---
title: 'Director, Pharmacology at Tarsus Pharmaceuticals'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/director-pharmacology-tarsus-pharmaceuticals-irvine-smt9gfm7nbxk'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-10-20'
---

# Director, Pharmacology at Tarsus Pharmaceuticals

- **Company:** Tarsus Pharmaceuticals
- **Location:** Irvine, CA
- **Posted:** 2026-09-22
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-10-20
- **Apply:** https://tarsusrx.com/careers/apply/?gh_jid=6204665004

## Job description

## About the Role

The Director, Pharmacology will be a scientific and strategic thought partner instrumental in developing and building the pipeline at Tarsus. They will be responsible for bringing biology/pharmacology expertise and can readily bridge cutting-edge translational medicine environments to develop category-creating products. The role connects the discovery and clinical development organizations and supports projects at the interface between discovery and early clinical development. This role reports to the VP, Translational Science, with the opportunity to build and lead a translational team with responsibilities across the pipeline.

Let’s talk about some of the key responsibilities of the role:

- Subject Matter Expert in Pharmacology, Pathophysiology and drug target biology.
- Establish and maintain strong external partnerships with key opinion leaders, academic institutions and other external partners.
- Partner with key internal experts across the company — including Clinical Development, Innovation Lab, and Business Development (BD).
- Drive stage-appropriate project translational strategy for a differentiated asset to address unmet patient need with key “Go/No Go” decision points.
- Execute non-clinical experiments to support mechanism-of-action (MOA) related translational questions as well as overall understanding of disease biology, treatment approaches, routes of administration, and target engagement.

Translational Science/Pharmacology:

- Develop deep internal expertise in disease areas within ophthalmology, which are prioritized by the company.
- Elucidate mechanisms of action, evaluate disease models and preclinical proof-of-concept approaches, and partner with Pharmacokinetics to identify first-in-human dosing requirements.
- Generate clear, testable translational hypotheses addressing mechanism of action and pharmacodynamics, and supporting patient selection.
- Assess relevant models, select and manage CRO partners, and interact with academic experts to evaluate potential assets.

Internal and External Innovation:

- Partner with BD and bring scientific expertise to evaluate and triage external assets and opportunities, identify key risks and mitigation plans, and build additional evidence to enable Go/No Go decisions.
- Partner with Innovation Lab team to prioritize competing hypotheses, identify possible assets, and enable advancement into clinical development.
- Build open relationships with peers and external partners to ensure best decision making.

Factors for Success:

- Decision Making - Demonstrates strong decision-making by applying structured analysis to complex challenges, balancing competing priorities and long-term impacts while engaging stakeholders and driving solutions aligned with organizational goals.
- Collaboration and Team Building - Promotes collaboration by aligning diverse teams around shared goals, fostering healthy debate to advance outcomes, and building strong networks that strengthen organizational effectiveness and cross-team learning.
- Outcome Driven - Demonstrates strong outcomes focus by aligning teams around shared priorities, proactively addressing risks and dependencies, and driving cross-functional accountability to sustain progress and deliver results.
- Empowering Others - Fosters empowerment by aligning authority with accountability, developing leaders’ decision-making capability, and creating systems that support performance and growth.
- Emotional Intelligence - Foster trust and psychological safety, navigating complex interpersonal dynamics with compassion and accountability, and adapting leadership style to support others while maintaining composure under pressure.

Minimum Requirements/Qualifications:

- PhD or MD/PhD degree in Biology, Pharmacology, Molecular or Cell biology or related life sciences field with 10 years experience in a pharmaceutical or biotechnology industry setting.
- Knowledge and solid understanding of emerging research, mechanisms of action and disease models preclinically and clinically.
- Demonstrated experience developing and implementing strategies — including assay selection, qualification, and CRO-based execution — to support proof of concept, MOA, route and dose selection.
- Excellent oral and written communication skills, including writing, reviewing, and editing scientific documents.
- Strong interpersonal skills, diplomacy, and positive-influencing abilities.
- Proven influencing and partnering skills to drive decision-making within multidisciplinary, matrixed teams.
- Effective project management skills.
- Strong presentation skills; must be able to provide succinct, strategic, and actionable insights.
- Scientifically independent, proactive self-starter who can lead work independently, anticipate issues, and identify the next step without direction.
- Enterprise and entrepreneurial mindset.

Preferred Qualifications:

- Experience in ophthalmology, dermatology, or infectious disease; prior work in ocular drug development or ocular disease models is strongly preferred.
- Recognized scientific standing evidenced by peer-reviewed publications and an established network of academic and clinical thought leaders.
- Experience evaluating external assets in a business development or in-licensing context.
- Experience authoring and reviewing nonclinical and translational sections of regulatory documents (IND, Investigator's Brochure, briefing books).

A Few Other Details Worth Mentioning:

- The position will be based in our beautiful Irvine office, complete with onsite gym, pool, snacks, drinks, and occasional catered meals. We provide a hybrid work environment. Remote work will be considered.
- We are passionate about our culture! Our Tarsans live our values of commitment to patients, empowerment to champion innovation, and teamwork to amplify impact!
- This position will report to the VP, Translational Science.
- Some travel may be required — up to 30%.

