Senior Director, Clinical Science, Immunology, Hybrid

Merck•Boston, MA

7d•$210,400 - $331,100•Hybrid

About The Position

The Senior Director, Clinical Science, Immunology provides strategic Clinical Science leadership across multiple studies, programs, and assets. Reporting to the Executive Director, the role contributes to disease area strategy, development planning, and consistent scientific standards, medical data review practices, and decision-making across the portfolio. The position requires deep Immunology expertise, including disease biology, the treatment landscape, clinical endpoints, and scientific considerations that influence development strategy and study design. The Senior Director partners with Section Heads, Asset Leads, Program Development Team Leads, and cross-functional teams on study planning, data interpretation, issue resolution, and program decisions. The role shapes Clinical Science practices across the Immunology portfolio by promoting standardization, scientific alignment, and integration of insights across assets. It may include direct management and development of multiple Clinical Scientists, along with leadership and coaching in a matrix environment. The role collaborates with Clinical Operations, Regulatory Affairs, Biostatistics and Data Management, Drug Safety and Pharmacovigilance, Translational Medicine, Medical Affairs, and other functions. It also contributes to governance discussions and senior leadership reviews, supports compliance and inspection readiness, and advances improvements in Clinical Science quality and effectiveness. The position is hybrid, based primarily in Rahway, New Jersey, with 25% travel and a day shift. Domestic relocation is available; visa sponsorship is not available.

Requirements

Advanced scientific or healthcare degree (e.g., PhD or PharmD), or equivalent, with 8 or more years of pharmaceutical, clinical drug development, and/or medical field experience; alternatively, a preferably life-sciences Master’s degree with 12 or more years of such experience; or a preferably life-sciences Bachelor’s degree with 15 or more years of such experience.
Significant experience in Clinical Development, Clinical Science, clinical drug development, or a related function in the pharmaceutical or biotechnology industry.
Demonstrated Clinical Science leadership across multiple studies, programs, or assets.
Deep therapeutic area expertise, including disease biology, current and emerging treatment landscape, clinically relevant endpoints, and development-related scientific considerations.
Strong understanding of clinical trial design, clinical development strategy, clinical data review, and interpretation of oncology data.
Experience contributing to disease area strategy, portfolio discussions, or cross-program planning.
Experience contributing to regulatory submissions, safety reviews, or health authority interactions.
Experience working effectively on cross-functional teams in a matrix environment.
Ability to integrate information across studies and programs to support scientific and business decisions.
Excellent communication, influence, and executive presentation skills.
Demonstrated people leadership, including management, coaching, and development of scientific staff.
Leadership skills including setting direction, sound scientific and strategic judgment, relationship-building, developing people, fostering inclusion, driving accountability and quality, clear communication, leading through influence, continuous improvement, and balancing enterprise thinking with timely practical decisions.
Required skills: Clinical Development, Clinical Research Management, Clinical Sciences, Data Quality, Ethical Standards, High Performance Team Building, Immunology, Matrix Leadership, Matrix Management, Medical Monitoring, New Technology Integration, People Leadership, Pharmaceutical Industry, Regulatory Compliance, Therapeutic Knowledge, and Trial Design.

Nice To Haves

Preferred skills: Data Interpretations, Next Generation Science Standards, and Study Design.

Responsibilities

Provide strategic Clinical Science leadership across multiple studies, programs, and assets in the disease area.
Contribute Clinical Science input to disease area strategy, development opportunities, scientific considerations, portfolio risks, and interpretation of emerging data.
Partner with Section Heads, Asset Leads, Program Development Team Leads, and cross-functional leaders to align Clinical Science activities with program and disease area objectives.
Apply therapeutic expertise to inform study planning, data interpretation, issue resolution, and cross-study and cross-asset scientific integration.
Lead standardization of Clinical Science approaches, including medical data review practices, data interpretation principles, deliverables, standards, and leading practices.
Promote alignment across assets on endpoint interpretation, patient populations, safety topics, and emerging scientific issues.
Advocate for visual analytics, centralized data review, AI-enabled workflows, and other technologies that improve quality and efficiency.
Provide senior scientific guidance and interpret clinical data across studies, cohorts, and assets to identify trends, opportunities, risks, and program implications.
Identify and frame clinical, scientific, and data-related issues for cross-functional and governance discussions.
Contribute scientific perspective to protocol development and amendments, study design, endpoint selection, eligibility criteria, biomarker strategy, and development planning.
Serve as a Clinical Science subject matter resource for the disease area or therapeutic focus.
Contribute Clinical Science perspective to portfolio discussions, governance reviews, and senior leadership meetings; prepare and present scientific content and cross-study insights as appropriate.
Translate portfolio priorities into Clinical Science strategies, capabilities, and resource plans.
Manage, coach, mentor, and develop Directors, Principal Scientists, and Clinical Scientists as appropriate; set expectations for quality, strategic thinking, collaboration, and communication.
Promote consistent role expectations and ways of working, and foster accountability, inclusion, continuous learning, and strong team performance.
Partner with functional groups including Clinical Operations, Regulatory Affairs, Biostatistics, Data Management, Drug Safety and Pharmacovigilance, Translational Medicine, and Medical Affairs.
Represent Clinical Science in cross-functional planning and strategic decision-making, facilitate alignment, and communicate clinical and scientific issues to stakeholders and leadership.
Ensure Clinical Science activities comply with applicable regulations, company policies, and procedures; support inspection readiness and appropriate documentation.
Identify opportunities to improve Clinical Science quality, consistency, and effectiveness, and maintain awareness of relevant scientific, clinical, and regulatory developments.