Senior Director, Clinical Science, Thoracic Oncology (Hybrid)

MSD•Boston, MA

3d•$210,400 - $331,100•Hybrid

About The Position

The Senior Director, Clinical Science, Thoracic Oncology 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 Thoracic Oncology expertise to guide scientific approaches and promote consistent standards, medical data review practices, 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 Thoracic Oncology portfolio through standardization, alignment of scientific approaches, and integration of insights across assets. The role may directly manage and develop multiple Clinical Scientists and provides leadership, coaching, and direction in a matrix environment. The Senior Director collaborates closely with Clinical Operations, Regulatory Affairs, Biostatistics and Data Management, Drug Safety and Pharmacovigilance, Translational Medicine, Medical Affairs, and other partner functions. The role also contributes to governance discussions and senior leadership reviews, while ensuring Clinical Science activities meet applicable regulatory requirements, company policies, and procedures. The position is hybrid, based primarily in Rahway, New Jersey, with 10% travel required. The stated primary-location base salary range is $210,400 to $331,100, with eligibility for an annual bonus and long-term incentive, if applicable.

Requirements

Significant experience in Clinical Development, Clinical Science, clinical drug development, or a related function in the pharmaceutical or biotechnology industry.
Demonstrated experience providing 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 experience, including management, coaching, and development of scientific staff.
One of the following education and experience pathways: an advanced scientific or healthcare degree (e.g., PhD or PharmD), or equivalent, with 8+ years of pharmaceutical, clinical drug development, and/or medical field experience; a master’s degree, preferably in life sciences, with 12+ years of such experience; or a bachelor’s degree, preferably in life sciences, with 15+ years of such experience.
Required skills listed include biotechnology, budget management, client relationship building, clinical development, clinical research and research management, clinical sciences, clinical trial planning, ethical standards, financial acumen, high-performance team building, internal validation, life science, matrix leadership and management, medical sciences, new technology integration, oncology, patient safety, people leadership, pharmaceutical industry, pharmaceutical quality assurance, pharmaceutical research, and pharmaceutics.

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 to inform study planning, data interpretation, issue resolution, and development decisions.
Integrate scientific insights across studies and assets to inform development decisions.
Standardize Clinical Science approaches, medical data review practices, data interpretation principles, and key deliverables across the disease area, as appropriate.
Establish and maintain standards, expectations, and leading practices for Clinical Science work within the portfolio.
Promote alignment across assets on endpoints, patient populations, safety topics, and emerging scientific issues.
Advocate for innovative approaches such as visual analytics, centralized data review, AI-enabled workflows, and other technologies that improve quality and efficiency.
Guide interpretation of 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 other 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, scientific assessments, and key issues for governance, program reviews, senior management, and cross-functional leaders.
Translate portfolio priorities into Clinical Science strategies, capabilities, and resource plans.
Manage Directors, Principal Scientists, and Clinical Scientists, as appropriate; set expectations and support their development through coaching, mentoring, feedback, and development opportunities.
Promote consistent role expectations and ways of working across Clinical Scientists supporting the lung portfolio, and foster accountability, inclusion, continuous learning, and strong team performance.
Partner with cross-functional functions 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 relevant stakeholders and leadership teams.
Ensure Clinical Science activities comply with applicable regulatory requirements, company policies, and established procedures; support inspection readiness and appropriate documentation.
Identify opportunities to improve the quality, consistency, and effectiveness of Clinical Science work and stay current on relevant scientific, clinical, and regulatory developments.