Senior Director, Clinical Science, Pulmonary Hypertension and Cardiovascular, Hybrid

MSD•Rahway, NJ

8h•Hybrid

About The Position

The Senior Director, Clinical Science, Pulmonary Hypertension and Cardiovascular 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, consistent scientific standards, medical data review practices, and portfolio decision-making. The role requires deep knowledge of Pulmonary Hypertension and Cardiovascular disease, including disease biology, treatment landscapes, clinically relevant endpoints, and scientific considerations affecting development strategy and study design. The Senior Director partners with Section Heads, Asset Leads, Program Development Team Leads, and cross-functional development teams to support study planning, data interpretation, issue resolution, and program decisions. The position shapes Clinical Science practices across the portfolio, including standardization, scientific alignment, and integration of insights across assets. It may include direct management and development of multiple Clinical Scientists, providing leadership, coaching, and direction 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, and contributes to governance discussions and senior leadership reviews. Responsibilities include disease-area and Clinical Science strategy; standardizing scientific approaches, medical data review, interpretation, and deliverables; guiding data interpretation and development planning; contributing to portfolio governance and senior leadership communications; managing and developing scientific staff; leading cross-functional collaboration; ensuring compliance and inspection readiness; and improving the quality and effectiveness of Clinical Science work. The role also promotes innovative approaches such as visual analytics, centralized data review, AI-enabled workflows, and other technologies.

Requirements

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 preferred; or 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.
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 experience, including management, coaching, and development of scientific staff.
Leadership skills including strategic judgment, setting direction, building collaborative relationships, developing people, fostering inclusion, driving accountability, communicating effectively, influencing in a matrix environment, and balancing enterprise thinking with timely practical decisions.

Nice To Haves

Experience with data interpretations.
Knowledge of Next Generation Science Standards.
Experience with study design.

Responsibilities

Provide strategic Clinical Science leadership across multiple studies, programs, and assets in the disease area.
Contribute Clinical Science perspectives to disease-area strategy, development opportunities, 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 support development decisions.
Lead standardization of Clinical Science approaches, medical data review practices, data interpretation principles, and key deliverables.
Establish and maintain standards, expectations, and leading practices for Clinical Science work across the portfolio.
Promote alignment across assets on endpoints, 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.
Guide interpretation of clinical data across studies, cohorts, and assets, and help identify and frame clinical, scientific, and data-related issues.
Contribute scientific input to protocols, 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 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 and leaders.
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 scientific quality, strategic thinking, collaboration, and communication; foster accountability, inclusion, continuous learning, and team performance.
Represent Clinical Science in cross-functional planning, program discussions, and strategic decision-making forums.
Ensure Clinical Science activities comply with applicable regulatory requirements, company policies, and established procedures.
Support inspection readiness and appropriate documentation of Clinical Science contributions.
Identify opportunities to improve Clinical Science quality, consistency, and effectiveness, and maintain awareness of relevant scientific, clinical, and regulatory developments.