Executive Director, Field Medical Affairs (Waltham)

Executive Director, Field Medical Affairs

Position Summary: The Executive Director (ED), Field Medical Affairs is a senior leader within Medical Affairs responsible for defining and driving the overarching US field medical strategy across multiple therapeutic areas including rare disease and ophthalmology, overseeing engagement with external stakeholders such as healthcare providers and formulary decision makers. This role leads and develops senior field leadership, aligning field medical operations with global and US Medical Affairs strategies to ensure scientific excellence, operational effectiveness, and strategic insight generation. The ED will shape and scale field capabilities, support launch readiness, champion cross‑functional collaboration while maintaining compliance and fostering a culture of high performance.

Job Location: Hybrid based in our Waltham, MA offices, 2 days a week.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and lead the US field Medical Affairs strategy, ensuring alignment with global medical, clinical, and commercialization priorities.
• Build and evolve scalable field engagement models and infrastructure to support current and future launch readiness and enable high‑performing field medical teams.
• Provide strategic and operational leadership to senior field medical leaders ensuring aligned execution across all US field teams including the MSL and MVL teams.
• Foster a culture of performance, development, and scientific excellence across all field medical teams.
• Collaborate with global Medical Affairs counterparts to align field strategies and ensure consistency in scientific exchange and insight integration.
• Oversee field medical excellence, ensuring consistency in engagement quality, insight capture, training, and metrics across therapeutic areas.
• Partner with therapeutic area leads to develop and implement national and regional KOL and stakeholder engagement strategies.
• Coach, mentor, and support senior field leaders to drive team development, performance management, and retention of top talent.
• Establish a robust process for insight generation, synthesis, and dissemination to inform clinical development, market access, and medical strategies.
• Collaborate cross‑functionally to strategically deploy and support field teams while ensuring compliance and alignment with organizational objectives.

Education, Registration & Certification

• Advanced degree (PhD, PharmD, MD or equivalent).

Experience

• 10+ years of progressive leadership in Medical Affairs including significant field‑based experience across multiple therapeutic areas.
• Expertise in ophthalmology strongly preferred; additional expertise in rare disease, hematology, nephrology preferred.
• Proven track record building and optimizing field medical engagement models, including experience supporting product launches and lifecycle management.
• Demonstrated success in leading large, diverse field organizations and managing senior leaders with a focus on talent development, succession planning, and strategic execution.

Skills, Knowledge & Abilities

• Excellent communication, presentation, and stakeholder management skills with an ability to influence across levels and functions.
• Thrives in fast‑paced, evolving environments; biotech experience preferred.

Travel Requirements

• Travel up to 50% required.

Benefits and Perks

Apellis offers a comprehensive benefits package, including a 401(k) plan with company match, inclusive family building benefits, flexible time off, summer and winter shutdowns, paid family leave, disability and life insurance, and more. Visit to learn more.

Company Background

Apellis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is a global biopharmaceutical company that combines courageous science and compassion to develop life‑changing therapies for some of the most challenging diseases patients face. We ushered in the first new class of complement medicine in 15 years and now have two approved medicines targeting C3, including the first and only therapy for geographic atrophy, a leading cause of blindness worldwide. With nearly a dozen clinical and pre‑clinical programs underway, we believe we have only begun to unlock the potential of targeting C3 across many serious diseases.

EEO Statement

Apellis is an equal opportunity employer and complies with all applicable federal, state and local fair employment practices laws. Apellis strictly prohibits and does not tolerate discrimination against employees, applicants or any other covered persons because of race, color, religion, creed, national origin or ancestry, ethnicity, sex (including pregnancy), gender (including gender nonconformity and status as a transgender or transsexual individual), age, physical or mental disability, citizenship, past, current or prospective service in the uniformed services, genetic information, marital status, AIDS/HIV status, smoker/non‑smoker, and occupational pneumoconiosis or any other characteristic protected under applicable federal, state or local law. For San Francisco postings, pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

Other Duties

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

Compensation

Base salary for this role will consider multiple factors, including but not limited to candidate qualifications, relevant expertise, specialized skills, and industry experience in complement‑targeted therapies. The targeted base salary range for this position is $265,000 – $397,000 per year. This range represents the base salary only and reflects Apellis' commitment to competitive compensation within the biopharmaceutical industry. The final salary offered may vary based on individual qualifications, business needs, and current market conditions.