Senior Medical Director, Clinical Development, Obesity

Neurocrine Biosciences • San Diego, CA

7d

About The Position

Neurocrine Biosciences is a leading biopharmaceutical company focused on developing treatments for neurological, psychiatric, endocrine, and immunological disorders. The Senior Medical Director, Clinical Development will be a key medical and scientific leader responsible for defining and executing clinical development strategies for Neurocrine’s obesity pipeline. This role involves independent medical leadership across Phase 1-3 clinical programs, close collaboration with cross-functional teams, and accountability for clinical development plans that support regulatory approval. The position requires expert medical and strategic guidance to navigate complex scientific, clinical, and regulatory challenges, ensuring high-quality, compliant, and efficient development of novel therapies.

Requirements

• MD or DO (or equivalent) degree in relevant clinical specialty for the therapeutic area required.
• 4+ years clinical experience with broad bio/pharmaceutical/CRO industry experience in drug development.
• Accredited residency training and board certification preferred.
• Recognized internal thought leader with deep expertise in clinical development.
• Comprehensive understanding of the drug development process, including regulatory, technical, and business considerations.
• Proven track record providing clinical leadership for INDs, NDAs, or other regulatory submissions and interactions with global regulatory agencies.
• Strong knowledge of GCP, regulatory procedures, translational medicine, biomarker development, study design, biostatistics, and data interpretation.
• Demonstrated success leading cross-functional, matrixed teams and managing external CROs and vendors, particularly in small or agile organizations.
• Experience driving program strategy from early development through late-stage execution.
• Strategic thinker with the ability to translate vision into executable plans and deliver results.
• Strong mentoring and people leadership skills, with experience leading direct and indirect teams.
• Highly collaborative with exceptional interpersonal skills and the ability to influence across functions and externally.
• Outstanding oral and written communication skills, with the ability to clearly convey complex scientific concepts to diverse audiences.
• Flexible, adaptable, and self-motivated, with the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Demonstrated project management capability and attention to detail.
• Proficiency with standard business and clinical documentation tools (word processing, spreadsheets, presentations, databases, and archiving systems).

Responsibilities

• Develops and leads clinical development strategies for assigned obesity programs, with accountability for study design and medical integrity of clinical trials across Phase 1–3.
• Serves as the Program/Therapeutic Medical Lead on cross-functional Program Teams, providing medical leadership and clinical input into integrated development plans.
• Drives execution of the clinical development plan, ensuring alignment with corporate objectives, regulatory strategy, and scientific rationale.
• Translates clinical strategy into actionable study designs and operational plans that deliver high-quality data and meaningful outcomes.
• Leads preparation of clinical study synopses and is a major contributor to protocols, major amendments, and clinical study reports.
• Oversees the design of data collection strategies and ensures appropriate interpretation and integration of clinical data.
• Partners with Clinical Operations to oversee clinical trial execution in accordance with NBI SOPs, Good Clinical Practice (GCP), and applicable regulatory requirements.
• Conducts medical assessment and disposition of adverse events in collaboration with Drug Safety, and provides ongoing evaluation of benefit–risk throughout clinical development.
• Collaborates closely with internal stakeholders to support study activities requiring medical expertise.
• Engages external experts, investigators, and key opinion leaders to inform strategy, optimize trial design, and advance programs.
• Assists in identification and selection of clinical investigators and serves as Sponsor medical monitor/representative.
• Works with Medical Affairs and external partners to communicate clinical data and establish new collaborations.
• Leads analysis, interpretation, and presentation of clinical study results to internal and external audiences.
• Provides strategic direction for scientific disclosures, including conference abstracts, presentations, and peer-reviewed publications.
• Partners with Research and Translational Medicine to define biomarker strategies that enhance early clinical evaluation and decision-making.
• Interfaces with Research, Product Development, and Business Development to assess new product opportunities and shape clinical research strategies.
• Identifies resource needs and contributes to budget planning, personnel forecasting, and development of clinical teams.
• Plays a key role in recruiting, mentoring, and developing clinical staff, and in identifying and managing external consultants and CROs.
• Contributes to the development and implementation of clinical development policies, processes, and best practices.

Benefits

• retirement savings plan (with company match)
• paid vacation, holiday and personal days
• paid caregiver/parental and medical leave
• health benefits to include medical, prescription drug, dental and vision coverage

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior