Head of Medical Affairs & GCSP (Global Clinical Safety & Pharmacovigilance)

Bavarian Nordic•Durham, NC

30d•Remote

About The Position

At Bavarian Nordic, we are dedicated to protecting lives and advancing global health through innovative vaccines. As a global leader in smallpox and mpox vaccines, our growing portfolio includes market-leading vaccines against rabies, chikungunya, cholera, and typhoid. Our mission is simple: to improve quality of life worldwide by preventing infectious diseases. We are headquartered in Denmark and have offices across Europe and North America. We’re looking for an experienced Head of Medical Affairs & GCSP (Global Clinical Safety and Pharmacovigilance) providing medical leadership across GCSP, Epidemiology, Medical Affairs, and Medical & Process Compliance. You will guide patient safety and benefit–risk, shape evidence generation and medical governance, and partner closely with Regulatory, Clinical Development, Quality, CMC/Manufacturing, Commercial, and Market Access to ensure scientific rigor and aligned execution across the product lifecycle. The position reports to the SVP of R&D and should be based on the East Coast of the United States - global travel up to ~30% should be expected.

Requirements

Advanced degree is required, and an MD qualification is preferred for this role
Expertise in medical affairs, clinical safety, and global pharmacovigilance, with a strong foundation in immunology, epidemiology, and vaccine safety
10+ years’ experience in a similar role
Strategic mindset and operational rigor to ensure patient safety and scientific excellence across the product lifecycle
10+ years’ experience from a leadership role with both direct and indirect reports
Exceptional communicator who can translate complex medical and regulatory topics into clear, actionable guidance for both scientific and non-scientific stakeholders
As a trusted advisor to senior leadership, you provide confident counsel on medical strategy, compliance, and risk management
As a leader, you’re hands-on and people-focused—ready to coach, mentor, and elevate high-performing teams across regions—while orchestrating medical governance, evidence generation, and external collaborations with precision and credibility
Curious and data-driven; you monitor emerging trends, synthesize real-world evidence, and challenge assumptions to inform better decisions
Most importantly, you thrive in change; your judgment, integrity, and resilience help safeguard patient safety and support our transition from development to full commercialization in a fast-moving, life-science environment

Responsibilities

Lead and develop high-performing GCSP, Epidemiology, Medical Affairs, and Medical & Process Compliance teams, including people leadership, budgets, and talent development
Have oversight of the GCSP team and QPPV office
Set and execute global Medical Affairs strategy aligned to development milestones, regulatory interactions, and commercialization plans; ensure medical accuracy and balance across all external scientific content
Establish and scale regional medical networks to support local commercial teams, capture insights, and localize global strategies
Own medical information capabilities and responses to unsolicited medical inquiries
Drive late-stage and post-approval evidence generation, including RWE, observational, and epidemiological studies
Institute robust medical governance appropriate for company growth; chair and/or contribute to internal medical governance committees
Partner deeply with Clinical Development to inform future trials and label expansions; collaborate across Regulatory, Manufacturing/CMC, Quality, Commercial, and Market Access
Build strategic external relationships with key opinion leaders and public-health stakeholders

Stand Out From the Crowd

Upload your resume and get instant feedback on how well it matches this job.

Upload and Match Resume