Senior Director, Analytical Development & Quality Control

Senior Director, Analytical Development and Quality Control

Rhythm is a global, commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company committed to transforming the lives of patients and their families living with rare neuroendocrine diseases. We develop medicines for previously untreatable or undertreated diseases and provide meaningful support for healthcare providers and patients and their families. We recognize the courage it takes for patients and their caregivers to begin their journey of advocacy to find the answers they need.

Their courage inspires us to challenge convention, ask bold questions and seek answers for them. Every day, we strive for excellence through our willingness to adapt, learn, and our tenacity to overcome barriers, together.

Opportunity Overview As the Senior Director, Analytical Development and Quality Control, you will provide strategic and technical leadership for analytical development and quality control across Rhythm's portfolio, spanning discovery through commercialization and lifecycle management. This role is accountable for defining and executing phase-appropriate analytical control strategies, enabling robust product characterization, and ensuring compliant, timely delivery of analytical data to support regulatory submissions and commercial supply.

You will lead and develop a high-performing organization while overseeing external partners, including CDMOs, CROs, and contract laboratories, to deliver analytical development and QC activities across drug substance and drug product. As a key member of the Technical Operations leadership team, you will drive cross-functional alignment, influence organizational strategy, and represent Analytical Development and QC in regulatory and governance interactions.

• Define and execute end-to-end analytical strategies across the product lifecycle, including method development, validation, transfer, and lifecycle management from raw materials through drug substance and drug product.
• Establish phase-appropriate control strategies, specifications, and analytical approaches aligned with regulatory expectations and commercial readiness.
• Drive innovation in analytical technologies and methodologies, translating new approaches into robust, scalable platforms for development and commercial testing.
• Lead product characterization strategies, including identification and control of critical quality attributes (CQAs), impurity profiling, comparability, and stability programs.

• Act as Head of Quality Control for analytical testing supporting US and EU market authorization holders (MAHs), ensuring compliant release and support of clinical and commercial products.
• Oversee QC testing activities, including in-process, release, stability, reference standards, and impurity monitoring programs for drug substance and drug product.
• Ensure laboratories (internal and external) operate in compliance with cGMP, data integrity, and global regulatory requirements.
• Provide oversight for investigations, deviations, OOS/OOT results, complaints, and root cause analyses, ensuring timely and compliant resolution.

• Lead and manage analytical development and QC activities executed by CDMOs, CROs, and contract laboratories, ensuring quality, timelines, and cost objectives are met.
• Oversee analytical method transfer activities, including protocol design, execution, and performance monitoring across internal and external sites.
• Establish and manage budgets, resource plans, timelines, and risk mitigation strategies across programs.
• Build and maintain strong supplier relationships and oversee regulatory inspections and audit readiness of external laboratories.

• Provide strategic leadership for regulatory submission activities, including authoring, reviewing, and approving Module 3 analytical sections for INDs, IMPDs, NDAs, MAAs, and lifecycle filings.
• Lead analytical responses to health authority queries and represent the function during regulatory interactions and inspections.
• Ensure analytical development activities are aligned with ICH guidelines and global regulatory expectations.

• Partner with Drug Substance, Drug Product, Regulatory Affairs, Quality Assurance, Manufacturing, Project Management, and Research functions to advance development programs.
• Serve as analytical subject matter expert on cross-functional CMC and Product Development Teams.
• Influence strategic decision-making and drive alignment across internal stakeholders and senior leadership.

• Build, lead, and develop a high-performing analytical development and QC organization, including hiring, coaching, mentoring, and succession planning.
• Foster a culture of scientific excellence, innovation, accountability, and continuous improvement.

• PhD (preferred) or MS in Analytical Chemistry, Chemistry, Biochemistry, Chemical Engineering, or related scientific discipline.
• 12+ years (PhD) or equivalent experience in analytical development within the pharmaceutical or biotechnology industry, including…