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

MSD•Boston, MA

7d•$210,400 - $331,100•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 and development planning, applying deep therapeutic expertise to guide Clinical Science approaches and promote consistent scientific standards, medical data review practices, and decision-making across the portfolio. The role 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. It shapes Clinical Science practices across the portfolio, including standardization of approaches and integration of insights across assets. The position may directly manage and develop multiple Clinical Scientists, providing leadership and coaching 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 also contributes to governance discussions and senior leadership reviews, while ensuring Clinical Science work adheres to applicable regulatory requirements, company policies, and procedures.

Requirements

Advanced scientific or healthcare degree, such as a PhD or PharmD, or equivalent, with 8 or more years of pharmaceutical, clinical drug development, and/or medical field experience; OR a master’s degree, preferably in life sciences, with 12 or more years of such experience; OR a bachelor’s degree, preferably in life sciences, 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 expertise in Pulmonary Hypertension and Cardiovascular disease, including disease biology, treatment landscape, clinically relevant endpoints, and scientific considerations affecting development.
Strong understanding of clinical trial design, clinical development strategy, clinical data review, and data interpretation. The posting also references oncology data in this qualification.
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 and 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, fostering inclusion, driving accountability and quality, leading through influence, and supporting continuous improvement.
Required skills listed: Cardiovascular Diseases, Clinical Development, Clinical Research Management, Clinical Sciences, Data Quality, Ethical Standards, High Performance Team Building, Life Science, 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.
Annual bonus and long-term incentive eligibility, if applicable.

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 the 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 broader 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.
Standardize Clinical Science approaches, including medical data review practices, data interpretation principles, and key deliverables, while accounting for program-specific needs.
Establish and maintain standards, expectations, and leading practices for Clinical Science work across the portfolio.
Promote alignment on disease area considerations, including endpoint interpretation, patient populations, safety topics, and emerging scientific issues.
Advocate for innovative approaches, including visual analytics, centralized data review, AI-enabled workflows, and other technologies that improve quality and efficiency.
Provide senior scientific guidance and guide interpretation of clinical data across studies, cohorts, and assets.
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 other development planning.
Serve as a Clinical Science subject matter resource across study teams and partner functions.
Contribute Clinical Science perspective 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 discussions, 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 for scientific quality, strategic thinking, collaboration, and communication.
Develop Clinical Science talent through coaching, mentoring, feedback, and development opportunities; promote consistent role expectations and ways of working.
Foster accountability, inclusion, continuous learning, and strong team performance.
Represent Clinical Science in cross-functional planning, program discussions, and strategic decision-making; facilitate alignment and clear communication of scientific issues.
Ensure Clinical Science activities comply with 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 maintain awareness of relevant scientific, clinical, and regulatory developments.