Director, Medical Science Liaison

About Karius

About Karius — Karius is a venture-backed life science company focused on transforming the way infectious diseases are diagnosed. By combining Next-Generation Sequencing and proprietary data analysis, Karius Spectrum can identify over 1,000 pathogens from a single blood sample and Karius Focus BAL can identify 500 pathogens with a BAL fluid sample, with typical turnaround time in one business day. By unlocking information in microbial cell-free DNA, we help doctors quickly solve challenging cases and envision accelerating clinical trials, discovering new microbes, and reducing patient suffering worldwide.

We are seeking an exceptional Director, Medical Science Liaison (MSL) to lead and develop our commercial-facing Medical Science Liaison team as we expand and accelerate clinical adoption of the Karius Test portfolio. Reporting to the Vice President of Sales, the MSL Director works closely with the Regional Sales Director to build and execute a coordinated scientific and commercial partnership strategy that enhances account development, increases clinical utilization, and drives successful adoption of Karius tests.

The MSL Director leads a team of MSLs responsible for educating clinicians, Lab Directors, and other healthcare stakeholders on the clinical value and utility of Karius tests. The team supports institutions in developing best practices and protocols to maximize test utility; cultivates clinical champions and key opinion leaders; and provides education and clinical context to the sales organization.

This role supports pre- and post-sale activities, ensures strong alignment between Medical and Commercial teams, and serves as a key conduit for clinical insights that inform marketing, evidence generation, product development, and customer-facing education programs. The MSL Director plays a critical role in building a high-performing, collaborative medical field organization that advances Karius’ mission to improve the diagnosis and treatment of infectious diseases through advanced microbial cell-free DNA technology.

Karius aims to transform the diagnosis and management of infectious diseases through innovations in genomic sequencing and machine learning. Our platform delivers unprecedented insight into the microbial landscape, providing clinicians with a comprehensive test capable of identifying more than a thousand pathogens directly from blood and helping accelerate the development of therapeutic solutions. The products we offer today are among the most advanced diagnostic tools available to physicians seeking to improve care for patients with complex or unexplained infections.

Our tests are the result of exceptional work by our scientists, statisticians, engineers, and physicians—all united by a shared mission. As part of the Karius team, you will see firsthand how your work can have a meaningful, life-changing impact on patients and healthcare providers at scale.

Reports to: Vice President, Sales

Location: Central Region position with 7 territories in Central US, Mid West.

Clinical and Scientific Influence with Business Impact

• Partner with Regional Sales Directors and Clinical Sales Managers (CSMs) to support pre- and post-sale activities, ensuring the MSL team assists with the clinical close of the sale and contributes directly to territory and regional performance goals.
• Provide medical and scientific expertise that strengthens account development, accelerates clinical adoption, and supports successful onboarding and expansion within customer sites.

Team Leadership and Coaching

• Recruit, hire, train, and lead a high-performing field team of Medical Science Liaisons (MSLs).
• Coach and develop MSLs to effectively communicate clinical value, influence clinical decision-making, and support commercial objectives in partnership with Sales.
• Ensure the MSL team maintains high levels of clinical expertise and consistently delivers credible, compliant scientific engagement.

Clinician Engagement and Clinical Adoption

• Deliver and support formal presentations and educational programs (e.g., Grand Rounds, ASP meetings, round tables) using peer-reviewed publications, clinical evidence, case studies, and approved materials.
• Assist institutions in developing and implementing best practices, protocols, and workflows to maximize the clinical utility of Karius tests.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with clinicians, clinical champions, and future key opinion leaders (KOLs) to support clinical adoption and long-term success.
• Identify, support, and elevate centers of excellence that can serve as benchmarks for other customer sites.

Cross-Functional Strategy and Field Alignment

• Support alignment and communication between Medical and Commercial teams to support seamless customer experience and consistent field execution.
• Collaborate with Sales, Marketing, Medical Affairs, and Product teams to relay clinical insights that inform marketing programs, sales…