Medical Director / Senior Medical Director, Clinical Development (San Diego)

Meet Life Sciences is representing a neurology-focused biotech advancing innovative therapies for patients with serious central nervous system disorders. Our client is a clinically driven, early-stage organization focused on translating cutting-edge science into meaningful therapies, with a strong emphasis on rigorous development strategy and cross-functional collaboration. Position Summary We are seeking a Medical Director or Senior Medical Director, Clinical Development to play a key role in shaping and advancing early-stage clinical development programs in neurology.

This individual will provide medical and scientific leadership across clinical strategy, study design, protocol development, medical monitoring, and cross-functional execution. The ideal candidate is a physician with biotech or pharmaceutical industry experience in early clinical development and a strong understanding of CNS drug development. This is an excellent opportunity for a hands-on clinical development physician who thrives in a fast-paced biotech environment and wants to help build programs from an early stage.

Key Responsibilities Contribute to the clinical development strategy for early-stage neurology programs, including first-in-human and early proof-of-concept studies Provide medical leadership for assigned clinical trials, including protocol development, eligibility criteria, endpoint selection, and safety monitoring plans Serve as a medical monitor for ongoing studies and support review of safety data, medical data trends, and emerging benefit-risk profiles Partner cross-functionally with Clinical Operations, Regulatory, Biometrics, Translational Sciences, Medical Writing, and other teams to support study execution Author and review key clinical and regulatory documents, including protocols, investigator brochures, clinical study reports, safety narratives, and regulatory briefing materials Support interactions with regulatory authorities, investigators, key opinion leaders, and external advisors Provide clinical input into program strategy, target product profiles, and development planning Help identify and address clinical development risks, protocol issues, enrollment considerations, and operational challenges Contribute to clinical and scientific communications, including publications, presentations, and internal development updates Support due diligence and broader portfolio discussions as needed Qualifications MD or DO required Medical Director: typically 3+ years of industry clinical development experience Senior Medical Director: typically 5+ years of industry clinical development experience with increasing strategic responsibility Experience in biotech, pharma, or a similarly innovative clinical-stage environment Prior experience supporting early-stage clinical development, ideally including Phase 1 and/or Phase 2 studies Background in neurology, neuroscience, or CNS-focused drug development strongly preferred Experience with protocol design, medical monitoring, data review, and authoring clinical/regulatory documents Strong understanding of clinical trial design, drug development processes, and regulatory requirements Excellent cross-functional communication and leadership skills Ability to operate effectively in a lean, collaborative biotech environment Preferred Qualifications US board-certified physician in Neurology or another relevant specialty strongly preferred Prior experience in neurology clinical development within a biotech setting Experience working on programs for neurodegenerative, neuroinflammatory, neuromuscular, psychiatric, or other CNS disorders Familiarity with translational medicine and biomarker-driven development approaches Local to the San Diego area or open to being based locally What Success Looks Like Provides strong medical leadership across early clinical programs Helps design thoughtful, efficient studies that support key development decisions Serves as a credible scientific and clinical voice internally and externally Operates as a collaborative partner across functions while maintaining strategic focus on program advancement