? Do you love understanding disease biology to guide the best possible drug design? Are you a seasoned professional and looking for the next step?

If so, now is your chance to join Ascendis Pharma as our new Associate Director, Product Innovation.

Ascendis Pharma is a global biopharmaceutical company committed to making a meaningful difference in patients’ lives. Guided by our core values of Patients, Science, and Passion, we are applying our innovative TransCon® technology platform to fulfill our mission of developing new therapies that demonstrate best-in-class potential to address unmet medical needs.

At our headquarters in Hellerup, Denmark, research facilities in Heidelberg, Germany, and additional offices across Europe and the United States, we are advancing programs in our Endocrinology Rare Disease and expanded portfolio. We also collaborate with partners on the development of TransCon-based products in other therapeutic areas and markets.

Ascendis Pharma is expanding our Product Innovation department and searching for an Associate Director to help drive the future pipeline and the company’s growth towards 2030 and beyond.

The Product Innovation department’s primary objective is to conduct analysis and propose new potential products for the company pipeline. With Patients in mind, new lead finding is based on thorough analysis which typically includes disease biology, unmet medical need, market assessment, competitive intelligence, FTO and assessment of path to FiH. With “Science” as a fundamental corporate value, analysis is rooted in a deep biological understanding of the disease, available (pre)clinical data, Mode of Action across modalities/lines of treatment and the impact a given molecular design/TPP will achieve. As a critical function to building Ascendis Pharma’s future, the Product Innovation department has high exposure to executive management and works closely with adjacent functions.

The Associate Director Product Innovation will play a critical role in Ascendis' success in Endocrinology Rare Disease as well as novel therapeutic areas. She/He will be the driving force behind providing high-quality analysis and pitch decks which enable value-oriented and informed decision-making by the EMT. By gathering, analyzing, and transforming data into concise, actionable ideas, you will play an important role in shaping the future pipeline.

You will be joining the Product Innovation team and report directly to Steffen Nyegaard, Director, Product Innovation who is based in Hellerup. You will also be based in Hellerup.

Your key responsibilities will be:

• Identification of new drug candidates and indications of interest
• In-depth analysis of diseases, treatment guidelines, competitive environment, how different MoA will affect the disease pathology, market and patents into final reports
• Act as strategic thought partner across different functions and teams, e.g. supporting early research projects or conducting deep-dive analytics to support key business decisions
• Staying current in relevant fields and tracking news widely (e.g., scientific literature, analyst reports, regulatory documents) and share findings with key stakeholders
• Establish processes, structures, and templates when necessary to support Ascendis' growth

Qualifications and Skills:

You have a PhD in life sciences and preferably post doctorial experience from a leading university or group. The ideal candidate has significant experience in lead finding and drug development and knows how to leverage their knowledge into actionable outcomes. The candidate possesses a strong biological profile, which enables them to quickly learn and understand novel biological systems, identify critical issues and unmet needs, and generate analyses with high level take-home and next-step recommendations.

Ideally, you have:

• 5 years of industry experience from Pharma or biotech within research or BD
• A strong biological profile with documented track record from the apex of the field
• Significant work experience with the different functions within the pharma value chain
• Experience in the use of public and private databases (e.g. Patsnap, Cortellis, Globaldata, Evaluate or similar)
• The ability to synthesize complex information to both high scientific and layman levels and present it in a clear, actionable manner
• English at a professional level, both written and spoken, and you master MS Office

Key competencies:

You are a strong team player, analytical, and have a can-do attitude.

You possess an entrepreneurial mindset and can thrive in an informal, open environment where innovation and change are key.  

You are passionate about science, love learning and have a deep understanding of disease biology

To succeed in this role, we also expect you to demonstrate strong stakeholder management and communication skills, high personal and scientific integrity and the ability to navigate complex environments.   

Travel: 20-30days per year.

Office: Tuborg Boulevard 12, 2900 Hellerup, Denmark

Apply now.

We evaluate applications when received, so we encourage you to apply as soon as possible. Please note that we conduct interviews on a rolling basis and reserve the right to remove the job posting at any time.   

To ensure your application is reviewed, please submit it through the specified platform - applications sent by email or other channels will not be evaluated. 

For more details about the position or the company, please contact Steffen Nyegaard, Director Product Innovation, [email protected]

You can learn more about Ascendis by visiting our website www.ascendispharma.com

Applications must be submitted in English and will be treated confidentially.

A note to recruiters:

We do not allow external search party solicitation.  Presentation of candidates without written permission from the Ascendis Pharma HR team (specifically from: Talent Acquisition Partner or Human Resources Director) is not allowed.  If this occurs, your ownership of these candidates will not be acknowledged.