At Tarsus, we understand the importance of attracting and retaining top talent. The expected base pay range for this position is $188,200- $263,600 plus bonus, stock equity, and comprehensive benefits. The base pay range reflects the target range for this position, but individual pay will be determined by additional factors such as job-related skills, experience and relevant education or training. Our benefits include health, dental and vision insurance benefits to ensure your well-being. We believe in work-life balance and offer generous paid time off, including vacation, holidays, and personal days. For more details regarding Tarsus benefits, please visit: https://eb.alliant.com/26tarsusbenefitssnapshot.

#LI-Hybrid Tarsus Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex including sexual orientation and gender identity, national origin, disability, protected Veteran Status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.

## About Tarsus Pharmaceuticals

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: A biopharmaceutical company creating novel therapies to treat the root cause of diseases, starting with eye care and expanding into dermatology and infectious disease prevention.
- **Entity Type**: Public (NASDAQ: TARS)
- **Headquarters**: Not publicly available in provided sources (inferred to be Irvine, CA, but not confirmed)
- **Founded**: 2016
- **Founders**: Bobak Azamian, MD, PhD and Michael Ackermann

## Core Business
- **Primary industry**: Biopharmaceuticals (eye care, dermatology, infectious disease prevention)
- **Target customers**: Patients with high unmet medical needs; prescribing eye care professionals, dermatologists, and other healthcare providers (B2B/B2C hybrid)
- **Mission or purpose**: To revolutionize treatment for patients with unmet needs by pursuing the root cause of disease, not just symptoms.

## Products & Services
- **[XDEMVY® (lotilaner ophthalmic solution) 0.25%]**: The first and only FDA-approved treatment for Demodex blepharitis, an eyelid disease affecting approximately 25 million Americans. (Product, prescription medicine)
- **[TP-03 (lotilaner ophthalmic solution)]**: Investigational treatment for Meibomian Gland Disease (MGD), currently in Phase 2a clinical trial. (Pipeline candidate)
- **[TP-04]**: Investigational treatment for Rosacea (ocular rosacea), currently in Phase 2a clinical trial. (Pipeline candidate)
- **[TP-05]**: Oral tablet for the prevention of Lyme disease, currently in Phase 2a clinical trial. (Pipeline candidate)

## Market Standing
- **Valuation/Market Cap**: Not disclosed in provided sources (public company, stock price available via LSEG with 15-minute delay)
- **Key Metric**: Annual Revenue – Not disclosed in provided sources (public company, quarterly earnings reported; Q1 2026 results mentioned but figures not included)
- **Notable Investors/Partners**: Initial backing from Versant Ventures and Third Rock Ventures (per founder background); global partnerships mentioned but not specified.
- **Growth Signals**: FDA approval of first product (XDEMVY); advancing three pipeline candidates into Phase 2a trials; partnership with John Cena to raise awareness of Demodex blepharitis; public listing enabling further financing.

## Competitive Advantages
- **First-mover category**: XDEMVY is the only FDA-approved treatment for Demodex blepharitis, creating a new category in eye care.
- **Root-cause approach**: Focus on treating the underlying cause of disease rather than symptoms, potentially offering more durable solutions.
- **Expanding pipeline**: Leveraging the same platform (lotilaner) to address multiple large, underserved conditions (MGD, rosacea, Lyme disease prevention).
- **Strong leadership and culture**: Experienced management team with deep biotech expertise; culture of teamwork, empowerment, and commitment.

## Strategic Focus
- **Current priorities**: Commercialize XDEMVY and expand its reach; advance Phase 2a trials for TP-03, TP-04, and TP-05; pursue new categories in eye care, dermatology, and infectious disease prevention.
- **Direction for growth**: Build on the success of XDEMVY to establish a pipeline of novel therapies addressing high unmet needs, with potential to expand beyond the eye.

## Why Work Here
- **Culture**: Driven by core values of teamwork, empowerment, and commitment; described as nimble, differentiated, and patient-centered.
- **Work model**: Hybrid work options available; on-campus gym at headquarters.
- **Perks & benefits**: Comprehensive health & wellness program (medical, dental, vision with significant employer contribution), flexible time off, paid parental leave, sabbatical program, 401(k) match, Employee Stock Purchase Plan, gym reimbursement, Calm and LifeBalance memberships, cell phone allowance, in-office meals and snacks, family-building assistance via Carrot.
- **Growth opportunities**: Learning and career development resources; recognition programs; exposure to a fast-growing public company with a promising pipeline.

## Sources
1. [tarsusrx.com](https://tarsusrx.com/)
2. [tarsusrx.com/careers](https://tarsusrx.com/careers/)
3. [tarsusrx.com/our-story](https://tarsusrx.com/our-story/)
4. [ir.tarsusrx.com/investor-relations](https://ir.tarsusrx.com/investor-relations)
5. [tarsusrx.com/our-leadership](https://tarsusrx.com/our-leadership/)

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