Head of Medical Affairs

Kardigan•Princeton, NJ

12d

About The Position

Kardigan is seeking a Head of Medical Affairs to lead, unify, and scale its Medical Affairs organization as the company advances a portfolio of investigational cardiovascular therapies through late-stage development toward potential registration and launch readiness. This leader will report to the Chief Executive Officer and partner closely with the CEO and Executive Leadership Team to create and execute Kardigan’s Medical Affairs strategy across prioritized cardiovascular indications. The role involves bringing together existing talent and recruiting new team members to build capabilities in areas such as field medical (MSLs), integrated evidence generation (HEOR and real-world evidence), medical review, and medical operations and governance. The Head of Medical Affairs will own the function’s budget, headcount plan, and organizational design. Key early priorities include aligning the team and Executive Leadership Team on a cohesive Medical Affairs strategy, making key hires, expanding KOL engagement, scaling publication and congress planning, establishing launch-readiness workstreams, and strengthening the compliance and governance framework for scientific exchange. This role serves as a strategic partner across the business, particularly with Clinical Development and Commercial, and will establish and maintain critical relationships across the medical and scientific communities, with a deep commitment to the patient journey and developing medicines that meaningfully improve the lives of people living with cardiovascular disease.

Requirements

MD or PharmD with substantial expertise in cardiovascular disease.
For appointment at Vice President: 12+ years of biopharma industry experience, including 5+ years leading Medical Affairs teams or functions.
For appointment at Senior Vice President: 15+ years of biopharma industry experience, including prior executive-level leadership of a Medical Affairs function.
Proven Medical Affairs leadership in the U.S. biopharma industry across cardiovascular indications, spanning both small and large organizations, including fast-growing companies.
Product launch leadership in new and competitive markets; candidates without a complete launch will be considered only with demonstrably equivalent late-stage evidence-generation and launch-readiness leadership.
Experience leading core Medical Affairs capabilities, including field medical, medical communications and publications, evidence generation (HEOR/RWE), medical information, and medical governance, with broad knowledge of the regulations and industry codes governing scientific exchange.
Scientific rigor and credibility, with the ability to evaluate and debate detailed scientific and clinical issues with confidence and curiosity, both internally and externally.
Track record of recruiting, developing, and unifying high-performing teams through growth and organizational change, combining hands-on coaching with clear direction and empowerment.
Collaborative and pragmatic partner who builds trusted cross-functional relationships and scales infrastructure in step with portfolio expansion.
Executive presence with strong communication, negotiation, and influencing skills; sound judgment, humility, and high emotional intelligence, including in high-stakes conversations; able to articulate a compelling Medical Affairs vision that inspires action internally and externally.
Strong patient-centric orientation, ensuring Medical Affairs strategies ultimately serve patients and their families.

Responsibilities

Lead, unify, and scale Kardigan’s Medical Affairs organization, positioning the function to drive value for patients, healthcare providers, and the broader business.
Develop and execute the Medical Affairs strategy for Kardigan’s prioritized cardiovascular indications, in partnership with the CEO and Executive Leadership Team.
Ensure Medical Affairs readiness for potential future launches and establish the function as a critical source of scientific insight on the key questions raised by Kardigan’s investigational pipeline.
Own the Medical Affairs budget, headcount plan, and operating model; build out remaining capabilities — including field medical, integrated evidence generation, and medical operations and governance — as Kardigan’s portfolio and organization continue to grow.
Lead, develop, and retain the existing Medical Affairs team while recruiting high-caliber talent to close capability gaps, building an organization recognized as trusted experts and influential partners to internal and external stakeholders.
Establish and strengthen relationships with key opinion leaders, investigators, scientific advisory groups, professional societies, patient advocacy organizations, and other important members of the external medical and scientific community.
Build strong cross-functional partnerships, with particularly close alignment to Clinical Development, Commercial, Regulatory, and Safety, bringing the external medical voice into trial design, evidence planning, and portfolio decisions.
Lead an integrated evidence-generation strategy — spanning HEOR, real-world evidence, and epidemiology — that serves regulators, payers, clinicians, and internal partners including Clinical Development.
Oversee medical and scientific communications — including publication planning, congress strategy, and medical information — to contribute to the scientific literature and support potential future commercialization and patient access.
Provide high-quality, meaningful medical input into medical, scientific, and promotional materials, and establish Medical Affairs’ role in the company’s material review process.
Establish and maintain the compliance framework governing scientific exchange and external engagement — including advisory boards, investigator-initiated studies, and grants — consistent with applicable regulations and industry codes of practice.
Provide hands-on leadership, coaching, and mentorship while empowering the Medical Affairs team to take ownership and deliver results.