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Senior Director Computational Biology

Acadia Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$234,000-$292,200
United States, California, San Francisco
Jun 21, 2025

About Acadia Pharmaceuticals

Acadia is advancing breakthroughs in neuroscience to elevate life. Since our founding, we have been working at the forefront of healthcare to bring vital solutions to people who need them most. We developed and commercialized the first and only FDA-approved drug to treat hallucinations and delusions associated with Parkinson's disease psychosis, and the first and only approved drug in the United States and Canada for the treatment of Rett syndrome. Our clinical-stage development efforts are focused on Prader-Willi syndrome, Alzheimer's disease psychosis, and multiple other programs targeting neuro-psychiatric and neuro-rare diseases. For more information, visitAcadia.comand follow us onLinkedInandX.

Position Summary

The Sr. Director, Computational Biology will be responsible for the integrated analysis of complex, multidimensional preclinical and clinical datasets to provide clarifying knowledge that enables critical decision-making at the program and leadership levels. The role will contribute to and drive bioinformatics, statistics and general data analysis and visualization of pre-clinical, translational and clinical research data including, where appropriate: the acquisition and management of multi-omic data from internal research and public databases in cloud-based computing environments; the application of externally- and internally-developed algorithms to process and analyze data and; the development and deployment of data applications to visualize multivariate data in interactive tools, to facilitate hypothesis generation and testing by team members.

The Sr. Director, Computational Biology demonstrates an understanding of the drug development process and comprehensive working knowledge of the technical and theoretical aspects of sequencing technology, biostatistics, machine learning, biology, bioinformatics, target discovery, biomarker development and computational biology.

Primary Responsibilities



  • Provide computational support for pre-clinical, translational and clinical scientists in the efforts of discovery biology, translational research and clinical biomarker studies.
  • Develop and implement bioinformatic algorithms for integrative analysis and visualization of multi-omics data from various sources and data modalities such as bulk or single-cell RNA-Seq, targeted exome and whole genome sequencing, proteomics and other biomarker signals from cell culture, in vivo studies, and clinical serum, blood and tissue biopsies.
  • Develop interactive and secure web applications in R Shiny and/or Python Streamlit to make complex analysis pipelines and database queries accessible to non-bioinformatic scientists.
  • Support research scientists in the analysis and visualization of multivariate data for internal and external presentations to key opinion leaders, at scientific conferences and to external stakeholders throughout the process of developing strategic partnerships.
  • Provide oral presentations to internal and external audiences on research results across all stages of drug development in formal settings and at regular company meetings.
  • Where appropriate, support the translational/clinical research/medical affairs teams in conducting analyses and providing visualizations for investor presentations, investigator brochures, site initiation visits and safety review boards.
  • Perform other duties as assigned.


Education/Experience/Skills

PhD in Bioinformatics, Computational Biology, Genomics, Computer Science or related field. Targeting 8 years of experience, including a minimum of 4 years in the pharmaceutical or biotech industry. An equivalent combination of relevant education and experience may be considered.

Key Skills:



  • Experience leading teams of biostatisticians/data scientists and integrating with teams across research departments to provide computational support where needed.
  • Extensive experience analyzing and integrating large, multivariate data sets, planning NGS experiments and analysis pipelines.
  • Experience in target discovery, predictive/response biomarker identification and translational research with applications in patient datasets and/or clinical trials.
  • Secure management of sensitive internal data and protected health information in cloud-based computing environments.
  • Secure deployment of web-based applications in cloud servers. Strict adherence to regulatory requirements under 21 CFR Part 11, the EU's GDPR and the principle of least privilege.
  • Proficiency in machine learning algorithms, exploratory data analysis and statistical modeling techniques.
  • Proficiency in programming languages including R, Python and bash.
  • Excellent communication (oral and written) skills, interpersonal skills, project management and cross-functional teamwork.
  • Must be able to travel domestically and/or internationally on occasions.


Physical Requirements

This role involves regular standing, walking, sitting, and the use of hands for handling or operating equipment. The employee may also need to reach, climb, balance, stoop, kneel, crouch, and maintain visual, verbal, and auditory communication in a standard office environment and while working independently from remote locations. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 20 pounds. This position requires the ability to travel independently overnight and/or work after hours as required by travel schedules or business needs.

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In addition to a competitive base salary, this position is also eligible for discretionary bonus and equity awards based on factors such as individual and organizational performance. Actual amounts will vary depending on experience, performance, and location.

Salary Range
$234,000 $292,200 USD

EEO Statement (US-Based Employees): Studies have shown that women and people of color are less likely to apply for jobs unless they believe they meet every one of the qualifications in the exact way they are described in job postings. We are committed to building a diverse, equitable, inclusive, and innovative company, and we are looking for the BEST candidate for the job. That candidate may be one who comes from a less traditional background or may meet the qualifications in a different way. We strongly encourage you to apply, especially if the reason you are the best candidate isn't exactly what we describe here.

It is the policy of Acadia to provide equal employment opportunities to all employees and employment applicants without regard to considerations of race, including related to hairstyle, color, religion or religious creed, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, gender transition, country of origin, ancestry, citizenship, age, physical or mental disability, genetic information, legally-protected medical condition or information, marital status, domestic partner status, family care status, military caregiver status, veteran or military status (including reserve status, National Guard status, and military service or obligation), status as a victim of domestic violence, sexual assault or stalking, enrollment in a public assistance program, or any basis protected under federal, state or local law.

As an equal opportunity employer, Acadia is committed to a diverse workforce. If you are a qualified individual with a disability or a disabled veteran, you have the right to request a reasonable accommodation. Furthermore, you may request additional support if you are unable or limited in your ability to use or access Acadia's career website due to your disability, along with any accommodations throughout the interview process. To request or inquire about your reasonable accommodation, please complete ourReasonable Accommodation Request Formor contact us attalentacquisition@acadia-pharm.comor858-261-2923.

Please note that reasonable accommodations granted throughout the recruiting process are not guaranteed to be the same accommodations given if hired. A new request will need to be submitted for any ADA accommodations after starting employment.

California Applicants: Please see Additional Information for California Residents within our Privacy Policy.

Canadian Applicants: Please see Additional Information for Canadian Residents within our Privacy Policy.

Applicants in the European Economic Area, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and Serbia: Please see Additional Information for Individuals in the European Economic Area, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and Serbiawithin our Privacy Policy.

Notice to Search Firms/Third-Party Recruitment Agencies (Recruiters): The Talent Acquisition team manages the recruitment and employment process for Acadia Pharmaceuticals Inc. ("Acadia"). Acadia does not accept resumes from recruiters or search firms without an executed search agreement in place. Resumes sent to Acadia employees in the absence of an executed search agreement will not obligate Acadia in any way with respect to the future employment of those individuals or potential remuneration to any recruiter or search firm. Candidates should never be submitted directly to our hiring managers or employees.

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