Associate Director, Competitive Intelligence

Please note that this position is based in San Diego, CA. Acadia's hybrid model requires this role to work in our office three days per week on average.

Position Summary

The Associate Director of Competitive Intelligence (CI) is a strategic role responsible for gathering, analyzing, and synthesizing competitive and market intelligence to support business decisions across therapeutic areas and product lifecycles. This individual will provide strategic insights and foresight to cross-functional stakeholders, including Commercial, R&D, Business Development, and Executive Leadership, enabling the company to maintain a competitive edge in a dynamic pharmaceutical landscape.

Primary Responsibilities

• Develop and lead CI plans across key therapeutic areas, supporting early- to late-stage assets and marketed products. This includes leading CI initiatives to support internal product launches, lifecycle management, and portfolio optimization.


• Continuously monitor, evaluate and synthesize competitive product and market developments (e.g., clinical trials, regulatory decisions, M&A activity, product launches, pricing/reimbursement, KOL sentiment, etc.).


• Analyze and synthesize data to generate actionable CI insights; create high-quality CI deliverables such as landscape assessments, competitor profiles, SWOT analyses, and strategic implications.


• Lead and/or manage third-party vendors to conduct primary intelligence (e.g., expert interviews, conference coverage) and synthesize secondary data sources (e.g., AlphaSense, EvaluatePharma, GlobalData, PubMed, other databases, news, publications).


• Plan, execute, and report on intelligence gathering at major medical and scientific conferences.


• Partner with market research, brand marketing and new product teams to help lead strategic planning sessions, including competitor simulations and war games to stress-test assumptions and inform strategic planning.


• Partner with Commercial, Medical, Market Access, R&D, Regulatory, Business Development and Investor Relations teams to align CI efforts with strategic needs.


• Present findings and strategic implications to senior leadership and cross-functional stakeholders in a clear, concise, and impactful manner.


• Other responsibilities as assigned.

Education/Experience/Skills

• Bachelor’s degree in life sciences, pharmacy, business administration, or a related field.  Advanced degree (PhD, PharmD, MBA, or MS) strongly preferred. 


• Targeting 8 years of experience in competitive intelligence, market research, strategic analysis, or related functions within a pharmaceutical or biotech environment. 


• In-depth knowledge of drug development, commercialization, and regulatory pathways required. 


• An equivalent combination of relevant education and experience may be considered.

Key Skills:

• Experience across multiple therapeutic areas is a plus


• Strong analytical and strategic thinking skills.


• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.


• Ability to manage multiple priorities and work cross-functionally in a fast-paced environment.


• Proficient in tools such as EvaluatePharma, Cortellis, Trialtrove, GlobalData, AlphaSense or similar databases.


• Experience managing vendors and budgets.


• High level of business acumen and executive presence.


• Strategic thinker with a curious mindset and a proactive approach to problem‑solving.


• Comfortable navigating ambiguity and fast-paced environments.


• Passion for continuous learning and keeping up with industry trends.


• Ability to influence without authority and foster collaboration across teams.


• Must be able and willing to travel on occasion.

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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