Senior Medical Science Liaison

Senior Medical Science Liaison

Join Artiva Biotherapeutics in San Diego and work directly on the manufacturing floor to produce our innovative, off-the-shelf cell therapies in a state-of-the-art cGMP facility. Apply your expertise across cell culture, aseptic processing, harvest and fill-finish, playing a direct role in advancing therapies for patients with autoimmune diseases.

Role Overview

As a Senior Medical Science Liaison, you will be a foundational member of Artiva's first field medical team, serving as the scientific and clinical expert for your assigned region.

The Senior Medical Science Liaison role is a highly visible, individual-contributor position responsible for representing Artiva's scientific and clinical data to the medical community within an assigned region, while partnering closely with the Executive Director, Medical Affairs Europe to execute the national field medical strategy.

We are seeking an experienced, strategic-minded Medical Science Liaison with start up and/or other clinical trial expertise. In this highly visible role, you will be a cornerstone of our field medical strategy, engaging directly with key opinion leaders and healthcare providers to advance Artiva's scientific and clinical goals.

Key Responsibilities

Scientific Leadership & KOL Engagement

• KOL Mapping & Validation: Partner with the Executive Director of Medical Affairs to validate, refine, and prioritize regional KOLs, while identifying new and emerging academic researchers, community clinicians, and advocacy stakeholders within the assigned territory.
• Scientific Exchange: Lead peer-to-peer scientific discussions regarding the company's therapeutic pipeline, mechanisms of action, and complex clinical data.
• Medical Education: Support the planning and execution of medical advisory boards, symposia, and clinical training sessions for HCPs.

Clinical Trial & Launch Strategy

• Serve as liaison between clinical investigators and internal stakeholders in support of Artiva sponsored research studies.
• Act as liaison between external clinical investigators, internal colleagues and CRO staff to assure timely follow-up of all communications and to be a resource for site support.
• Work closely with Clinical Development and Clinical Operations team to understand protocol nuances and triage, as appropriate, any insights regarding recruitment barriers or protocol queries.
• Develop, maintain, and manage collaborations with regional and national KOLs, investigators, study staff (site staff and CRO staff), nurses, pharmacists, and office managers.
• Identify and build collaborations with KOLs for medical education and potential clinical research opportunities.
• Assist in the development of strategic KOL plans to provide needs-based, value-added services.
• Serve as a local medical and scientific resource for the medical community.
• Provide feedback on specific sites and regional trends, thoughts, paradigms to identify and/or inform potential protocol amendments, accrual barriers, patient/study subject identification.
• Complete accurate and timely administrative reports, projects, and other required documentation. Clinical Development: Support clinical trial operations within your region by identifying potential trial sites, assisting with feasibility assessments, and promoting enrollment.
• Insight Generation: Serve as the field-based conduit between healthcare providers and headquarters, synthesizing clinical insights and competitive intelligence into actionable recommendations for Medical Strategy.
• Pre-Launch Readiness: Collaborate with Clinical, Regulatory, and Commercial teams (while maintaining strict compliant medical independence) to support a seamless product launch and patient access strategy within the region.

Medical Congress Coverage & Strategy

• Congress Coverage: Represent Artiva at major medical congresses (e.g., ACR, EULAR, regional and country specialty society meetings), executing the congress strategy set by the Executive Director, Medical Affairs Europe.
• Coordinate pre-congress preparation and session coverage within your region, partnering with the broader field medical and HQ teams.
• Scientific Exchange: Lead peer-to-peer scientific discussions, support data dissemination, and help manage the medical booth/display presence.
• Competitive Intelligence: Gather, synthesize, and report actionable field intelligence (emerging clinical data, competitor pipelines, and unmet needs) from congresses to internal Strategic and R&D teams.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Internal Training & Mentorship: Provide ongoing medical and scientific training to internal colleagues, and serve as a mentor to early-career Medical Science Liaisons as the team scales.

Qualifications

Required

• Minimum 4 years of Medical Science Liaison / Medical Affairs experience, 6+ years preferred, in the pharmaceutical or biotechnology industry, with direct ownership of:
• Clinical trial operations support
• KOL mapping validation
• KOL engagement, HCP scientific exchange
• Advisory boards
• Medical insights and competitive intelligence
• Formal training and hands-on experience in Immunology and/or Inflammation (e.g., PharmD, MD, PhD, or equivalent scientific background strongly preferred).
• Proven ability to operate in a highly external, travel-intensive role (occasionally on weekends). Travel ~75%
• Strong understanding of Medical Affairs compliance and scientific exchange standards.
• Exceptional communication skills, with the ability to engage credibly with leading physicians and researchers.

Preferred

• Experience in early- to mid-stage biotech.
• Experience supporting clinical-stage programs, pre-launch activities, or Investigator-Initiated Studies (IIS).
• Rheumatology, immunology, and/or cell therapy experience.
• Located in Eastern European Country cluster Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary.

Why you should apply:

We have a fantastic team and philosophy! We are passionate – We deeply care about our team, our science, and improving the lives of autoimmune patients. We are tenacious – we are laser-focused on our mission and undeterred in our commitment to make cell therapies broadly accessible to patients with autoimmune diseases. We are innovative - pushing into new frontiers for patient benefit. We are transparent - believers in flat, accessible, and open communication paths. We are inclusive – committed to the diversity of our team and ensuring that all voices are heard.

If all this speaks to you, come join us on our journey!