Senior Director, Field Medical Affairs

At Kailera, we are bold, authentic and committed to our mission of developing therapies that give people the power to transform their lives and elevate their overall health. Rooted in an entrepreneurial spirit and a team-oriented culture, we are working together to advance Kailera’s mission to advance novel therapies for obesity and related conditions.

We are passionate about creating an inclusive workplace that promotes collaboration, integrity, and excellence. As we expand, we seek the most talented individuals with diverse backgrounds, cultures, perspectives, and experiences to join our team.

What You’ll Do:

The Senior Director for Field Medical Affairs will be a key member of the Medical Affairs leadership team, responsible for developing the Field Medical Affairs vision and strategy, driving scientific exchange with top Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs), strengthening relationships with clinical trial investigators and sites, and ensuring global alignment of field medical activities with the company’s clinical and medical strategy. The ideal candidate will have a deep understanding of obesity as a therapeutic area, leadership experience in field medical affairs, and a passion for improving patient outcomes.

Responsibilities:

• Define and execute the Field Medical Affairs vision and strategy in alignment with clinical development and company priorities in obesity
• Serve as the senior medical leader for field-based activities, ensuring the team delivers scientific excellence, clinical trial support, and trusted engagement with KOLs
• Provide strategic oversight for US and ex-U.S. field medical activities, including leadership of the US MSL team and contract MSL team, ensuring global consistency in scientific exchange
• Build, mentor, and inspire high-performing MSL teams, fostering scientific expertise, compliance, and professional growth
• Establish clear goals, performance standards, and development pathways for field teams
• Cultivate a culture of scientific integrity, collaboration, and accountability across field medical teams globally
• Oversee field medical support of clinical trial sites, ensuring consistent, high-quality engagement with investigators and study staff
• Partner with Clinical Development and Clinical Operations to proactively address site needs, enrollment challenges, retention, and trial awareness
• Develop scalable strategies, resources, and best practices for field-based site support in early- and late-stage clinical development
• Develop and direct the strategy for engagement with top KOLs, investigators, and professional societies in obesity medicine and related therapy areas
• Represent the company at scientific meetings, symposia, and advisory boards as a senior scientific leader
• Oversee collection, synthesis and implementation of field insights to inform clinical strategy, evidence generation, and scientific communications
• Collaborate with Medical Communications, HEOR/RWE, Market Access, and Commercial colleagues to ensure alignment of scientific messaging
• Contribute to evidence generation and dissemination plans, including investigator-initiated studies and publications.
• Partner with Regulatory and Compliance teams to ensure adherence to global standards for scientific exchange
• Manage U.S. and ex-U.S. field medical budgets, resource allocation, and territory planning
• Establish operational metrics to track impact, insights, and value of field medical activities
• Ensure all field engagements adhere to ethical, legal, and regulatory standards
• Partner with Medical Operations to implement systems for tracking activities and measuring impact

Qualifications

• 10+ years of pharmaceutical/biotech experience, with at least 7 years in Medical Affairs and 5+ years in field medical leadership
• Proven success in building and leading high-performing MSL teams
• Demonstrated ability to engage top-tier KOLs and investigators in obesity, endocrinology, or metabolic disease
• Strong background in supporting clinical trial site engagement and early development programs
• Excellent leadership, communication, and cross-functional collaboration skills
• Travel as needed for investigator meetings, scientific conferences, commercial meetings, and external KOL interactions, approximately 60 - 70%

Preferred Experience

• Prior therapeutic area experience in obesity, endocrinology, or metabolic disorders strongly preferred
• Track record of success in a fast-paced, clinical-stage, entrepreneurial biotech environment
• Familiarity with evolving global treatment paradigms and unmet needs in obesity
• Experience managing or overseeing ex-U.S./contract MSL teams

Education

• Advanced degree required (PharmD, PhD, MD, or equivalent in life sciences)

Benefits of Working at Kailera

In addition to traditional benefits, we provide enhanced offerings designed to support the well-being and financial security of our team members and their families.

• Comprehensive health benefits and tax-advantaged savings accounts
• Flexible time off, 13 paid holidays, and a companywide year-end shutdown
• Monthly wellness stipend
• Generous 401(k) match
• Disability and life insurance

At Kailera, we are committed to fostering an inclusive culture. How we treat our people is reflective of this commitment. We share the pay range for this particular role with the actual base salary depending upon factors such as job-related knowledge, skills, market factors, and experience.