Vice President, Head of US Medical Affairs, Rare Disease

Ipsen•Cambridge, MA

6d•$320,000 - $430,000•Onsite

About The Position

The Vice President, Head of US Medical Affairs, Rare Disease is accountable for setting the U.S. Rare Disease medical vision, strategy and execution across Ipsen's evolving rare disease portfolio, with core leadership in rare liver disease and close partnership on rare bone and newly emerging rare kidney / transplant priorities. The role spans marketed products, post-launch optimization, lifecycle management, evidence generation, pipeline evaluation, business development due diligence, and integration planning for acquired or partnered assets. The VP acts as the senior U.S. medical leader and strategic partner to the Rare Disease franchise, Global Medical Affairs, R&D, Regulatory, Commercial, Market Access, HEOR/RWE, Field Medical, Medical Operations & Engagement, Patient Affairs, Corporate Affairs and Business Ethics. This leader is expected to bring the U.S. medical voice early into global asset and evidence decisions; translate customer, patient, payer, field and competitive insights into practical strategy; and elevate issues with executive-level clarity, judgment and speed. Current strategic priorities include post-launch optimization and evidence pull-through for IQIRVO in PBC; ongoing lifecycle and evidence strategy for IQIRVO including PSC where applicable; Bylvay / Kayfanda growth and launch-readiness work across PFIC, ALGS and biliary atresia; continued support for the FOP community through Sohonos and appropriate FALKON / fidrisertib close-out and inquiry management; and preparation for rare kidney / BK polyomavirus-associated nephropathy medical strategy and integration planning following Ipsen's announced acquisition of Memo Therapeutics AG's anti-BK polyomavirus business and potravitug program, subject to transaction close.

Requirements

MD, PharmD or PhD with deep scientific credibility; advanced clinical / scientific training strongly preferred. MD preferred for roles requiring significant external medical representation.
15+ years of pharmaceutical / biotechnology experience, including substantial Medical Affairs leadership experience in the U.S.; rare disease, hepatology / cholestatic liver disease, transplant / nephrology, pediatrics, bone disease or orphan-drug experience strongly preferred.
Demonstrated VP-level or senior enterprise leadership experience leading asset strategy, post-launch optimization, launch readiness and lifecycle management for complex specialty / rare disease portfolios.
Proven track record leading and developing senior teams, including medical directors, publications / scientific communications, evidence generation, Field Medical partnership and cross-functional matrix leadership.
Strong understanding of U.S. and global orphan-drug development, medical affairs strategy, regulatory / promotional boundaries, managed access / expanded access considerations, real-world evidence, publications, congress strategy and medical education.
Demonstrated ability to influence global asset strategy, represent the U.S. medical perspective, and partner effectively with R&D, Global Medical, Regulatory, Commercial, Market Access, HEOR / RWE, Patient Affairs and Business Ethics.
Ability to synthesize complex medical, competitive, guideline and stakeholder information into clear executive recommendations for senior leadership forums.
Experience overseeing Phase IIIb / IV, RWE / HEOR, registry and investigator-sponsored research programs, including governance, budget, scientific rigor, operational feasibility and compliance oversight.
Experience supporting external innovation, business development due diligence, transition planning or integration of newly acquired / partnered assets is strongly valued.
Excellent communication, presentation and stakeholder-management skills with the ability to engage external experts, professional societies, patient organizations and internal executive leaders with credibility and clarity.
High ethical standards, strong judgment, patient-first mindset and demonstrated ability to operate in a highly regulated environment.
Must be able to travel up to 40% for congresses, internal / global meetings, key external engagements, U.S. stakeholder interactions and integration, and transition activities as needed.
Advanced scientific degree required: MD, PharmD or PhD; MD preferred where external medical representation and clinical credibility are critical.
Fluent in English required.

