VP Clinical Development

Discera Search; España; Hybrid; EUR 150,000 - 210,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work model with EU travel

Leadership role in a biotech

Support for growth and team expansion

Job summary

Discera Search seeks a VP Clinical Development to lead the clinical strategy and design of an autoimmunity programme advancing through early and mid-stage trials. You will shape IND/IMPD submissions, trial concepts, and protocol design, driving end-to-end development decisions.

This EU-based leadership role requires hands-on bias in a lean biotech, with travel to the German HQ around 4–5 days per month and potential relocation support.

Qualifications

• MD or PhD in Immunology/Autoimmunity.
• Track record designing Phase I–III trials.
• Experience leading clinical development programs in biotech/Pharma.

Responsibilities

• Own clinical development strategy for the autoimmunity programme, including indication selection and trial de-risking.
• Lead protocol design, endpoint strategy, and scientific rationale of study concepts.
• Translate data into development plans and portfolio direction for future studies.
• Provide medical and scientific leadership on trial execution, safety, and data interpretation.
• Contribute to regulatory documents (development plans, IND/IMPD submissions, investigator brochures).
• Partner with translational research, regulatory, medical affairs, and operations to align strategy.
• Build and manage a team, planning the addition of hires as data and strategy evolve.

Skills

Clinical development

Trial design

Immunology/Autoimmunity

Leadership

Education

MD or PhD in Immunology/Autoimmunity

Job description

VP Clinical Development — Autoimmunity | Clinical-stage biotech, Remote

Looking for a VP Clinical Development to lead the clinical strategy and design of an autoimmunity / immunology programme moving through early and mid-stage development.

Rheumatology, UC and Auto-immunity has seen a huge new wave of interest and investment. The coming together of technologies such as CART, Immuno-Oncology and increased life expectancies has seen new investment, approaches and trials.

My client is currently one such company - recent pharma investment, multiple clinical trials and now testing their platform in Autoimmune diseases. So, if you are passionate about auto-immunity clinical trial design and want to help a biotech who are growing into a new area -please keep reading!

About the opportunity

A well-funded, clinical-stage biotech with a differentiated immuno-modulatory approach in autoimmune / inflammatory disease. Strong science, clean data to date, and a lean team where senior people have real influence over direction. This is a build role at an inflection point, not a maintenance one.

Role responsibilities

• Own clinical development strategy for the autoimmunity programme: indication selection, development pathway, and the design of the trials that de-risk it.
• Lead protocol design, endpoint strategy, and the scientific rationale underpinning study concepts through to full protocols.
• Translate emerging clinical and translational data into decisions on future development plans and portfolio direction.
• Provide the medical and scientific lead on trial execution, including oversight of study conduct, data interpretation, and safety.
• Contribute to and review key regulatory and clinical documentation (development plans, briefing documents, IND/IMPD-type submissions, investigator brochures).
• Partner across translational research, regulatory, medical affairs, and operations to keep clinical strategy aligned and moving.
• Build and manage a small team, with a plan to add one to two hires (permanent or consulting) as the data and strategy dictate.

Requirements

• MD required - or Ph.D if previous work was in Immunology or Autoimmunity.
• Clinical development experience (any indication - Immunology / autoimmunity is a plus). The only exception are people who are "purists" - so if you have only worked for example in oncology and nothing else, could be tricky. Apply anyway, but want to be upfront with you.
• Track record designing Phase I–III trials (Ideally II / POC studies).
• Comfortable operating hands-on in a lean biotech: strategic when needed, in the detail when needed.
• Based in the EU, able to travel to the German HQ around 4–5 days per month (a 1 week block is fine) - (relocation to Germany welcome but not required).

Right vs Wrong

• This is perfect for - people who are Senior Director / VP already. They want flexibility in their work and like the idea of helping a company enter the next stages of growth. Unafraid to drive projects themselves and enjoy working with smaller teams / get sh-t done mentality.
• Not right for - people looking for a CMO role. People with no trial design / clinical development it will not work (i.e. Medical Affairs, Safety etc). I need end to end trial design experience. People who want to lead 10 programs or direct reports (that is big pharma, not biotech).
• Could be right for - maybe open to very experienced consultants who are willing to work 3-4 days a week. You will need strong Auto-immune / Immunology for this.

The offer

• €150,000 – €210,000 base salary, depending on experience + 15% Bonus.
• Hybrid: home based within the EU, with ~4–5 days per month at the German HQ (a major German city).
• A genuine leadership seat: you shape the programme and the team, working directly with the executives - reporting into C Suite. (CEO, CMO, CSO)
• Join at a pivotal, data-rich moment with room to grow the role as the pipeline advances.
• Small, supportive, science-driven team. An environment that's genuinely supportive of young families.

As always, a human (me, Charles) wrote this, and a human will read every application. I can't promise personalised feedback, but I'll do my best to give everyone at least a clear yes or no.

So if you want to own the clinical strategy of a differentiated autoimmunity programme at a biotech that's small enough for it to matter - I'd love to hear from you.