Medical Director / Senior Director

Job Description

Job Description

Lycia Therapeutics is a biotechnology company using its proprietary lysosomal targeting chimera (LYTAC) platform to discover and develop best-in-class therapeutics that degrade extracellular and membrane-bound proteins. These proteins drive a wide range of difficult-to-treat diseases, including autoimmune and inflammatory conditions. Lycia was established in 2019 in collaboration with academic founder and Nobel Laureate Carolyn Bertozzi, Ph.D., professor of chemistry and HHMI investigator at Stanford University. In June, 2026, Lycia Therapeutics completed a $75 million Series D financing to advance its pipeline of LYTAC extracellular protein degraders into the clinic. Lycia is headquartered in South San Francisco. 

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Lycia Therapeutics is seeking a Medical Director who will play a critical role in the design, execution, and analysis of clinical trials of clinical stage assets. This position is responsible for driving clinical development activities, ensuring scientific integrity, and collaborating with cross-functional teams to advance innovative therapies through all stages of clinical development. At Lycia, you will be instrumental in shaping the development trajectory of our innovative therapeutic candidates and bringing transformative therapies to patients in need.

Key Responsibilities:

Clinical Development Leadership

• Provides clinical and scientific contributions to the clinical development plans, including the designing and implementation of clinical studies.
• Contribute to the development of clinical strategies in alignment with program goals.

Protocol Development and Study Oversight

• Responsible for development of study protocols, case report forms (CRFs), consent forms, investigators brochure, development of charters (e.g., Independent Data Monitoring Committee, Safety Monitoring Committee) and other essential trial documents.
• Contributes to the development of training modules, Investigator webinars, Investigator meetings, and

CRA/staff training

• Ensure compliance with ICH-GCP guidelines, regulatory requirements, and internal policies.
• Act as a medical monitor or scientific liaison during studies, depending on qualifications, to partner with investigators, study site staff, and CRO partners,

Data Analysis and Reporting

• Analyze clinical data to evaluate safety, efficacy, and pharmacological properties of investigational products.
• Uses available tools to monitor study conduct (screening, randomization, adjudication, retention).
• Participates in and leads safety and data cleaning activities (medical listing review, periodic safety review, preparation for IDMC review).
• Provide input on the quality control of tables, listings, and graphs for database lock.
• Collaborate with biostatisticians to interpret results and prepare clinical study reports for regulatory submissions.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Work closely with clinical operations, regulatory affairs, biostatistics, and other cross-functional teams to ensure seamless trial execution.
• Build relationships and engage with external stakeholders such as Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs), investigators, and regulatory authorities as needed to help advance the development of investigational products.

Regulatory Submissions

• Support the preparation of regulatory documents (e.g., INDs, DSURs, NDAs) by providing clinical expertise.
• Ensure that all clinical trial data meet regulatory standards for safety and efficacy.

Team Management and Mentorship

• Depending on candidate’s experience level, opportunity to actively mentors and coaches junior cross-functional team members.

Minimum Requirements:

Education

• MD/PhD or MD or equivalent advanced degree in life sciences or related field or advanced degree (PhD, PharmD, RN, Master’s) in life sciences.

Experience

• Minimum 5–8 years of experience in clinical research or drug development within biotech/pharma settings.
• Expertise in allergy, immunology or autoimmune therapeutic areas is highly desirable.

Skills

• Strong understanding of drug development processes from preclinical to Phase 2 clinical development is desirable.
• Proficiency in analyzing and interpreting complex clinical data.
• Excellent communication skills for cross-functional collaboration and external stakeholder engagement.

Competencies and Capabilities

• Advanced knowledge of clinical trial design methodologies, biostatistics, and regulatory requirements.
• Ability to anticipate risks and develop mitigation strategies during trial execution.
• Demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional teams in a fast-paced environment while managing multiple priorities.
• Flexible and dynamic interpersonal approach, entrepreneurial by nature, a collaborative team player who works well with physicians, scientists, managers, peers, and staff.
• Creates an environment for open scientific debate, integrates information, and drives to decisions or actions where no process/precedent exists.

Location & Travel

• San Francisco Bay Area preferred; Ability to work on-site (Lycia South San Francisco office) at least 2-3 full days per week
• Business travel as needed (may vary with time, but is not expected to exceed 15%)

The expected base salary range for this role is $290,000-$305,000 for Director and $310,000-$345,000 for Senior Director. Actual salary will depend on the candidate's geographic location, along with experience, skills, qualifications, and internal equity. Lycia offers a competitive employment package that includes an annual bonus, equity, and a generous benefits package.

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.

Lycia and other biotech companies have recently noticed an increase in email and social media scams targeting job candidates in our industry. Please note Lycia will post any legitimate job openings directly on our website or through our recruitment partner, Lever. If you wish to verify the legitimacy of a job opening, you may contact us.

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses and identifying potential inconsistencies or verification signals in application materials based on available information. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.