We are a diverse and highly passionate team of professionals focused on one goal: getting life-changing and lasting therapies into the patients who need them most. We are looking for a Head of Medical Affairs passionate about drug therapy development, and committed to making a difference in the lives of millions of patients who can’t wait. The leader is expected to develop and execute the medical affairs strategy and function as we plan for the US launch of our lead candidate, MCO-010 for the treatment of patients with retinitis pigmentosa having severe vision loss, and continue to advance our disease-agnostic pipeline for vision loss internationally. We strongly encourage professionals working on ocular drug/gene therapy, especially in rare ocular diseases to apply.

Internal Interfaces:

• • Reports to: Chief Medical Officer
  • Coordinates with: Chief Scientific Officer, EVP Value and Access, SVP Sales and Marketing, VP Clinical Development, VP Clinical Operations, Biostatistics/Data Management, Project Management

External Interfaces:

• • Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs), Visionary Advisory Committee (VAC), SME-Consultants Vendors/Suppliers, Medical Societies, Patient Advocacy Groups, Scientific Publishers/Trade Media, Contract Research Organizations.

Key Responsibilities:

Strategic leadership

• • Define and execute the overall medical strategy for all pipeline products, ensuring alignment with clinical development, commercial, and regulatory goals.
  • Provide medical and scientific input into corporate strategy, including business development opportunities.
  • Build, lead, and develop the Medical Affairs function within the organization in preparation for approval and launch of lead candidate

External engagement and scientific communications

• • Establish and maintain strong, credible relationships with KOLs, medical societies, and other key external stakeholders, including the coordination of the VAC.
  • Oversee the publication strategy and execution to ensure timely and balanced communication of company data from clinical trials.
  • Provide medical oversight for advisory boards, congresses, symposia, and other medical education initiatives.
  • Oversee medical information and pharmacovigilance services to ensure accurate, unbiased, and timely responses to external requests.
  • Serve as a key medical and scientific spokesperson for the company
  • Keep abreast of new developments in ophthalmology and maintain oversight on the rapidly evolving landscape and advancing innovations in the development of ocular therapy for degenerative diseases.

Evidence generation and clinical support

• • Partner with Clinical Development for post-hoc analysis of existing data, and to provide strategic input and medical support for clinical trials including enrollment.
  • Collaborate with Health Economics and Outcomes Research (HEOR) to generate evidence that supports the product’s value proposition.
  • Lead the planning and management of company-sponsored Phase IV and Investigator-Initiated Research (IIR) programs.

Team leadership and operations

• • Ensure the Medical Affairs team operates in strict compliance with all relevant regulations, laws, and company policies.
  • Manage the Medical Affairs budget and resources to optimize execution and achieve strategic goals.
  • Lead the medical review and approval of promotional and non-promotional materials.

Required skills, qualifications, and experience

Education: Graduate medical/scientific degree (M.D., Ph.D., or Pharm.D.) is required. Board certification in a relevant therapeutic area (e.g., ophthalmology) is preferred.

Experience:

• • 10–15 years of experience in the pharmaceutical or biotech industry, with 5–7 years in a Medical Affairs leadership role.
  • Proven experience building, leading, and mentoring a high-performing medical team.
  • Direct experience with product commercial launches and life cycle management is essential.
  • Experience in a start-up or small-to-mid-sized biotech environment is preferred.

Knowledge and skills:

• • Deep scientific and clinical knowledge of ophthalmology, gene therapy, and/or rare diseases.
  • Comprehensive understanding of the evolving healthcare and regulatory landscape.
  • Exceptional strategic thinking, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
  • Outstanding communication, public speaking, and presentation skills.
  • Strong leadership capabilities with the ability to influence cross-functional teams and external stakeholders.
  • High level of integrity and a strong commitment to ethical conduct.

Personal attributes:

• • An entrepreneurial and proactive mindset, with the ability to work independently.
  • Comfortable working in a dynamic, fast-paced, and matrixed environment.
  • Approximately [e.g., 20%–50%] travel may be required to attend in-house activities and scientific conferences and meetings.