Nice To Haves

Prior U.S. and global Medical Affairs experience, including participation in Global Asset Teams or equivalent governance forums.
Experience in rare liver disease / cholestatic liver disease, PBC, PSC, ALGS, PFIC, biliary atresia or adjacent hepatology / gastroenterology areas.
Experience in transplant medicine, nephrology, infectious disease, BK polyomavirus-associated nephropathy or other rare kidney / post-transplant complications is preferred as the portfolio evolves.
Experience with post-launch optimization, lifecycle planning, competitive readiness, guideline response planning and external scientific leadership building.
Experience integrating new assets, acquired companies, external innovation or business development assessments into Medical Affairs strategy.
Experience leveraging digital tools, AI / analytics, dashboards or automation to improve Medical Affairs execution, insights and decision-making.
Board certification or equivalent clinical / specialty training in hepatology, gastroenterology, pediatrics, endocrinology, bone disease, nephrology, transplant medicine, infectious disease or other relevant rare disease specialty preferred.
Additional languages valuable for global collaboration but not required.

Responsibilities

Set and own the U.S. Rare Disease medical strategy, annual medical plan and integrated evidence / engagement roadmap across rare liver, rare bone and emerging rare kidney / transplant priorities, ensuring alignment with North America priorities and Global Medical / Asset strategy.
Drive post-launch medical excellence for IQIRVO in PBC, including insight generation, evidence pull-through, scientific differentiation, guideline / competitive readiness, patient and HCP education, access-supporting medical evidence, and disciplined follow-up on post-approval commitments or label-related developments as applicable.
Lead launch readiness and lifecycle medical planning for Bylvay / Kayfanda across PFIC, ALGS and biliary atresia, with strong coordination across medical, commercial, market access, patient affairs and global teams.
Plan for and support U.S. medical strategy for new rare disease assets and adjacencies, including rare kidney / BKPyV-associated nephropathy and the potravitug program, with a clear distinction between pre-close planning, transition planning and post-close integration responsibilities.
Maintain appropriate medical oversight for the FOP portfolio and community, including Sohonos medical strategy and compliant coordination of fidrisertib / FALKON close-out, inquiry handling, patient / HCP communications and lessons learned for future rare disease development.
Represent the U.S. medical voice in Global Asset Teams, Global Rare Disease Medical forums, brand planning, launch readiness reviews and cross-functional governance bodies; proactively shape strategy rather than react to decisions made elsewhere.
Provide end-to-end leadership over evidence generation, including U.S. Phase IIIb / IV studies, RWE / HEOR priorities, investigator-sponsored studies, registries, medical education, external scientific collaborations and U.S. support for R&D or Global Medical sponsored studies.
Ensure rigorous medical governance and oversight of studies and proposals moving through EGRB, GRC, MRC / PRC or other relevant governance processes, with timely medical input, clear accountability and risk mitigation.
Lead a fit-for-purpose U.S. Rare Disease Medical Affairs organization with clear asset ownership, equitable workload distribution, strong succession planning, talent development and direct coaching of senior medical leaders.
Partner closely with Field Medical leadership to connect MSL strategy, scientific training, insight generation, metrics, dashboards and feedback loops to Medical Strategy Team priorities and executive-level decision-making.
Build trusted relationships with R&D, Regulatory, Commercial, Market Access, Patient Affairs, Corporate Affairs, Business Ethics, Medical Operations & Engagement, Medical Information / Patient Safety, HEOR / RWE and Global Medical to enable disciplined, proactive cross-functional execution.
Oversee scientific communication, publication strategy, congress planning, medical education and external scientific collaborations to strengthen Ipsen's reputation as a respected scientific leader and trusted long-term partner in rare disease.
Translate scientific, KOL, field, patient, competitive, guideline and payer insights into actionable strategies, executive-ready recommendations and high-impact materials for NALT / ELT / MALT and other senior forums.
Maintain high-quality, timely communication on critical external developments, including guideline updates, competitive data, regulatory / label implications, congress insights, study outcomes and emerging evidence that may affect business or medical strategy.
Support medical input into business development, external innovation, acquisitions and integration activities for rare disease assets, ensuring U.S. medical implications, evidence needs, stakeholder landscape, capability requirements and launch / post-launch requirements are assessed early.
Ensure all medical activities are conducted ethically, compliantly and in accordance with Ipsen policies, regulatory requirements and industry standards, while role-modeling patient-first decision making and enterprise leadership.
Drive operational excellence by prioritizing high-impact work, establishing clear KPIs, leveraging technology / automation / AI where appropriate, and continuously simplifying processes to improve quality, speed and resource discipline.