Executive Director, Medical Affairs

Umoja Biopharma•Seattle, WA

2d•Hybrid

About The Position

Umoja Biopharma is an industry-leading biotech with locations in Seattle, WA and Louisville, CO, focused on transforming the treatment of cancer with a novel integrated immunotherapy platform. Our vision is to develop off-the-shelf therapies capable of treating any tumor, any time. We are a diverse and growing team working in brand-new facilities in downtown Seattle, Washington and Louisville, Colorado, and we are looking for innovative thinkers who are excited by groundbreaking science and technology, and passionate about squaring up to the challenges inherent to cutting-edge drug development. We are committed to our core values and principles that support our overall mission and strongly invite applications from enthusiastic individuals who share our commitment and help position Umoja to deliver on our goals. We at Umoja believe in the importance of stories; we are looking for great people to join our team to help us create more stories for ourselves, for you, and most importantly for patients and their families. Umoja Biopharma – Your Body. Your Hope. Your Cure. POSITION SUMMARY: The Executive Director, Medical Affairs will establish and lead Umoja Biopharma’s Medical Affairs function, serving as a strategic partner across Clinical Development, Regulatory, Commercial, and Executive Leadership. This role will be responsible for building the function from the ground up—developing medical strategy, external engagement models, evidence generation plans, and field medical capabilities. The Executive Director will ensure the organization is positioned to effectively communicate scientific and clinical value to healthcare professionals, investigators, and key stakeholders. As the first Medical Affairs hire, this leader will define the vision, infrastructure, and roadmap for Medical Affairs to support Umoja’s transition into clinical development and beyond. To start, this person will operate as an Individual Contributor. This position will ideally be based out of our Seattle, WA office and work onsite at least 2 days/week. This position may have the ability to be remote in the US based on candidate experience.

Requirements

Advanced degree required (MD, PharmD, or PhD)
At least 15+ years of industry experience
Significant experience in Medical Affairs leadership roles
Proven track record of building or scaling Medical Affairs functions, ideally including emerging or clinical-stage biotech environments
Strong strategic thinking with the ability to translate vision into execution
Deep understanding of Medical Affairs best practices, including KOL engagement, publications, and field medical models
Demonstrated ability to influence cross-functional stakeholders and executive leadership
Experience in oncology required

Nice To Haves

Experience supporting early- to mid-stage clinical development programs preferred
Launch experience is a plus
Experience in cell and gene therapy or in autoimmune disease is a plus

Responsibilities

Establish the Medical Affairs vision, strategy, and operating model aligned with Umoja’s clinical and corporate objectives
Build and scale the Medical Affairs function, including infrastructure, processes, and team roadmap
Serve as the internal subject matter expert and strategic thought partner on scientific communication and external engagement
Develop the long-term Medical Affairs strategy in preparation for pivotal development and commercialization
Translate clinical and scientific data into impactful, compliant medical communications
Lead development of medical plans, including publication strategy, congress planning, and scientific dissemination
Ensure scientific integrity and consistency across all external and internal materials
Provide medical insights to inform clinical development strategy and lifecycle planning
Develop and lead a KOL engagement strategy, building trusted relationships with external experts, investigators, and key institutions
Represent Umoja in scientific exchanges, advisory boards, and industry forums
Build and oversee Field Medical (MSL) strategy and deployment as pipeline advances
Collaborate with Clinical Development team on strategies to ensure efficient enrollment in Umoja clinical trials
Shape evidence generation strategies, including real-world evidence and investigator-sponsored studies (ISS) as appropriate
Capture and synthesize insights from the external medical community to inform internal decision-making
Partner with Clinical Development and Translational teams to ensure alignment of data generation with medical needs
Partner closely with Clinical Development, Regulatory Affairs, Commercial, and Market Access to ensure aligned strategy
Support regulatory and clinical milestones with medical input and stakeholder engagement plans
Provide medical leadership to cross-functional governance forums and executive discussions
Establish compliant medical affairs policies, SOPs, and review processes
Ensure all activities adhere to regulatory requirements and industry standards
Serve as a steward of ethical and scientific integrity in all engagements