Sr. Director, Clinical Scientist

Responsibilities 

 

Clinical Development Strategy & Leadership 

• Serve as the senior clinical scientist for CAR T-cell therapy clinical trials in autoimmune disease indications, partnering closely with internal and external cross-functional teams. 

• Strategically contribute to and lead clinical development plans and study execution activities for neuroimmunology, autoimmune disease, and cell therapy programs. 

• Lead the design, execution, interpretation, and reporting of clinical trials across assigned programs, including study endpoints, biomarkers, imaging strategies, sample size considerations, patient enrollment approaches, timelines, and governance interactions. 

• Represent Clinical Development for assigned programs with cross-functional leadership teams, key opinion leaders (KOLs), investigators, strategic partners, and external stakeholders. 

• Serve as a scientific subject matter expert in neuroimmunology, autoimmune disease biology, and cell therapy. 

• Maintain deep understanding of preclinical and clinical data relevant to the therapeutic platform, competitive landscape, and evolving treatments landscape. 

• Contribute to clinical development strategies incorporating biomarkers, MRI/imaging, translational endpoints, relapse assessment, and disability progression measures relevant to disease activity and progression. 

Clinical Trial Execution & Oversight 

• Partner with Clinical Operations, Biometrics, Regulatory, Medical Affairs, and Commercial teams to ensure alignment on clinical strategy and execution. 

• Write and review scientific content of key clinical and regulatory documents including protocols, investigator brochures (IBs), informed consent forms (ICFs), clinical study reports (CSRs), safety updates, annual reports, BLA/CTA submission materials, and responses to Health Authorities. 

• Provide strategic oversight of informed consent language and patient risk communication. 

• Review and interpret safety, efficacy, MRI/imaging, biomarker, laboratory, relapse, and disability progression data throughout study conduct. 

• Participate in investigator identification, selection, training, and site engagement activities, with emphasis on leading clinical trial sites and investigators. 

• Collaborate with CROs and vendors to ensure high-quality study execution, enrollment performance, operational excellence, and inspection readiness. 

• Ensure study conduct aligns with GCP, ICH guidelines, regulatory requirements, corporate policies, and applicable local laws, including appropriate ethical review board approvals and study oversight. 

• Support the monitoring of patient safety during study conduct and appropriate tracking, escalation, and follow-up of adverse events and protocol deviations. 

Scientific Communication & External Engagement 

• Contribute to scientific communication strategy and dissemination of clinical data across the neuroimmunology, autoimmune disease, and cell therapy communities. 

• Support development of scientific materials including slide decks, abstracts, posters, manuscripts, publications, congress presentations, and regulatory reports. 

• Prepare and review scientific responses to healthcare professional inquiries, scientific exchange requests, and external communications. 

• Participate in Publication Steering Committees (PSC), advisory boards, scientific committees, and major congresses relevant to neurology, immunology, autoimmune disease, and cell therapy. 

• Represent Clinical Development in high-impact external settings including advisory boards, regulatory meetings, investigator meetings, and scientific congresses, as appropriate. 

• Support strong relationships with KOLs, investigators, academic collaborators, and strategic partners. 

• Contribute to external scientific narrative and positioning through publications, presentations, and collaborations. 

Leadership & Organizational Development 

• Lead, mentor, and develop high-performing Clinical Scientists and other Clinical Development staff. 

• Contribute to organizational design, talent development, onboarding, coaching, and capability building to support future pipeline growth and complexity. 

• Foster a culture of collaboration, accountability, innovation, operational excellence, and scientific rigor. 

• Provide strategic guidance and support to management in budget planning and resource prioritization. 

• Identify opportunities to improve clinical development processes, operational efficiency, and scientific quality. 

• Stay current with scientific and clinical advances in neuroimmunology, autoimmune disease, and cell therapy. 

Qualifications

 
• Advanced scientific or clinical degree required (PhD, PharmD, MD or equivalent). 
• 10+ years of progressive experience in clinical research, clinical development, and global late-stage clinical trial management within biotechnology or pharmaceutical industries. 
• Significant experience supporting or leading autoimmune clinical development programs required. 
• Experience in cell therapy, gene therapy, immunology, autoimmune disease, or related therapeutic areas strongly preferred. 
• Deep understanding of neuroimmunology, autoimmune disease biology, clinical endpoints, biomarkers, imaging, and treatment landscape. 
• Demonstrated success developing and executing clinical strategies across multiple programs, including late-stage global clinical trials. 
• Strong knowledge of GCP, ICH guidelines, global regulatory frameworks, regulatory requirements, and clinical trial methodology. 
• Strong operational acumen with the ability to independently lead complex projects in fast-paced, highly matrixed organizations. 
• Experience interpreting complex clinical datasets, including safety, efficacy, biomarker, laboratory, and imaging data. 
• Experience with investigator-initiated and/or collaborative research trials preferred. 
• Prior management experience strongly preferred. 
• Excellent verbal, written, presentation, and interpersonal communication skills. 
• Proven ability to support strong relationships with internal stakeholders, external investigators, KOLs, regulators, and scientific collaborators. 
• Experience working in fast-paced and evolving biotech environments preferred. 
• Willingness and flexibility to travel up to 15% for congresses, investigator meetings, advisory boards, and clinical site visits as needed.