Senior Director, Global Medical Affairs - Auto Immune & Pipeline (San Francisco)

Senior Director, Global Medical Affairs – Kite (Autoimmune and Solid Tumor Portfolio)

We are seeking an accomplished Senior Director, Global Medical Affairs to provide strategic and operational leadership for Kite’s autoimmune portfolio and pipeline assets in solid tumors. In this highly visible, matrix leadership role, you will shape and execute global Medical Affairs strategy across the product lifecycle, ensuring scientific excellence, patient‑centric decision‑making, and compliant engagement with the medical community.

You will partner closely with Clinical Development, HEOR, Market Access, Government Affairs, Marketing, and regional Medical Affairs teams, serving as a trusted scientific and strategic leader internally and externally. This role will play a critical part in evidence generation, insight capture, medical education, and launch readiness, with a clear mandate to translate science into real‑world impact for patients.

This role will be office‑based/hybrid (3 days onsite) in Santa Monica, CA; Foster City, CA; or Parsippany, NJ. Relocation Notice (for Santa Monica applicants): Kite will transition to a new El Segundo or Thousand Oaks office beginning January 2027. Applicants should consider this planned relocation.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide a clear vision and strategic direction for the assigned disease areas, driving integrated cross‑functional product and disease strategies.
• Set and oversee the global Medical Affairs strategy, including medical plans of action (POAs) and priority cross‑functional initiatives.
• Serve as a senior medical thought partner, ensuring strategies are grounded in science, clinical practice, and patient need.
• Provide strategic direction, medical monitoring, and operational oversight for evidence generation activities.
• Lead Medical Affairs contributions to launch planning, ensuring scientific readiness and excellence in execution across regions.
• Provide medical expert input into global product development to support robust, differentiated data packages.
• Systematically capture and synthesize internal and external insights, translating them into actionable strategies and activities.
• Engage with the global medical community, building and maintaining a strong thought leader and expert network.
• Represent Global Medical Affairs at national and international scientific congresses, professional societies, and stakeholder forums.
• Ensure the continuous development and training of Medical Affairs team members, strengthening disease‑area and functional expertise.
• Provide oversight of the disease area budget, ensuring appropriate investment and resource stewardship.
• Contribute to and lead broader organizational initiatives at departmental, national, and international levels.
• Collaborate effectively and compliantly with colleagues in Clinical Research, Sales, Marketing, Market Access, and PVE, supporting shared objectives.
• Contribute to the development and execution of regional and country Medical Affairs plans, providing global strategic guidance where required.
• Stay current with Medical Affairs best practices and scientific advances, applying learnings to continuously elevate team performance.

Knowledge, Experience, and Skills

• Doctorate degree (MD, PhD, PharmD, or equivalent).
• 12+ years of experience in Medical Affairs and/or clinical research.

Preferred Qualifications

• Strong clinical and/or scientific expertise in autoimmune diseases, and/or cellular therapies.
• Demonstrated success leading in a global, matrix environment.
• Proven commitment to patient‑centric values, ethics, and compliance.
• Strategic mindset with a collaborative, results‑driven leadership style.
• Excellent organisational, prioritisation, and communication skills.
• Ability to work independently in a fast‑paced, international setting.
• Willingness to travel approximately 35%.

People Leader Accountabilities

• Create Inclusion – model inclusion and embed diversity values in team management.
• Develop Talent – coach employees on current performance and future potential, ensuring feedback and growth opportunities.
• Empower Teams – align goals, purpose, and organisational objectives, remove barriers, and connect teams to the broader ecosystem.

Salary and Benefits

Salary range: $255,425.00 – $330,550.00. Compensation considers experience, qualifications, and geographic location. Additional compensation may include discretionary annual bonus, discretionary stock‑based long‑term incentives, paid time off, and a benefits package.

Benefits include company‑sponsored medical, dental, vision, and life insurance plans, among others.

• Eligible employees may participate in benefit plans, subject to the terms and conditions of the applicable plans.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Kite Pharma is committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment, and is dedicated to fostering an inclusive work environment comprised of diverse perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences. Employment decisions regarding recruitment and selection will be made without discrimination based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability, genetic information or characteristic, gender identity and expression, veteran status, or other non‑job related characteristics or other prohibited grounds specified in applicable federal, state and local laws. In order to ensure reasonable accommodation for individuals protected by Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Vietnam Era Veterans' Readjustment Act of 1974, and Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, applicants who require accommodation in the job application process may contact View email address on apply.placed-app.com for assistance.

For more information about equal employment opportunity protections, please view the 'Know Your Rights' poster.