Senior Director, Medical Affairs, Solid Tumor

Role Summary

The Senior Director, Medical Affairs – Solid Tumors will serve as the Medical Affairs lead for Lyell’s solid tumor programs, with an initial focus on metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). The individual in this role will exercise independent leadership in the development and execution of US medical strategies for solid tumors. This role is responsible for ensuring scientific excellence, identifying evidence generation needs, and establishing Lyell as a trusted partner among external stakeholders in solid tumors, starting with the GI oncology space.

The Senior Director, Medical Affairs – Solid Tumors will play a pivotal role in preparing for future approvals and managing the day-to-day oversight of the solid tumor pipeline.

• Strategic Leadership & Program Oversight
  • Serve as Lyell’s Medical Affairs lead for mCRC and future solid tumor programs, providing deep disease-area expertise and independent strategic direction.
  • Partner closely with the SVP, Medical Affairs and the VP, Medical Affairs to shape and evolve the overall vision for Medical Affairs.
  • Lead the development and execution of Medical Affairs strategy for solid tumors, aligned with corporate, clinical, and regulatory objectives.
  • Shape medical narrative, scientific platform, core claims, and evidence-generation needs to support evolving program priorities.
  • Drive Medical Affairs contributions to launch readiness for solid tumor assets.
• External Engagement
  • Build and maintain strong professional relationships with Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs), investigators, and academic centers, specifically within the GI oncology and solid tumor communities.
  • Represent Lyell at key scientific congresses (e.g., ASCO, ESMO, GI ASCO) and advisory boards to facilitate scientific exchange.
  • Gather and synthesize external insights to shape Medical Affairs initiatives and support clinical development priorities
• Medical Excellence & Communications
  • Oversee the development of medical narratives, scientific platforms, and publications strategy for the solid tumor portfolio.
  • Ensure compliant, high-quality execution of medical communication initiatives and educational materials relevant to the colorectal cancer program.
  • Provide scientific training and guidance to internal teams and field medical staff to ensure consistency and accuracy of scientific messaging.
• Leadership & Governance
  • Demonstrate independent leadership in managing projects, resources, and potential direct reports or cross-functional teams to meet program deliverables.
  • Ensure all Medical Affairs activities within the solid tumor program comply with legal, regulatory, and corporate standards.
  • Contribute to the development of governance frameworks and authorship policies as a senior member of the Medical Affairs team.

• Required:
  
  MD, DO, Pharm
  
  D, or PhD.
• Oncology specialty required; specific background in GI oncology or solid tumors strongly preferred.
• Required:
  
  Minimum 8–10 years of pharmaceutical/biotech industry experience, with 5+ years in Medical Affairs.
• Required:
  
  Extensive experience in oncology.
• Preferred:
  Prior experience in metastatic colorectal cancer, cell therapy, or immuno-oncology.
• Preferred:
  Proven track record of independently leading medical strategy for a specific asset or therapeutic area.
• Preferred:
  Strong knowledge of U.S. compliance and regulatory requirements applicable to Medical Affairs.
• Preferred:
  Launch experience.

• Strong scientific expertise in oncology, with the ability to analyze, interpret, and communicate complex scientific data.
• Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills; comfortable engaging with external experts and internal senior leaders.
• Strong strategic acumen and ability to drive multiple concurrent initiatives.
• Demonstrated leadership without formal authority; ability to mentor future Medical Affairs team members.
• Ability to operate effectively in a fast-paced, high-growth biotech environment with limited infrastructure.
• Ability to effectively collaborate with and influence cross-functional stakeholders at senior levels.

• MD, DO, Pharm
  
  D, or PhD