Senior Medical Director, Kidney Disease, Early Clinical Development CVRM

AstraZeneca • Gaithersburg, MD

124d • $280,895 - $421,342

About The Position

The Senior Medical Director will be focused on Kidney Disease and related conditions that impact kidney function. In this role, you will have the opportunity to work at the forefront of early clinical and translational research within CVRM. In a multidisciplinary environment, you will play a key role in progressing a rich and diverse pipeline of both small and large molecules in numerous active clinical programs. In the Cardiovascular, Renal & Metabolism (CVRM) Translational Medicine & Clinical Development (TSCD) department, we are investigating the underlying factors contributing to CVRM disease progression using advanced scientific methodologies and data-driven drug discovery. In this context, we are evaluating a wide range of different drug modalities from our rich CVRM portfolio of compounds across kidney disease patient populations. TSCD is where science meets clinical drug development with a focus upon delivering innovative, early phase clinical studies and accelerating human target validation while collaborating closely with our late phase clinical development and regulatory colleagues who guide our pivotal phase 3 clinical studies.

Requirements

• MD, MBBS or MD/PhD with established clinical or research expertise in the treatment of kidney diseases.
• Minimum of 5 years of clinical research in academia and/or the pharmaceutical/biotechnology industry.
• Experience designing, executing, monitoring, interpreting, and overseeing safety in early clinical and translational trials preferred.
• Strong command of biomarkers, surrogate endpoints, and biostatistics, supported by a robust publication record.
• Well developed interpersonal skills, effective teamwork, and the ability to engage stakeholders effectively across functions, geographies, and disciplines.

Responsibilities

• Lead early Phase I–II global trials in kidney disease: clinical strategy, protocol design, study conduct, monitoring, data interpretation, and reporting, ensuring scientific integrity, patient safety, and regulatory compliance.
• Provide clinical leadership to cross-functional teams; integrate preclinical insights (target selection, pharmacology, in vivo/in vitro data) into early clinical plans and seamless transitions to late phase development.
• Contribute to regulatory interactions and documentation (e.g., CTAs, INDs, safety updates, annual reports).
• Advance the development and validation of nonclinical and surrogate endpoints (including imaging and biomarkers).
• Represent TSCD internally and externally through presentations, publications, and scientific forums; engage with external experts and translate insights into strategy and study design.
• Help evolve trial operations and site engagement to improve speed, quality, and inclusivity in early studies.
• Collaborate across CVRM on programs in heart failure, type 2 diabetes, obesity, and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis, given their intersection with kidney disease.

Benefits

• 401(k) plan
• paid vacation and holidays
• paid leaves
• health benefits including medical, prescription drug, dental, and vision coverage

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree
• Number of Employees: 5,001-10,000 employees