Novartis Posted July 23, 2026

(Senior) Clinical Development Medical Director

London (The Westworks), United Kingdom Regular
Clinical Development Director

Novartis is the source of truth for this posting and owns the application process. We surface normalized context and market comparison you won't find on the original listing.

About this opportunity

#LI-HybridWork Arrangement: Hybrid WorkingLocation: London (The Westworks), United KingdomRelocation Support: This role is based in London, United Kingdom. Please only apply if accessible.Are you passionate about shaping the future of clinical development and making a meaningful impact in Cardiovascular medicine? We are looking for an experienced and visionary, proactive Senior Clinical Development Medical Director (Sr CDMD) to take the lead in driving the strategic planning and execution of our cutting-edge cardiovascular clinical programs. As the internal medical/clinical expert in his/her field, the Sr CDMD is the Global clinical/medical lead of a section of a clinical development program or one or more large, complex trial(s), under the leadership of the Global Program Clinical Head (GPCH). This is a key leadership role requiring hands-on experience in cardiovascular clinical drug development with the ability to translate emerging data into a clear clinical and regulatory path, drive delivery in a global matrix, and ensure rigorous benefit–risk decision making throughout the program lifecycle.

Major accountabilities: Your responsibilities will include, but are not limited to:Providing clinical leadership and strategic medical input for all clinical deliverables in the assigned project or section of a clinical programLeading development of clinical sections of trial and program level regulatory documents hands onDriving execution of the assigned clinical program and/or clinical trial in partnership with global line functions, assigned Global Trial Directors (GTDs), and regional/country medical associates, where applicableSupporting (Senior) Global Program Clinical Head (GPCH) in ensuring overall safety of the molecule for the assigned section, and may act as a core member of the Safety Management Team (SMT), supporting overall program safety reporting in collaboration with Patient Safety colleaguesSupporting the Clinical Development Head (CDH) by providing medical input into Clinical Development Plan (CDP), Integrated Development Plan (IDP) and Clinical Trial Protocol (CTP) reviews, and contributing to/driving development of disease clinical standards for new disease areasAs a medical expert, supporting the (Sr.) GPCH or CDH in interactions with external and internal stakeholders and decision boardsMay work with BR (Biomedical Research/ Translational Medical Sciences) to drive transition of pre-PoC (Proof of Concept) projects to DDP (Development Decision Point) and with BD&L (Business Development & Licensing) including target identification and due diligences together with other medical matters, as needed.Minimum Requirements: MD or equivalent medical degree is required in addition to advanced knowledge and clinical training in medical/scientific area; Clinical practice experience 4 years (including residency) and board certification or eligibility in disease area preferred>7 years of experience in clinical research or drug development is preferredExperience in an academic clinical research or industry environment spanning clinical activities in Phases I through IV is required. Working knowledge of cardiovascular disease and coagulation, with proven ability to interpret, discuss and present efficacy and safety data relating to clinical trial(s) and proven ability to understand and interpret basic and clinical scientific research reportsPrior experience in regulatory submissions is strongly preferredDemonstrated ability to establish effective scientific partnerships with key stakeholdersWorking knowledge of GCP, clinical trial design, statistics, and regulatory and clinical development processesPrevious global people management experience is preferred, though this may include management in a matrix environment.Commitment to Diversity and InclusionNovartis is committed to building an outstanding, inclusive work environment and diverse teams representative of the patients and communities we serve.Why Novartis: Helping people with disease and their families takes more than innovative science. It takes a community of smart, passionate people like you. Collaborating, supporting and inspiring each other. Combining to achieve breakthroughs that change patients’ lives. Ready to create a brighter future together? https://www.novartis.com/about/strategy/people-and-cultureYou’ll receive:Competitive salary, Short term incentive bonus, Pension scheme, Health insurance, 25 days annual leave, Flexible working arrangements, Employee recognition scheme, learning and development opportunitiesBenefits and Rewards: Learn about all the ways we’ll help you thrive personally and professionally.Read our handbook (PDF 30 MB)

Job details

Seniority
Director
Function
Clinical Development
Therapeutic area
Not listed
Location
London (The Westworks), United Kingdom
Employment type
Regular

How this role compares

Computed from every other active Clinical Development role in our database, not just this employer's listings.

We currently track 184 comparable Director Clinical Development roles across 28 biopharma companies.

184Comparable roles tracked
157Currently active
28Companies hiring similar roles
17Countries represented

Salary context

90 of 184 peers report a salary range (USD, annualized)

Peers share this role's job function and a matching or adjacent seniority level -- not necessarily the same therapeutic area or country.

This roleSubject Not listed on this posting
Lowest disclosed · Clinical Research Director (P4-P5) · Lilly $101,379/yr – $181,067/yr
Peer group range $141,223 – $392,100 (median $272,025)

Where these roles are based

Top locations among the 184 comparable roles

United States135
Spain10
United Kingdom8
India5
Poland4
China4

+ 11 more countries

Seniority mix

184 of 184 peers have a known seniority level

Director140
Principal23
Senior Director21

Therapeutic area mix

78 of 184 peers have a known therapeutic area; the rest are genuinely unlabeled, not hidden

Oncology34
Immunology18
Cardiovascular / CVRM7
Neuroscience7
Respiratory6
Dermatology & Aesthetics2
Ophthalmology2
Rare Disease1
Vaccines & Infectious Disease1

Similar opportunities

The closest matches from our peer group, ranked by how similar they are, not how well you'd qualify for them -- treat this as market context, not a guaranteed shortlist; a weak match is labeled as one below.

60%similar
Novartis London (The Westworks), United Kingdom Director
Same function Same seniority Same country
60%similar
Novartis London (The Westworks), United Kingdom Director
Same function Same seniority Same country
60%similar
Novartis London (The Westworks), United Kingdom Director
Same function Same seniority Same country
60%similar
Novartis London (The Westworks), United Kingdom Director
Same function Same seniority Same country
60%similar
BMS Business Services Ltd Uxbridge, United Kingdom Director
Same function Same seniority Same country
60%similar
AstraZeneca Luton, Bedfordshire, United Kingdom Director
Same function Same seniority Same country

How we calculate "similar"

No black box, no LLM guesswork: a deterministic score built from four normalized attributes. Here's this role's own peer group at different match levels, so you can see the mechanism, not just the result.

Every comparison starts from the same 100-point budget: 25 for working in the same function, 40 for the same therapeutic area, 20 for the same or adjacent seniority, 15 for the same country. A dimension we can't confirm on both sides contributes nothing, never a guess, never a free pass.

60%
Senior Clinical Development Medical Director
Novartis · London (The Westworks), United Kingdom · Director
Function Therapeutic area Seniority Country
60%
Clinical Development Medical Director - Neuromuscular
Novartis · London (The Westworks), United Kingdom · Director
Function Therapeutic area Seniority Country
60%
Senior Medical Director Early Clinical Respiratory
AstraZeneca · Cambridge, United Kingdom · Director
Function Therapeutic area Seniority Country
45%
Director, Site Management & Monitoring (Clinical Research)
AstraZeneca · Şişli, İstanbul, Türkiye · Director
Function Therapeutic area Seniority Country
Unmatched or unknown dimensions score exactly the same: 0 points, never a partial guess. A role we know almost nothing about beyond its function bottoms out at 25%; it never inflates to 100% just because there's little to compare against. Seniority uses a defined ladder (Associate → Manager → Associate Director → Senior → Principal → Director → Senior Director → Executive/VP) so "Director" and "Senior Director" count as adjacent, but "Director" and "Executive/VP" do not.