Director, R&D Scientific Engagement Strategy & Operations

Key Responsibilities

• Serve as the R&D business lead for all external expert engagements, including individual consultants, advisory board members, steering committee participants, and other scientific advisors. Own the end-to-end process for external engagements, including scope definition, contracting, fair market value alignment, documentation of deliverables, and payment oversight in partnership with Legal, Compliance, and Finance. Manage both one-time and longitudinal consultant relationships, ensuring clarity of objectives, appropriate documentation, and compliant execution. Coordinate group meetings with consultants (virtual and in-person), including charter development, agenda alignment, materials review, and documentation of insights and outcomes. Maintain visibility into expert roles across R&D (e.g., Principal Investigators, Data Monitoring Committee members, Steering Committees) to ensure coordinated engagement and appropriate role clarity. Ensure that expert input is appropriately captured, documented, and communicated to relevant internal stakeholders while maintaining strict adherence to regulatory and company requirements.
• Lead the strategic planning and execution of R&D participation at scientific congresses and professional society meetings. Define clear R&D objectives for each priority meeting (e.g., data dissemination, competitive intelligence, investigator engagement, scientific positioning). Partner cross-functionally with Medical Affairs, Commercial, Regulatory, Corporate Communications, and other stakeholders to ensure aligned external presence and messaging. Implement structured debrief and "bring-back" processes to capture scientific, clinical, and competitive insights and translate them into actionable implications for development strategy. Oversee budget planning and tracking for scientific meetings and related external activities. Ensure alignment of all activities with internal publications strategy.
• Ensure all external engagements and scientific meeting activities are conducted in accordance with company SOPs, industry codes, and applicable regulatory requirements. Partner closely with Legal and Compliance to ensure appropriate review of materials, contracts, and documentation. Maintain audit-ready documentation of consultant activities, meeting outputs, and associated financial transactions. Promote a culture of ethical conduct and scientific integrity in all external R&D interactions.

Cross-Functional Operations Leadership

• Support VP, PPM in broader R&D Operational initiatives as warranted. Collaborate closely with Finance, HR, Legal/Compliance, Clinical Operations, Regulatory Affairs, Medical Affairs, and Commercial functions to drive coordinated R&D planning and operational execution. Facilitate operational readiness for key R&D initiatives, ensuring stakeholders are equipped with necessary tools and information.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in scientific or relevant business discipline required. Applicable advanced degree (e.g., MS, MBA, PhD, MD) a plus. 12+ years of experience in pharmaceutical/biotechnology industry operations, clinical development, or related functional area. Proven experience managing complex operational processes, external engagements, and cross-functional initiatives in a matrixed environment. Demonstrated ability to influence senior leaders and drive alignment across R&D, compliance, medical affairs, and commercial partners. Strong business acumen, organizational skills, and ability to translate strategy into operational execution. Excellent communication and presentation skills, with experience preparing executive-level summaries and operational reporting. Proficiency in data analysis, metrics development, and reporting tools; advanced skills in PowerPoint, Excel and business intelligence tools.

Preferred Experience

• Experience with scientific meeting strategy and congress planning. Familiarity with clinical development processes, drug development lifecycle, regulatory environment, and R&D organizational structures. Prior exposure to consultant advisory boards, expert engagements, or steering committee oversight. Experience in project management or management consulting.