Vice President, Clinical Development Program LeaderCompany BackgroundMadrigal Pharmaceuticals is a biopharmaceutical company focused on delivering novel therapeutics for metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH), a serious liver disease with high unmet medical need. The company's medication, Rezdiffra (resmetirom), is the first and only FDA and European Commission-approved treatment for MASH with moderate to advanced fibrosis. Madrigal's pipeline includes ongoing Phase 3 trials and new assets in early development.
Role OverviewThe Vice President, Clinical Development Program Leader is a senior clinical leader responsible for shaping, leading, and executing clinical strategy across one or more therapeutic programs. This role blends strategic clinical leadership, cross-functional program oversight, and hands-on execution from early development through registration. The VP will guide assets from preclinical stages through IND submission, first-in-human (FIH) studies, and late-stage development, ensuring scientific rigor, patient safety, and alignment with corporate priorities.
Key Responsibilities- Lead cross-functional program teams, shaping product strategy and driving integrated development plans.
- Transition from direct clinical oversight in early development to strategic leadership of a growing clinical team.
- Set program goals in collaboration with executive leadership, ensuring alignment across functions.
- Maintain accountability for program timelines, budget, and deliverables, aligning activities with portfolio management and internal reporting needs.
- Develop clinical and translational strategy for new assets, including Target Product Profile (TPP) definition, clinical hypotheses, and indication prioritization.
- Lead creation of Clinical Development Plans (CDPs) from FIH through Proof-of-Concept (PoC) and late-stage trials.
- Oversee design and medical oversight of FIH, SAD/MAD, translational, and PoC studies, as well as Phase I-IV trials.
- Ensure high-quality medical monitoring, patient safety oversight, and timely clinical decision-making.
- Lead early regulatory interactions (pre-IND, Scientific Advice, ITF meetings) and respond to regulatory feedback.
- Oversee development and medical accuracy of IND submissions, Investigator Brochures, and regulatory documentation.
- Serve as senior clinical representative in global regulatory interactions (FDA, EMA, PMDA, etc.).
- Support preparation and defense of regulatory submissions, including IND amendments, meeting packages, and marketing applications.
- Integrate clinical development, biostatistics, operations, CMC, regulatory, and safety functions for assigned programs.
- Partner with Translational Medicine, Nonclinical, CMC, Commercial, and Market Access teams to shape biomarker development, assay readiness, and patient stratification strategies.
- Foster robust cross-functional collaboration, scenario planning, and contingency strategies.
- Build and maintain relationships with KOLs, investigators, scientific advisors, and development partners.
- Represent Madrigal at scientific meetings, advisory boards, and collaborative consortia.
- Support scientific publication and external communication strategies.
- Mentor and guide clinical scientists and cross-functional team members.
- Contribute to building early-development capabilities, frameworks, processes, and scalable best practices.
- Foster a culture of openness, trust, and scientific integrity.
Required & Desired Qualifications- MD or DO; board certification in a relevant specialty (Internal Medicine, Gastroenterology, Endocrinology, Hepatology, or related field) preferred.
- 10-15+ years of clinical development experience, including significant leadership of early-phase and late-stage programs, with 20+ years of total relevant experience.
- Proven success in leading clinical programs across all development phases, including regulatory filings (INDs/NDAs/BLAs), launch, and commercialization.
- Strong background in translational medicine, biomarkers, and early-phase PK/PD.
- Demonstrated success leading pre-IND and IND interactions with global regulatory agencies.
- Extensive experience working in matrixed, global teams, with the ability to influence across functions without direct reporting lines.
- Deep understanding of the commercial landscape, regulatory strategy, and CMC considerations relevant to drug development.
Competencies- Strategic clinical leadership and ability to create strategy from incomplete data.
- Translational and hypothesis-driven thinking.
- Cross-functional integration and collaboration.
- Scientific rigor and disciplined decision-making.
- Organizational leadership and talent development.
- External engagement and influence.
- Strong clinical judgment, communication, and ethical conduct.
All full-time employees receive equity, which reinforces our ownership culture and offers meaningful opportunity for our employees to share in the success they help create. By aligning individual and company performance, we empower employees to think like owners, giving them a stake in the organization.
Full-time employees are also eligible for comprehensive benefits, including flexible paid time off, medical, dental, vision and life/disability insurance, and 401(k) offerings (i.e., traditional, Roth, and employer match) in accordance with applicable plans. We also offer additional voluntary benefits like supplemental life insurance, legal services, and other offerings. In addition, we offer mental health benefits through our Employee Assistance Program for employees and their family. The company also provides other benefits in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local laws.
Applications are being accepted on an ongoing basis and can be submitted through our Madrigal Careers site.
Please be aware that we have received reports of individuals misrepresenting themselves as Madrigal Pharmaceuticals' Hiring Managers, seeking to engage with job candidates through fraudulent online advertisements or job posting sites. These unauthorized individuals are using Madrigal's name and logo in an attempt to solicit up-front fees and obtain personal information from interested job candidates. Please know that Madrigal does not conduct interviews via text or in chat rooms; conduct interviews via Skype, RingCentral or solely via telephone; charge candidates an advance fee of any kind (e.g., fees for purchasing equipment); nor does it offer positions of employment without undergoing a thorough recruiting process.
Please also note that any correspondence with regard to employment would come from an authorized madrigalpharma.com email address or from an email address from one of our trusted search firm partners. We are aware that incorrect/fraudulent email addresses, with Madrigal misspelled, have been utilized in these most recent fraud attempts. If you receive unsolicited employment offers from people claiming to work for or on behalf of Madrigal, we recommend that you: do not respond to their questions; do not open any attachments; and do not click on any hyperlinks. Any questions regarding the legitimacy of job-related contacts can be directed to [redacted].
