About this opportunity
About This Role
As Senior Medical Director, Ophthalmology, you will lead the clinical and strategic development of Biogen’s ophthalmology programs, from early development through regulatory approval and lifecycle management. You will serve as the lead Development representative on cross-functional strategy and development teams, connecting scientific priorities with clinical, regulatory, and business goals.
Reporting to the Head of Immune Mediated and Neurodegenerative Diseases, you will shape program strategy and provide clinical oversight and medical monitoring leadership. Working closely with Research, Medical Affairs, Regulatory Affairs, Corporate Strategy, and other partners, you will guide development decisions and align execution across the portfolio.
What You’ll Do
Lead ophthalmology development strategy as the Development representative on cross-functional teams, aligning research, clinical, and commercial priorities
Develop and execute integrated asset plans, target product profiles, and lifecycle management strategies, incorporating emerging science and clinical insights
Oversee Development deliverables across preclinical, chemistry, manufacturing and controls (CMC), and clinical activities, supporting timelines, scientific rigor, and regulatory readiness
Serve as Ophthalmology Therapeutic Area Lead, guiding clinical trial design and delivery from first-in-human studies through post-marketing
Provide or supervise medical monitoring, including serious adverse event review, medical coding, data interpretation, and safety oversight
Ensure the medical and scientific integrity of study reports, publications, and regulatory documents; author and review clinical sections of INDs, CTAs, NDAs, BLAs, and briefing materials
Partner with Regulatory Affairs on submission strategy, health authority consultations, and advisory committee preparation; represent Biogen with global health authorities
Provide internal and external ophthalmology expertise on disease trends and treatment landscapes, and contribute clinical and scientific assessments of licensing and partnership opportunities
Represent Clinical Development in leadership forums, aligning program priorities, risks, and execution with commercial, regulatory, and technical operations planning
Coach and mentor direct reports and cross-functional colleagues, building scientific excellence, accountability, innovation, and organizational capability
Who You Are
You connect ophthalmology expertise with a strategic view of drug development and translate complex scientific and clinical information into clear decisions. You build alignment across functions, mentor colleagues, and navigate ambiguity while keeping programs moving forward.
Required Skills
Board certified ophthalmologist (MD, DO, or foreign equivalent)
15+ years of experience 8+ years in ophthalmology clinical development
3-5 years of leadership experience within biotech or pharmaceuticals, with direct responsibility for program strategy and execution
Demonstrated success leading ophthalmology clinical programs across multiple development phases
Experience working with global regulatory agencies and presenting at advisory committee meetings
Deep knowledge of ophthalmic diseases, clinical practice, and emerging therapies, with expertise across preclinical, clinical, and regulatory development
Ability to integrate scientific, clinical, and business considerations into development strategy
Ability to communicate complex concepts clearly to executive leaders, regulatory authorities, and external partners
Demonstrated leadership and influence across functions to guide critical development decisions
Ability to navigate ambiguity, anticipate challenges, and develop innovative solutions that advance programs efficiently
Job Level: Management
Additional Information
The base compensation range for this role is: $274,000.00-$376,750.00
Base salary offered is determined through an analytical approach utilizing a combination of factors including, but not limited to, relevant skills & experience, job location, and internal equity.
Regular employees are eligible to receive both short term and long-term incentives, including cash bonus and equity incentive opportunities, designed to reward recent achievements and recognize your future potential based on individual, business unit and company performance.
In addition to compensation, Biogen offers a full and highly competitive range of benefits designed to support our employees’ and their families physical, financial, emotional, and social well-being ; including, but not limited to:
Medical, Dental, Vision, & Life insurances
Fitness & Wellness programs including a fitness reimbursement
Short- and Long-Term Disability insurance
A minimum of 15 days of paid vacation and an additional end-of-year shutdown time off (Dec 26-Dec 31)
Up to 12 company paid holidays + 3 paid days off for Personal Significance
80 hours of sick time per calendar year
Paid Maternity and Parental Leave benefit
401(k) program participation with company matched contributions
Employee stock purchase plan
Tuition reimbursement of up to $10,000 per calendar year
Employee Resource Groups participation
Why Biogen?
We are a global team with a commitment to excellence, and a pioneering spirit. As a mid-sized biotechnology company, we provide the stability and resources of a well-established business while fostering an environment where individual contributions make a significant impact. Our team encompasses some of the most talented and passionate achievers who have unparalleled opportunities for learning, growth, and expanding their skills. Above all, we work together to deliver life-changing medicines, with every role playing a vital part in our mission. Caring Deeply. Achieving Excellence. Changing Lives.
At Biogen, we are committed to building on our culture of inclusion and belonging that reflects the communities where we operate and the patients we serve. We know that diverse backgrounds, cultures, and perspectives make us a stronger and more innovative company, and we are focused on building teams where every employee feels empowered and inspired. Read on to learn more about Biogen.
All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, marital status, race, color, national origin, ancestry, ethnicity, religion, age, veteran status, disability, genetic information or any other basis protected by federal, state or local law. Biogen is an E-Verify Employer in the United States.
Job details
How this role compares
Computed from every other active Medical Affairs role in our database, not just this employer's listings.
We currently track 301 comparable Director Medical Affairs roles across 55 biopharma companies.
Salary context
120 of 301 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.
Where these roles are based
Top locations among the 301 comparable roles
+ 26 more countries
Seniority mix
301 of 301 peers have a known seniority level
Therapeutic area mix
131 of 301 peers have a known therapeutic area; the rest are genuinely unlabeled, not hidden
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.
Open in 3 locations
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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.
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.