Senior Medical Director, Clinical Development Psychiatry (BPD)

Xenon Pharmaceuticals•Needham, MA

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

Xenon Pharmaceuticals is a neuroscience-focused biopharmaceutical company dedicated to the discovery, development, and commercialization of life-changing therapeutics. The company is advancing a pipeline for indications with high unmet medical need, including epilepsy, depression, and pain. Xenon's Phase 3 azetukalner program is a potassium channel modulator in late-stage development. The company also has early-stage pipeline candidates. Xenon is seeking a Senior Medical Director, Clinical Development Psychiatry (BPD) to join their team. This role is a key contributor to the clinical development of the company's product portfolio from Discovery to Phase 3 and post-approval activities. The incumbent will focus on leadership of clinical studies and programs, medical leadership, and medical and safety monitoring for assigned products. The ideal candidate will have medical knowledge of psychiatry and preferably neurology, recent development advances in psychiatric therapeutics, relevant drug development experience, and be a collaborative, inspirational, resilient leader with a broad strategic view and expertise in high-quality trial execution. A highly collaborative approach is expected, working across Discovery, Clinical Development, and Commercial functions. The Senior Medical Director will interact with internal staff at all levels and external stakeholders, including Key Opinion Leaders, Advisory Boards, and Health Authorities. This position reports to the Vice President, Clinical Development, Psychiatry and will be located in Boston, MA, USA, though other locations may be considered for an exceptional candidate.

Requirements

MD or MD/PhD with strong and versatile clinical development experience, ideally in psychiatry, preferably BPD.
Experience in neurology disorders is an asset.
Minimum 8-12 years progressive development experience in the pharmaceutical or industry required (e.g., regulatory agency, academic research etc.).
Majority of relevant experience is obtained in the industry setting.
Minimum 12+ years of relevant management experience or combination of degrees and experience. This equates to an MD with 6+ years of relevant management experience required.
Knowledge of pharmaceutical product development, product lifecycle, and commercialization processes.
Experience with developing study concepts for clinical development and clinical trial designs with cross-functional input, including biostatistics, observational research, and patient-reported outcomes in Phase 1, 2, and/or 3 clinical trials; experience with clinical trials from concept to clinical study report is required.
Knowledge of Good Clinical Practices (GCP), FDA and EMEA/CHMP regulations and guidelines, and applicable international regulatory requirements.
Growth mindset, leadership experience and leadership potential as a clinical development expert and Medical Monitor in a complex matrix environment.
Ability to effectively present ideas and document complex medical/clinical concepts in both written and oral communication.
Strong interpersonal skills and problem-solving abilities while exhibiting superior judgment and a balanced, realistic understanding of issues and resolution paths.

Nice To Haves

Preferably BPD experience.
Experience in neurology disorders is an asset.

Responsibilities

Lead and manage clinical development studies in psychiatry, including design and medical oversight throughout clinical development stages in collaboration with internal colleagues.
Serve as medical monitor (MM) and interact collaboratively, collegially, and competently with clinical research sites and investigators globally, to represent the Company, Product, and protocol optimally.
Contribute to the preparation and ongoing revisions and strategy of Clinical Development Plans for assigned products and product candidates, collaborating with other key internal functions including Translational Drug Development, Biostatistics, Clinical Operations, Regulatory, Medical Affairs, and Commercial.
Provide strategic and scientific leadership for trial designs, both standard and novel, for both large and rare disease indications.
Review scientific literature and develop product and indication knowledge to understand and effectively communicate information relating to products, product candidates, and therapeutic areas.
Serve as a therapeutic area expert to provide scientific input into the development, execution, and communication of clinical trial(s).
Maintain a high degree of awareness of the external research and regulatory environments and track emerging study data to ensure the appropriateness of clinical development plans and trial endpoints.
In collaboration with internal colleagues, identify and build relationships with KOLs and other experts to gain scientific and medical input on a variety of topics related to clinical development.
Draft and/or review clinical and scientific sections of regulatory submissions, including INDs and NDAs, and discussion documents for interactions with regulatory and Health Authorities.
Draft and review documents (including Investigator Brochures, clinical study protocols, and clinical study reports and regulatory submissions), as well as scientific publications (incl. posters, abstracts, and manuscripts).
Participate in the review and interpretation of clinical trial data and provide insight into the clinical relevance of trial results.
Provide analyses of development strategies and options for discovery pipeline programs, including input into Proof-of-Concept trials, biomarker approaches, and new research opportunities.
Support in-licensing and out-licensing activities and partner relationships as needed.
Present proposals and plans to a variety of audiences, including the Company’s Senior Executive Team.
Contribute to the development of short- and long-term goals for the department in accordance with overall Company and Development strategies.
Participate in the planning and management of budget proposals and approved budgets in accordance with the Company’s strategic and operating plans and Finance policies.
Serve as a clinical expert to provide clinical/scientific knowledge into the development, execution, and communication of global clinical trial(s).
Actively collaborate with external clinical and other vendors on medical, scientific, and psychometric data quality expectations, reviews, and actions to ensure high-quality and high-integrity data generation.
Domestic and international travel may be required in the course of regular business activities.
Plan and manage budget proposals and approved budgets in accordance with the Company’s strategic and operating plans and Finance policies.
Recruit, lead, direct, develop, coach, and evaluate direct reports, if any, in accordance with the Company’s Human Resource policies and practices.
Act in accordance with Company policies, including, for example, the Code of Business Conduct and Ethics, and ensure policies are understood and followed by direct reports, if any.
Other duties as assigned.