Director, Preclinical

Career Category

Scientific

Job Description

Join Amgen’s Mission of Serving Patients

At Amgen, if you feel like you’re part of something bigger, it’s because you are. Our shared mission—to serve patients living with serious illnesses—drives all that we do.

Since 1980, we’ve helped pioneer the world of biotech in our fight against the world’s toughest diseases. With our focus on four therapeutic areas –Oncology, Inflammation, General Medicine, and Rare Disease– we reach millions of patients each year. As a member of the Amgen team, you’ll help make a lasting impact on the lives of patients as we research, manufacture, and deliver innovative medicines to help people live longer, fuller happier lives.

Our award-winning culture is collaborative, innovative, and science based. If you have a passion for challenges and the opportunities that lay within them, you’ll thrive as part of the Amgen team. Join us and transform the lives of patients while transforming your career.

Director, Preclinical

What you will do

The Director, Preclinical provides veterinary leadership supporting research and development activities at Amgen Thousand Oaks (ATO) through expert oversight of laboratory animal medicine, animal welfare, and regulatory compliance. This onsite role combines strategic preclinical leadership with hands-on clinical veterinary responsibilities, serving as Attending Veterinarian while directly supporting high-quality, ethical, and compliant animal research.

The position is embedded within Translational Safety & Risk Science (TSRS). The role reports directly to the Comparative Medicine ATO Site Head, with matrix reporting to Amgen’s Institutional Official.  The regulatory compliance, training, enrichment and veterinary technical teams report directly to this role.

Key Responsibilities:

Attending Veterinarian

• Serve as the Attending Veterinarian for the Amgen Thousand Oaks, CA (ATO) IACUC.
• Ensure protocol quality, humane endpoints, and drive a culture of continuous improvement in Refinements (3Rs) of animal models.
• Lead the regulatory programs to ensure compliance with USDA/Animal Welfare Act, AAALAC, and other requirements.
• Provide expert veterinary input to discovery and preclinical development programs.
• Ensure inspection readiness, audits, and accreditation activities; directly lead inspectors and site visits by accrediting bodies.
• Oversee investigations of animal welfare concerns and CAPA development.
• Participate in external partner audits supporting ATO-based studies.

Veterinary Care

• Deliver direct clinical veterinary care for rodent and non-rodent species.
• Drive continuous improvements for enrichment and behavioral management programs.
• Provide biosecurity and disease prevention oversight.
• Contribute to the veterinary on-call program.

Training, Technical Excellence, and Refinement

• Directs the technical training and development program for in vivo research at ATO.
• Mentor and develop scientists in vivo technical excellence grounded in a culture of care that spans animal welfare, self care, and care for colleagues.
• Proactively drives organizational readiness for novel models with technical readiness and refinements.

Strategic leadership

• Foster cross-functional partnerships to ensure the program is undergoing continuous improvements in animal welfare, compliance, and execution excellence.
• Develop direct reports in technical excellence, continuous improvement, and career development.
• Deliver program performance through directly through management and indirectly with partnerships.

What we expect of you

We are all different, yet we all use our unique contributions to serve patients. The dynamic professional we seek is a leader with these qualifications.

Basic Qualifications:

PhD, DVM or VMD and 4 years of related experience

Or

Master’s degree and 8 years of related experience

Or

Bachelor’s degree and 10 years of related experience

In addition to meeting at least one of the above requirements, you must have at least 4 years experience directly managing people and/or leadership experience leading teams, projects, programs, or directing the allocation or resources.  Your managerial experience may run concurrently with the required technical experience referenced above

Preferred Qualifications:

• DVM or VMD from AVMA-accredited institutions
• ACLAM board certification or eligibility
• Current veterinary licensure in at least one state
• 10+ years of laboratory animal medicine experience, preferably in industry settings
• Ability to travel internationally
• Experience in pharmaceutical or biotechnology settings in institutions with AAALAC accreditation and are a USDA registered.
• Current veterinary licensure in California
• USDA Accreditation Veterinarian (Category 2) or the bility to obtain within 6 months of hire

What you can expect of us

As we work to develop treatments that take care of others, we also work to care for your professional and personal growth and well-being. From our competitive benefits to our collaborative culture, we’ll support your journey every step of the way.

The expected annual salary range for this role in the U.S. (excluding Puerto Rico) is posted. Actual salary will vary based on several factors including but not limited to, relevant skills, experience, and qualifications.

In addition to the base salary, Amgen offers a Total Rewards Plan, based on eligibility, comprising of health and welfare plans for staff and eligible dependents, financial plans with opportunities to save towards retirement or other goals, work/life balance, and career development opportunities that may include:

• A comprehensive employee benefits package, including a Retirement and Savings Plan with generous company contributions, group medical, dental and vision coverage, life and disability insurance, and flexible spending accounts
• A discretionary annual bonus program, or for field sales representatives, a sales-based incentive plan
• Stock-based long-term incentives
• Award-winning time-off plans
• Flexible work models where possible. Refer to the Work Location Type in the job posting to see if this applies.

Apply now and make a lasting impact with the Amgen team.

careers.amgen.com

In any materials you submit, you may redact or remove age-identifying information such as age, date of birth, or dates of school attendance or graduation. You will not be penalized for redacting or removing this information.

Application deadline

Amgen does not have an application deadline for this position; we will continue accepting applications until we receive a sufficient number or select a candidate for the position.

Sponsorship

Sponsorship for this role is not guaranteed.

As an organization dedicated to improving the quality of life for people around the world, Amgen fosters an inclusive environment of diverse, ethical, committed and highly accomplished people who respect each other and live the Amgen values to continue advancing science to serve patients. Together, we compete in the fight against serious disease.

Amgen is an Equal Opportunity employer and will consider all qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, disability status, or any other basis protected by applicable law.

We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.

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Salary Range

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