Sr. Scientific Director, Rare Disease

About the role

The Senior Scientific Director, Rare Disease serves as a senior leader within the Medical Affairs team, responsible for driving scientific and medical strategy and execution across cross-functional teams. This role will focus on scientific communication, evidence generation, and publication strategy, collaborating with internal and external stakeholders to support the rare disease portfolio.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the subject matter expert on assigned product(s) and disease area, applying medical and scientific expertise to guide strategic initiatives and effectively engage internal and external stakeholders.
• Develop deep knowledge and understanding of the Rare Disease Clinical Program and Lifecycle Management, Disease State, and understanding the evolving needs of both medical and patient communities.
• Translate complex clinical data into clear, compelling, and tailored messages to effectively engage and inform internal and external audiences.
• Lead the development and ongoing management of the rare disease scientific knowledge infrastructure, which may include the Scientific Communication Platform, medical narrative, lexicon, and internal resource library.
• Lead the cross-functional development of Rare Disease publication strategies and plans in collaboration with Publication Lead(s).
• Lead the development and implementation of medical content and related medical communication strategy in partnership with Medical Communications Lead(s) and/or other key internal partners to align with product timelines, strategic initiatives, and diverse stakeholder needs.
• Drive the development of scientifically rigorous, compliant, and stakeholder-focused content by collaborating cross-functionally within Medical Affairs, ensuring timely, high-quality project delivery with strong accountability and responsiveness.
• Proactively develop targeted communication materials and channel strategies.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to create, execute, and monitor launch and/or other strategic readiness plans, aligning medical affairs content with commercial, clinical, and regulatory goals.
• Drive content excellence by mentoring Medical Affairs team members and providing strategic guidance throughout the content development process.
• Maintain subject matter expertise on relevant therapeutic areas and compounds, industry ongoings, benchmarks, and best practices to apply to assigned projects and initiatives.
• Maintain subject matter expertise on relevant therapeutic areas and compounds, industry ongoings, benchmarks, and best practices to apply to assigned projects and initiatives.
• Ensure all medical content complies with company SOPs, regulatory requirements, and medical-legal review processes.
• Monitor, evaluate, and report on relevant disease state and industry trends/activity relevant to Xeris interest and activities.
• Engage with key opinion leaders and HCPs in collaboration with Regional Medical Affairs through participation in congresses, symposiums, and advisory boards to gather insights and build strategic relationships.
• Ensure medical affairs related planning/workflow files, tools, and systems in partnership with Medical Operations are maintained, accurate, and adherent to relevant Xeris policies, SOPs, and compliance guidelines.

Qualifications

• Advanced degree, preferably in a scientific discipline, i.e., PhD, PharmD, or MD
• Relevant professional certification/credential (i.e., CMPP, AMWA) is a plus
• 12+ years of medical/scientific publications or medical communications experience in the pharmaceutical/health care industry, academia, or related experience (i.e., medical communication agency, clinical/scientific research)
• A minimum of 5 years of experience at a director level leading medical affairs/medical communications teams and responsibilities at a life science company
• Recognized leader or expert in medical publications, scientific communications, and medical affairs practices
• Medical Affairs or Medical Communications pharmaceutical industry fellowship or residency is a preference
• Demonstrated expertise in clinical/scientific publication structure, content, and quality
• Demonstrated expertise in scientific publication regulations and best practices. Expert-level pharmaceutical, biomedical, or scientific writing experience
• Working knowledge of statistical concepts and techniques required
• Ability to understand and interpret clinical data and strategic concepts
• Knowledge and experience with multi-channel scientific platforms and innovative communication tactics

Skills

• Strategic and Functional Leadership
• Teamwork and Cross-Functional Collaboration
• Analytical & Research skills
• Attention to Detail
• Self-Starter
• Excellent Written and Verbal Communication
• Strong Presentation skills
• Organizational skills
• Project Management including Finance and Budget Management
• Adaptability
• Professionalism