Senior Director of Clinical Science, Lung, Head & Neck (Hybrid)

Merck•Boston, MA

7d•$210,400 - $331,100•Hybrid

About The Position

The Senior Director of Clinical Science provides strategic clinical and scientific leadership across multiple programs and assets in the lung and head and neck portfolio. Working as a strategic peer to Clinical Directors and Program Leads and partnering with senior cross-functional leaders, this role shapes development strategy and integrates scientific insights across studies and programs. The role applies deep clinical, scientific, and therapeutic-area expertise to guide clinical development planning, study and evidence-generation strategies, interpretation of clinical evidence, and complex development decisions. It also shapes Clinical Science standards and ways of working and provides scientific leadership, coaching, and mentorship across the organization. The position may lead a large Clinical Science team. The role is based in Rahway, New Jersey, with a hybrid work arrangement and 10% travel. The listed base salary range for the primary location is $210,400–$331,100. The successful candidate is eligible for an annual bonus and long-term incentive, if applicable. The company describes a benefits package that includes medical, dental, vision, and other insurance benefits; retirement benefits including 401(k); paid holidays; vacation; and compassionate and sick days. Relocation is not offered, and visa sponsorship is not available.

Requirements

Advanced healthcare or scientific degree (e.g., PhD, PharmD), or equivalent, with 8 or more years of pharmaceutical, clinical drug development, and/or medical field experience preferred; OR a master’s degree, preferably in life sciences, with 12 or more years of relevant experience; OR a bachelor’s degree, preferably in life sciences, with 15 or more years of relevant experience.
Clinical development expertise and knowledge of the regulatory and competitive landscape to shape strategy across programs, assets, or disease areas.
Therapeutic-area expertise and knowledge of emerging science to shape scientific direction across programs, assets, or disease areas.
Demonstrated ability to provide clinical/scientific leadership across programs, assets, or disease areas.
Ability to synthesize complex clinical evidence, emerging science, competitive insights, and clinical practice to drive strategic development decisions.
Expertise in clinical development planning, evidence-generation strategy, and clinical data interpretation to establish development priorities.
Ability to set execution direction across programs and align priorities, stakeholders, and cross-functional activities.
Exceptional scientific and strategic judgment in complex and ambiguous situations, including evaluating trade-offs and driving strategic decisions.
Ability to drive alignment across senior stakeholders, functions, and governance bodies.
Strong clinical/scientific communication skills and ability to shape perspectives and decisions across senior internal and external audiences.
Ability to establish Clinical Science standards, leading practices, and innovative ways of working.
Ability to leverage clinical data and monitoring insights and oversee adoption of digital and AI-enabled approaches to improve decision-making.
Demonstrated ability to shape Clinical Science capabilities, develop talent, mentor colleagues, and build organizational capabilities.
Required skills listed: Clinical Development, Clinical Leadership, Clinical Product Development, Clinical Research, Clinical Research Management, Clinical Sciences, Clinical Trial Development, Clinical Trial Management, Decision Making, and Drug Development.

Nice To Haves

Preferred skills listed: Scientific Leadership, Strategic Planning, and Team Leadership.

Responsibilities

Provide strategic scientific leadership across programs, assets, or disease areas, ensuring quality and consistency of Clinical Science approaches.
Shape the development and evolution of Clinical Development Plans and set strategic direction for study design.
Oversee medical monitoring and medical data review approaches and guide interpretation of complex clinical data across programs.
Integrate clinical evidence, therapeutic-area science, emerging external data, and competitive insights to shape development strategy across programs.
Provide strategic oversight and clinical guidance for key regulatory documents, Health Authority interactions, and other major development activities.
Shape governance strategy and communicate scientific development opportunities to senior leaders.
Shape scientific publication and external engagement strategies, and develop strategic relationships with investigators and key opinion leaders.
Provide strategic oversight of clinical/scientific quality, risk management, and audit and inspection readiness across areas of responsibility.
Shape digital and AI-enabled Clinical Science approaches, identify high-value use cases, and drive scalable adoption across programs.
Shape Clinical Science standards, leading practices, and ways of working across programs or disease areas.
Develop Clinical Science talent and organizational capabilities through scientific leadership, coaching, mentoring, and sponsorship.
May lead a large Clinical Science team.