VP, Head of Epilepsy, R&D

If you are a current Jazz employee please apply via the Internal Career site.

Jazz Pharmaceuticals is a global biopharma company whose purpose is to innovate to transform the lives of patients and their families. We are dedicated to developing life-changing medicines for people with serious diseases - often with limited or no therapeutic options. We have a diverse portfolio of marketed medicines, including leading therapies for sleep disorders and epilepsy, and a growing portfolio of cancer treatments.

Our patient-focused and science-driven approach powers pioneering research and development advancements across our robust pipeline of innovative therapeutics in oncology and neuroscience. Jazz is headquartered in Dublin, Ireland with research and development laboratories, manufacturing facilities and employees in multiple countries committed to serving patients worldwide. Please visit  for more information.

This role will elevate the organization's presence and credibility in the epilepsy space, accelerate innovation that matters to patients, and ensure Jazz epilepsy programs are aligned with the evolving expectations of regulators, clinicians, and the epilepsy community.

The role serves as the company's scientific and strategic leader in epilepsy who drives execution and excellence across the epilepsy portfolio. This individual will leverage deep academic expertise and established networks and partner with multiple Jazz functions to shape the company's epilepsy pipeline, be accountable for multiple epilepsy development programs, build collaborative ecosystems, and accelerate differentiated therapies for patients.

The role is uniquely designed to enable continued thought leadership, academic engagement, and community influence, while expanding impact through industry-scale drug development.

A boundary-spanning epilepsy leader who bridges:

• Patient-centricity

• Academic priorities

• Clinical trial excellence

• External partnerships and scientific affairs

• Community influence

Essential Functions

Scientific & Clinical Accountability for the R&D Epilepsy Portfolio

• Develop and shape epilepsy clinical development strategy aligned with portfolio, regulatory expectations, and unmet needs.
• Define clinical endpoints, trial designs, and patient populations across epilepsy development programs.
• Integrate scientific insights, literature, and competitive intelligence into actionable program strategies.
• Steward epilepsy programs through governance to align budget and timeline expectations
• Execute multiple epilepsy programs according to budget and timeline

External Engagement & Thought Leadership

• Accountable R&D leader for the Jazz Scientific Advisory Board in Epilepsy
• Serve as a leading external scientific voice, building trusted relationships with epilepsy experts and stakeholders.
• Engage academic epileptologists and experts to inform strategy, evidence generation, and trial design.
• Represent company at congresses, symposia, and regulatory interactions as epilepsy clinical expert.

Research Collaboration & Innovation

• Drive collaborative research initiatives with academic institutions and external partners advancing epilepsy science.
• Establish and oversee collaborative research aligned with strategic priorities.
• Identify emerging scientific opportunities and innovative technologies to advance epilepsy therapeutic development.

Translational Science Leadership

• Bridge preclinical discoveries and clinical development to enhance probability of success for epilepsy programs.
• Translate mechanistic insights and biomarkers into clinical hypotheses, endpoints, and decision frameworks.
• Partner with nonclinical teams to refine target validation and support translational development strategies.

Internal Leadership & Influence

• Provide R&D leadership at enterprise-wide epilepsy forums to advance epilepsy pipeline, commercial portfolio, and category leadership
• Influence Executive Committee and Board stakeholders through clear, data-rich scientific presentations.
• Mentor internal teams and contribute to capability building in epilepsy expertise across organization.

Community & Advocacy Integration

• Embed patient and caregiver perspectives into development…