Vice President, Medical Affairs

Role Summary

In this role, the Vice President, Medical Affairs will serve as a senior leader within Medical Affairs, reporting directly to the SVP, Medical Affairs. This role is responsible for leading U.S. Medical Affairs strategy and execution, ensuring scientific and medical excellence, and establishing Lyell as a trusted partner with external stakeholders. The Vice President will play a critical role in preparing for Lyell’s first approval and commercial launch and in building and scaling a high-performing Medical Affairs team to support the current and future pipeline. This is a hybrid role based out of the South San Francisco, California office.

Responsibilities

• Strategic Leadership
  • Lead the development and execution of U.S. Medical Affairs strategy in alignment with corporate and clinical objectives.
  • Partner closely with the SVP, Medical Affairs to shape and evolve the overall vision for Medical Affairs.
  • Provide senior medical leadership and insight across Clinical Development, Regulatory, Commercial, and Market Access functions.
• External Engagement
  • Build and maintain strong professional relationships with KOLs, investigators, academic centers, and community practices in oncology/hematology.
  • Represent Lyell at scientific congresses and professional societies (e.g., ASH, ASCO, EHA, ICML).
  • Facilitate scientific exchange and education initiatives to support awareness and understanding of Lyell’s programs.
• Medical Excellence
  • Oversee the development of medical narratives, scientific platforms, publications strategy, and congress activities.
  • Partner with Clinical Development to inform trial design, recruitment strategies, and evidence generation needs.
  • Ensure compliant, high-quality execution of field medical and medical communication initiatives.
• Team Building
  • Recruit, mentor, and manage a high-performing Medical Affairs team.
  • Direct resource planning and budget oversight for Medical Affairs.
  • Foster a culture of integrity, collaboration, and patient focus.
• Compliance & Governance
  • Ensure Medical Affairs activities comply with legal, regulatory, and corporate standards.
  • Contribute to the development and implementation of governance frameworks (e.g., MRC, authorship policies, steering committee charters).

Qualifications

• Required: MD, DO, PharmD, or PhD; Oncology/hematology specialty strongly preferred.
• Required: Minimum 12 years of pharmaceutical/biotech industry experience, with 7+ years in Medical Affairs leadership roles.
• Preferred: Extensive experience in oncology; prior experience in cell therapy, immuno-oncology, or hematologic malignancies highly desirable.
• Preferred: Demonstrated ability to build and scale Medical Affairs functions in a high-growth environment.
• Preferred: Strong knowledge of U.S. compliance and regulatory requirements applicable to Medical Affairs.
• Preferred: Prior experience managing direct reports and accountability for internal and external deliverables.

Skills

• Proven scientific expertise in oncology/hematology therapeutic areas.
• Strong oral, written, and presentation skills; ability to engage both scientific and non-scientific audiences.
• Excellent project management and organizational skills for overseeing multiple concurrent initiatives.
• Ability to effectively collaborate with and influence cross-functional stakeholders at senior levels.
• Experience applying external insights to inform Medical Affairs strategy.
• Demonstrated success in mentoring, developing, and managing teams of skilled industry professionals.