Senior Director, Global Medical Affairs – Auto Immune & Pipeline

Kite Pharma•Santa Monica, CA

1d•$255,425 - $330,550•Hybrid

About The Position

We are seeking an accomplished Senior Director, Global Medical Affairs to provide strategic and operational leadership for Kite’s auto immune portfolio, and pipeline assets in solid tumors. In this highly visible, matrix leadership role, you will shape and execute global Medical Affairs strategy across the product lifecycle, ensuring scientific excellence, patient‑centric decision‑making, and compliant engagement with the medical community. You will partner closely with Clinical Development, HEOR, Market Access, Government Affairs, Marketing, and regional Medical Affairs teams, serving as a trusted scientific and strategic leader internally and externally. This role plays a critical part in evidence generation, insight capture, medical education, and launch readiness, with a clear mandate to translate science into real‑world impact for patients. This role will be office-based/hybrid (3 days onsite) in Santa Monica, CA. Kite is transitioning from its current Santa Monica headquarters, with employees expected to relocate to our El Segundo or Thousand Oaks office beginning in January 2027. While this role will be based in Santa Monica through 2026, applicants should take this planned relocation into consideration. Kite supports a flexible working policy, offering a balanced approach with two days of remote working and three days working onsite.

Requirements

Doctorate degree (MD, PhD, PharmD or equivalent).
12+ years of experience in Medical Affairs and/or clinical research.

Nice To Haves

Strong clinical and/or scientific expertise in auto immune diseases, and/or cellular therapies.
Demonstrated success leading in a global, matrix environment.
Proven commitment to patient‑centric values, ethics, and compliance.
Strategic mindset with a collaborative, results‑driven leadership style.
Excellent organisational, prioritisation, and communication skills.
Ability to work independently in a fast‑paced, international setting.
Willingness to travel approximately 35%.

Responsibilities

Provide a clear vision and strategic direction for the assigned disease areas, driving integrated cross‑functional product and disease strategies.
Set and oversee the global Medical Affairs strategy, including medical plans of action (POAs) and priority cross‑functional initiatives.
Serve as a senior medical thought partner, ensuring strategies are grounded in science, clinical practice, and patient need.
Provide strategic direction, medical monitoring, and operational oversight for evidence generation activities, in close collaboration with cross‑functional partners.
Lead Medical Affairs contributions to launch planning, ensuring scientific readiness and excellence in execution across regions.
Provide medical expert input into global product development to support robust, differentiated data packages.
Systematically capture and synthesize internal and external insights, translating them into actionable strategies and activities.
Engage with the global medical community, building and maintaining a strong thought leader and expert network.
Represent Global Medical Affairs at national and international scientific congresses, professional societies, and stakeholder forums.
Ensure the continuous development and training of Medical Affairs team members, strengthening disease‑area and functional expertise.
Provide oversight of the disease area budget, ensuring appropriate investment and resource stewardship.
Contribute to and lead broader organizational initiatives at departmental, national, and international levels.
Collaborate effectively and compliantly with colleagues in Clinical Research, Sales, Marketing, Market Access, and PVE, supporting shared objectives.
Contribute to the development and execution of regional and country Medical Affairs plans, providing global strategic guidance where required.
Stay current with Medical Affairs best practices and scientific advances, applying learnings to continuously elevate team performance.
Create Inclusion - knowing the business value of diverse teams, modeling inclusion, and embedding the value of diversity in the way they manage their teams.
Develop Talent - understand the skills, experience, aspirations and potential of their employees and coach them on current performance and future potential. They ensure employees are receiving the feedback and insight needed to grow, develop and realize their purpose.
Empower Teams - connect the team to the organization by aligning goals, purpose, and organizational objectives, and holding them to account. They provide the support needed to remove barriers and connect their team to the broader ecosystem.