Senior Director, Clinical Science, Immunology, Hybrid

MSD • Rahway, NJ

22h • 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 and development planning, applying deep Immunology expertise to guide Clinical Science approaches and promote consistent scientific standards, medical data review, and decision-making across the portfolio.

The position partners with Section Heads, Asset Leads, Program Development Team Leads, and cross-functional development teams on study planning, data interpretation, issue resolution, and program decisions. It shapes Clinical Science practices across the Immunology portfolio, including standardization, scientific alignment, and integration of insights across assets. The role may directly manage multiple Clinical Scientists and provides leadership, coaching, and direction in a matrix environment. It collaborates with Clinical Operations, Regulatory Affairs, Biostatistics and Data Management, Drug Safety and Pharmacovigilance, Translational Medicine, Medical Affairs, and other functions, and contributes to governance discussions and senior leadership reviews.

Requirements

• Advanced scientific or healthcare degree (e.g., PhD or PharmD), or equivalent, and 8+ years of pharmaceutical, clinical drug development, and/or medical field experience; alternatively, a Master’s degree, preferably in life sciences, and 12+ years of such experience; or a Bachelor’s degree, preferably in life sciences, and 15+ 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 scientific considerations affecting development.
• 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 in cross-functional teams within 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.
• Strong scientific and strategic judgment in complex and ambiguous situations; ability to set direction aligned with organizational priorities and drive accountability and high standards.
• Ability to build collaborative relationships, lead through influence, and align teams around shared goals in a matrix environment.
• Ability to communicate clearly with team members, cross-functional partners, and senior leaders, and to foster an inclusive environment that values diverse perspectives.
• Required skills listed: 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 listed: 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 implications 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 in disease biology, treatment landscape, and clinically meaningful endpoints to inform study planning, data interpretation, and issue resolution.
• Integrate scientific insights across studies and assets to inform development decisions.
• Lead efforts to standardize Clinical Science approaches, including medical data review practices, data interpretation principles, and key deliverables, while accommodating program-specific needs.
• Establish and maintain standards, expectations, and leading practices for Clinical Science across the portfolio.
• Promote alignment across assets on disease area considerations, including endpoint interpretation, patient populations, safety topics, and emerging scientific issues.
• Advocate for visual analytics, centralized data review, AI-enabled workflows, and other technologies to improve quality and efficiency.
• Guide interpretation of clinical data across studies, cohorts, and assets to identify trends, opportunities, risks, and program implications.
• Identify and evaluate clinical, scientific, and data-related issues and help frame them 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 across study teams and partner functions.
• Contribute Clinical Science perspectives to portfolio discussions, governance reviews, and senior leadership meetings.
• Prepare and present clinical and scientific content, cross-study insights, assessments, and key issues for governance bodies, program reviews, and senior management communications.
• Translate portfolio priorities into Clinical Science strategies, capabilities, and resource plans.
• Manage Directors, Principal Scientists, and Clinical Scientists as appropriate; set expectations and support talent development through coaching, mentoring, feedback, and development opportunities.
• Promote consistent role expectations and ways of working among Clinical Scientists supporting the portfolio, and foster accountability, inclusion, continuous learning, and team performance.
• Partner with cross-functional groups and represent Clinical Science in planning, program discussions, and strategic decision-making forums.
• Facilitate alignment across studies, programs, and functions, and communicate clinical and scientific issues to stakeholders and leadership.
• Ensure Clinical Science activities comply with applicable regulatory requirements, 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.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, vision healthcare, and other insurance benefits for employees and family.
• Retirement benefits, including 401(k).
• Paid holidays, vacation, compassionate days, and sick days.
• Eligible for annual bonus and long-term incentive, if applicable.
• Domestic relocation is listed.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior