Senior Director, US Medical Lead - Yescarta

Everyone at Kite is grounded by one common goal – curing cancer.  Every single day, we seek to establish a direct line between that purpose and our day-to-day work. 

We are looking for a Senior Director, US Medical Lead for Yescarta reporting to the VP and Head, US Medical Affairs.  You will be responsible for driving the medical strategy, ensuring the clinical success, and engagement with key internal and external partners of CAR-T therapy products in the US market. 

Responsibilities: 

Medical Strategy 

• Develops (with the team) medical strategies aligned with the overall objectives of the cellular therapy global and US strategy.  This includes planning and overseeing the medical aspects of CAR-T therapy in the US 

• Provides strategic direction, vision, and represents the Med Affairs function on cross-functional teams 

Scientific Leadership 

• Represents the company to groups of experts including medical professionals at scientific meetings 

• Develops the US medical affairs plan for specific assets Develops and guides plans, including with national cooperative groups, to define data gaps and potential requirements/needs 

• Supports the development of complex clinical data through clinical trials, real world evidence generation and investigator studies 

• Attends most major conferences and helps coordinate medical affairs activities at conferences and may present to internal and external audiences 

KOL / OL Engagement 

• Regularly communicates with the external medical community to remain abreast of issues in the field and to provide medical support and direction to them 

Cross Functional Collaboration 

• Collaborates appropriately with project management, biostatistics, clinical and commercial teams in multiple areas including annual strategic and tactical planning, internal training initiatives, publication planning, speaker education programs, regional consultant meetings, advisory board planning and implementation, ISR/ERP programs, MS resource development, and conference preparation 

• Works closely with the US Vice President on early development of a variety of projects, provides independent thought and initiative in the further development of specific projects and ensuing presentations and reports 

• Responsible for the development and follow through of projects that will provide more extensive background, additional data or answers to questions in response to issues that arise relative to commercial, scientific or medical information needs 

• Manages projects to completion, anticipating obstacles and difficulties that may arise, resolving them in a collaborative manner 

Network Team Leadership 

• This is an important leadership position on the US Medical Affairs leadership team (individual contributor without direct reports), relying on strategic expertise to enable and work with the network amongst Kite professionals, including medical advisors, clinical scientists, and medical writers.  

• Provides mentorship, guidance, and support to various members to enable their professional development 

Basic Qualifications:  

Doctorate and 10+ years of medical affairs, clinical or oncology experience  

OR 

Master’s and 12+ years of medical affairs, clinical or oncology experience 

OR 

Bachelor’s and 14+ years of medical affairs, clinical or oncology experience 

 
Preferred Qualifications: 

• MD, PhD or PharmD with significant clinical and research experience in the key therapeutic areas 

• 8+ years of industry experience, including recent experience within Oncology or Cell Therapy 

• 12+ years of experience in a scientific setting and a cross collaboration role 

• Demonstrated strategic and tactical planning and plan implementation skills, including organization, prioritization and resource management 

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills along with excellent judgment, and ability to work in a team environment 

• Outstanding interpersonal skills and an ability to influence people who are not direct reports 

• Excellent presentation skills 

• Ability to travel to domestic and international conferences, which will include occasional weekend travel