Vice President, Clinical Development - Cardiovascular

Vice President, Clinical Development – Cardiovascular

Headquartered in Carlsbad, California, and with offices in Boston, Massachusetts, and Dublin, Ireland, Ionis has been at work for more than three decades discovering medical breakthroughs that have redefined life for people with serious diseases. We're pioneers in RNA-targeted medicines, and our platform continues to revolutionize drug discovery and transform lives for patients with unmet needs. With multiple marketed medicines and a leading pipeline in neurology, cardiology and select areas of high patient needs, we continue to drive innovation in RNA therapies in addition to advancing new approaches in gene editing to provide greater value to patients and are well positioned financially to deliver on our strategic goals.

At Ionis, we pride ourselves on cultivating a challenging, motivating and rewarding environment that fosters innovation and scientific excellence. We know that our success is a direct result of the exceptional talents and dedication of our employees.

With an unprecedented opportunity to change the course of human health, we look to add diverse individuals, skill sets and perspectives to our exceptional team. We continue to invest time, money and energy into making our onsite, hybrid and remote work environments a place where solid and lasting relationships are built and where our culture and employees can thrive.

We're building on our rich history, and we believe our greatest achievements are ahead of us. If you're passionate about the opportunity to have meaningful impact on patients in need, we invite you to apply and join us. Experience and contribute to our unique culture while you develop and expand your career!

Vice President, Clinical Development - Cardiovascular

The Vice President, Clinical Development - Cardiovascular is a board-certified cardiologist (M.D.) with deep expertise in lipid disorders and cardiometabolic disease who is responsible for defining and driving the clinical development strategy for Ionis' cardiovascular portfolio, including Phase 4 and post-marketing programs. This is a hands-on, working VP role that combines strategic leadership with active ownership of key studies and deliverables and plays a critical role in enterprise-level development and portfolio decisions.

This role operates with a high degree of independence and accountability in a fast-paced, highly engaged, intense environment where active participation and clear points of view are expected. The Vice President, Clinical Development - Cardiovascular partners closely with senior leadership across Development, Research, Regulatory Affairs, and Commercial to ensure that clinical programs are scientifically rigorous, operationally executable, and positioned to deliver meaningful value to patients and the company.

The Vice President, Clinical Development - Cardiovascular is accountable for advancing multiple clinical programs across stages of development, including Phase 4 and post-marketing studies, and for making complex, high-impact decisions in areas where data may be limited and risk is significant. This role will report to the Senior Vice President, Global Cardiovascular Development and will manage direct reports.

Key Responsibilities

• Maintain deep expertise and a broad, integrative view across cardiovascular and cardiometabolic disease, including lipid disorders such as hypercholesterolemia, hypertriglyceridemia, and lipoprotein(a) mediated risk.
• Apply current and emerging science in lipid biology and cardiovascular risk reduction to inform clinical development strategies and portfolio decisions.
• Guide development of clinical programs targeting lipid-modifying therapies, including selection of appropriate patient populations, biomarkers, and endpoints.
• Provide leadership on the design and interpretation of cardiovascular outcomes trials (CVOTs) and other studies evaluating impact on major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE).
• Integrate translational insights (e.g., mechanism of action, biomarker response, genetic validation) into clinical development plans to strengthen probability of success.
• Guide interpretation of complex clinical and biomarker data, including lipid parameters and cardiovascular risk markers, and translate findings into strategic program decisions.
• Lead Phase 4 strategy and post-marketing evidence generation plans, including post-marketing commitments and lifecycle management studies.
• Partner with Medical Affairs to redefine and optimize the Clinical Development/Medical Affairs partnership model across the cardiovascular and cardiometabolic portfolio.
• Provide thought leadership with regulatory agencies and external experts, including investigators, key opinion leaders, and advisory boards.
• Manage and develop direct reports, building a high performing, engaged, and inclusive team culture aligned with Ionis values.

Requirements

Technical & Experience

• M.D., board-certified cardiologist with significant experience in clinical development within the biopharmaceutical industry.
• Substantial pharmaceutical/biotech industry experience with a track record of leading late-stage and Phase 4/post-marketing cardiovascular programs.
• Deep expertise in cardiovascular disease, with strong experience in lipid disorders and cardiometabolic disease (e.g., dyslipidemia, atherosclerosis, triglyceride metabolism, Lp(a)).
• Demonstrated success leading development of therapies targeting cardiovascular risk factors, including experience with lipid-modifying agents and/or outcomes-based clinical programs.
• Demonstrated success leading clinical development programs across multiple stages, including late-stage development.
• Experience driving Phase 4 strategy and post-marketing commitments.
• Experience designing and interpreting studies involving lipid biomarkers, surrogate endpoints, and cardiovascular outcomes (e.g., MACE).
• Proven ability to translate mechanistic and translational science (including genetics and biomarker data) into clinical development strategy.
• Experience influencing portfolio strategy and contributing to investment or prioritization decisions.
• Experience interacting with regulatory agencies and external experts.

Technical Experience

• High learning agility and curiosity; quickly absorbs new science, data, and business context and adjusts strategy accordingly.
• Strong emotional intelligence (EQ) and self-awareness; seeks feedback, reflects on impact, and adapts communication and leadership style.
• Inclusive, respectful leader who proactively recognizes and values the contributions of employees at all levels and tenure.
• Demonstrated strength in change management; communicates the "why" behind decisions, brings people along, and helps teams navigate ambiguity.
• Decisive and accountable, comfortable making complex trade-offs when data are incomplete.
• Speaks up and constructively contributes/challenges in a high-performing, intense environment.
• Hands-on, working VP who rolls up their sleeves, balances strategic work with detailed execution, and uses delegation thoughtfully rather than as a default.
• Proven ability to multi-task and prioritize across multiple programs and stakeholders without dropping critical details.
• Strong leadership and influencing skills, with the ability to drive outcomes across cross-functional teams.
• People management experience with a track record of building, developing, and retaining high-performing teams.

Who Thrives Here

• Adaptable leader - moves fluidly between clinical strategy, hands-on protocol and data work, team leadership, and regulatory interactions, comfortable shifting gears quickly.
• Working VP mindset - rolls up their sleeves, dives into documents and data, and models execution as well as vision.
• Inclusive people leader - shows respect for diverse perspectives, honors the history and contributions of long-tenured Ionis employees, and develops talent across levels.
• Change leader - communicates clearly through change, reduces ambiguity, and helps teams stay focused on what matters most.
• Out-of-the-box thinker - brings fresh ideas on evidence generation, lifecycle management, and cross-functional collaboration.
• Self-aware and collaborative - reads team dynamics, builds trust across levels and departments, and invites constructive criticism.
• Driven owner - owns outcomes for a high-stakes franchise proactively and follows through to impact.
• Courageous communicator - brings a clear point of view, asks hard questions, and leans into healthy debate in a driven, intense environment.
• Strong communicator - adapts across scientific, commercial, and executive audiences, making complex topics clear and actionable.