Senior Director, Medical Affairs Research, Oncology

Guardant Health•Palo Alto, CA

23h•Hybrid

About The Position

Guardant Health is a leading precision oncology company focused on guarding wellness and giving every person more time free from cancer. Founded in 2012, Guardant is transforming patient care and accelerating new cancer therapies by providing critical insights into what drives disease through its advanced blood and tissue tests, real-world data and AI analytics. Guardant tests help improve outcomes across all stages of care, including screening to find cancer early, monitoring for recurrence in early-stage cancer, and treatment selection for patients with advanced cancer. For more information, visit guardanthealth.com and follow the company on LinkedIn , X (Twitter) and Facebook . The Senior Director, Medical Affairs Research (MAR), Oncology is a senior leadership role responsible for catalyzing and advancing Guardant Health’s Research strategy in oncology through engagement with leading oncology experts and academic institutions to deliver on research and publication strategy. This role leads, mentors, and manages a team of U.S.-based Medical Affairs Research professionals, driving field-based scientific engagement, clinical education and investigator-initiated studies. The Senior Director serves as a key cross-functional leader, working in partnership with external experts and internal stakeholders across clinical development, Publications, technology development and marketing teams. This position ensures high scientific rigor and impactful dissemination of data to advance Guardant Health’s oncology portfolio and pipeline, while elevating the company’s scientific credibility and academic footprint within the U.S. oncology community.

Requirements

Typically requires a university degree and generally 12 years of related experience; 12 years and a Master’s degree; 8 years and a PhD; or 5 years and a PharmD/MD.
Extensive experience in oncology and genomics is required.
History of acceptances of high-quality peer-reviewed abstracts and publications in the oncology setting.
Ability to tailor communication for diverse audiences, including team members and senior executives.
Proven track record of leading and managing field-based medical teams with strong leadership, team management, and communication skills.
Skilled in developing and executing strategic plans with strong organizational and project management expertise.
Proficiency in data analysis and interpretation.
Knowledge of regulatory standards and industry guidelines.
Expected in field travel up to 50% with attendance to conferences, offsites and quarterly field rides with all direct reports.

Responsibilities

Lead, mentor, and manage the Medical Affairs Research Oncology team to establish and maintain relationships with Clinical and research oncology experts for scientific exchange and research collaboration, elevating Guardant Health’s impact and scientific rigor within the US.
Foster a collaborative, high-performance team environment; identify and prioritize key scientific and clinical areas of focus for the Medical Affairs Research team to prioritize and deliver.
Set clear goals and objectives for team members, monitor progress, provide regular feedback and actively participate in co-travel and/or observation with each Medical Affairs Research team member to oversee in-field research activity.
Develop and implement strategy for MARs deployment, aligning external medical research activities with broader organizational goals and medical and clinical development strategies.
Create institutional research plans for academic and key accounts in collaboration with Key Accounts team and cross functional field leadership.
Facilitate scientific discussions and exchange of information on Guardant Health’s products and pipeline and latest advancements in oncology precision medicine with top opinion leaders and research partners.
Define best practices nationwide to streamline inbound research requests from additional US Medical Affairs partners to promote deeper understanding of Guardant research practices and strategies and expand academic footprint.
Catalyze the advancement of research alongside collaborators to deliver on data and publication plans and provide input into strategic data generation plans.
Champion effective scientific writing for effective data submissions to peer-reviewed journals and top global oncology conferences; Assesses, contributes and coaches to improve quality of peer-reviewed research.
Ensure compliance with regulatory standards and internal policies in all activities.
Serve as cross-functional lead for collaboration with clinical development, regulatory, marketing, and commercial teams to support product development with respect to top KOL feedback and data generation planning.
Oversee the development and dissemination of pipeline scientific and medical content, including presentations, publications, and educational materials. Ensure all communications are accurate, balanced, and supported by data.
Oversee the collection and analysis of field-based medical insights from top opinion leaders to inform strategic decisions.
Prepare regular reports and presentations on Medical Affairs Research, Oncology team activities, impact, and outcomes.
Provide content input and review for external-facing company developed materials (Clinical, Medical, and Commercial).