Senior Director, Clinical Science, Immunology, Hybrid

MSD•Boston, MA

2d•$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 and development planning through deep therapeutic expertise, supporting consistent scientific 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 Immunology portfolio by promoting 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. The Senior Director collaborates with Clinical Operations, Regulatory Affairs, Biostatistics and Data Management, Drug Safety and Pharmacovigilance, Translational Medicine, Medical Affairs, and other partner functions. The role contributes to governance discussions and senior leadership reviews, supports compliance and inspection readiness, and identifies improvements to the quality and effectiveness of Clinical Science work. The position is hybrid, based primarily in Rahway, New Jersey, with 25% travel. The role is a regular employee position with domestic relocation listed; visa sponsorship is not available.

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; OR 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 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.
Ability to set clear direction aligned with organizational priorities and exercise strong scientific and strategic judgment in complex situations.
Ability to build collaborative relationships, lead through influence in a matrix environment, and align teams around shared goals.
Ability to create an inclusive environment, drive accountability and high standards, encourage continuous improvement, and balance enterprise thinking with practical decisions.
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 within the disease area.
Contribute Clinical Science input to disease area strategy, development opportunities, scientific considerations, portfolio risks, and implications of emerging internal and external 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, disease biology, treatment landscape, and endpoint expertise to study planning, data interpretation, and issue resolution.
Integrate scientific insights across studies and assets to inform development decisions.
Standardize Clinical Science approaches, medical data review practices, 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 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 across assigned studies and programs and guide interpretation of data across studies, cohorts, and assets.
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 discussions, and other development planning.
Serve as a Clinical Science subject matter resource across the disease area or therapeutic focus.
Contribute to portfolio discussions, governance reviews, and senior leadership meetings; prepare and present clinical and scientific content, insights, assessments, and key issues as appropriate.
Translate portfolio priorities into Clinical Science strategies, capabilities, and resource plans.
Directly manage Directors, Principal Scientists, and Clinical Scientists, as appropriate; set expectations and support staff development through coaching, mentoring, feedback, and development opportunities.
Promote consistent role expectations and ways of working across Clinical Scientists supporting the lung portfolio.
Foster accountability, inclusion, continuous learning, and strong team performance.
Partner with Clinical Operations, Regulatory Affairs, Biostatistics, Data Management, Drug Safety and Pharmacovigilance, Translational Medicine, Medical Affairs, and other functions.
Represent Clinical Science in cross-functional planning, program discussions, and strategic decision-making forums; facilitate alignment and communicate issues to stakeholders and leaders.
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.