Director, Medical Communications

Socket.dev; Palo Alto (CA); On-site; USD 203,000 - 253,000; Full time

Job summary

Summit Therapeutics Inc. is seeking a Director of Medical Communications to lead the development and execution of a comprehensive medical communications strategy focused on NSCLC, CRC, and other solid tumors.

This onsite role in Palo Alto will align internal and external stakeholders and oversee scientific content across education programs, digital channels, and congresses. You will partner with Medical Affairs, Regulatory, Clinical Development, and Commercial teams to ensure scientific rigor

Qualifications

• Advanced scientific or medical degree (PhD, PharmD, MD) with 8+ years in Medical Affairs/Medical Communications.
• Experience in oncology, NSCLC and CRC.
• Deep understanding of industry guidelines (PhRMA, FDA, etc.).
• Ability to translate complex scientific data into clear communications.
• Strong cross-functional collaboration and leadership.

Responsibilities

• Design, implement, and maintain global medical communications strategy.
• Create core scientific narratives to guide messaging.
• Oversee development of scientifically accurate medical content across materials and events.
• Ensure consistency of medical messaging across channels.
• Collaborate with Medical Affairs, Regulatory, Clinical Development and Commercial teams.
• Lead external agencies, writers, and vendors for compliant content.
• Mentor medical writers and manage centralized reference libraries.
• Drive congress planning and amplification of scientific presence.
• Identify opportunities to increase visibility at major oncology congresses.

Skills

Advanced degree

Oncology experience

Medical communications

Guidelines knowledge

Project management

Stakeholder engagement

Scientific storytelling

Education

PhD/MD/PharmD

Job description

About Summit:

Summit Therapeutics Inc. is a biopharmaceutical oncology company with a mission focused on improving quality of life, increasing potential duration of life, and resolving serious unmet medical needs. At Summit, we believe in building a team of world class professionals who are passionate about this mission, and it is our people who drive this mission to reality. Summit’s core values include integrity, passion for excellence, purposeful urgency, collaboration, and our commitment to people. Our employees are truly the heart and soul of our culture, and they are invaluable in shaping our journey toward excellence.

Summit’s team is inspired to touch and help change lives through Summit’s clinical studies in the field of oncology. Summit has multiple global Phase 3 clinical studies, including:

Non-small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC)

• HARMONi: Phase 3 clinical study which was intended to evaluate ivonescimab combined with chemotherapy compared to placebo plus chemotherapy in patients with EGFR-mutated, locally advanced or metastatic non-squamous NSCLC who were previously treated with a 3rd generation EGFR TKI.
• HARMONi-3: Phase 3 clinical study which is intended to evaluate ivonescimab combined with chemotherapy compared to pembrolizumab combined with chemotherapy in patients with first-line metastatic NSCLC.
• HARMONi-7: Phase 3 clinical study which is intended to evaluate ivonescimab monotherapy compared to pembrolizumab monotherapy in patients with first-line metastatic NSCLC.

Colorectal Cancer (CRC)

• HARMONi-GI3: Phase 3 clinical study intended to evaluate ivonescimab in combination with chemotherapy compared with bevacizumab plus chemotherapy.

Ivonescimab is an investigational therapy not presently approved by any regulatory authority other than China’s National Medical Products Administration (NMPA). Summit is headquartered in Miami, Florida, and has additional offices in California, New Jersey, the UK, and Ireland.

Overview of Role:

Director, Medical Communications will lead the development and execution of a comprehensive medical communications strategy, ensuring alignment across internal and external stakeholders for ivonescimab with focus on NSCLC, CRC, and other solid tumors. This role will oversee and manage scientific communications platforms and contribute to medical content supporting the organization’s medical and scientific engagement efforts.

This is an onsite role based in Palo Alto, CA. This position will report to the Senior Director, Medical Communications and Information.

Role and Responsibilities:

• Design, implement, and maintain global medical communications strategy supporting product launches, lifecycle management, and scientific engagement ensuring consistency, clarity, and scientific rigor across all external and internal communications.
• Create the scientific communications platform and core scientific narratives to guide consistent, high impact messaging.
• Oversee development of scientifically accurate medical content across education programs, training materials, digital channels, symposia, RMSD tools, and congresses.
• Ensure consistency and alignment of medical messaging across all communication channels and materials.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with Medical Affairs (e.g., Field Medical (RMSDs), Patient Advocacy, Training, Medical Information and Medical Education), Regulatory, Clinical Development, and Commercial partners across the organization to ensure alignment and accuracy in messaging and to ensure a cohesive medical communications and engagement strategy.
• Partner with external agencies, key opinion leaders, and scientific experts to strengthen relevance and impact.
• Lead, mentor, and develop medical writers and communication specialists, driving quality, compliance, and timely delivery.
• Manage and support centralized reference library for scientific decks, field medical materials (RMSD tools), medical booth content, infographics, videos, and other external engagement materials.
• Drive scientific congress planning and execution, including coordination of symposia, abstracts/posters and presentations.
• Identify opportunities to amplify scientific presence at major oncology congresses.
• All other duties as assigned

Experience, Education and Specialized Knowledge and Skills:

• Advanced scientific or medical degree (PhD, PharmD, MD) with 8+ years of experience in Medical Affairs, Medical Communications within the biotechnology or pharmaceutical industry; MS or equivalent experience in biomedical sciences or related field considered.
• Experience in oncology, specifically NSCLC and CRC.
• Deep understanding of industry guidelines, and best practices (PhRMA Code, GPP 2022, FDA, OIG, AdvaMed, Sunshine Act).
• Proven ability to develop and execute medical communication strategies aligned with company and scientific priorities.
• Familiarity with clinical development and real-world evidence (RWE) and how these influence scientific communication strategies.
• Ability to manage external agency relationships, medical writers, and vendors to ensure quality and compliance in content development.
• Ability to translate complex scientific data into clear, engaging, and compliant communications for different stakeholders.
• Ability to work in fast-paced, matrixed environments and lead cross-functional initiatives.
• Strong project management skills to oversee multiple priorities, timelines, and stakeholders effectively.
• Excellent communication, interpersonal, and presentation skills to engage internal and external stakeholders effectively.

Pay Transparency

$203,000—$253,000 USD

Actual compensation packages are based on several factors that are unique to each candidate, including but not limited to skill set, depth of experience, certifications, and specific work location. This may be different in other locations due to differences in the cost of labor. The total compensation package for this position may also include bonus, stock, benefits and/or other applicable variable compensation.

Summit does not accept referrals from employment businesses and/or employment agencies in respect of the vacancies posted on this site. All employment businesses/agencies are required to contact Summit’s Talent Acquisition team at [e-mail] to obtain prior written authorization before referring any candidates to Summit.

Summit Therapeutics Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer and takes pride in creating and maintaining diverse environment. We do not discriminate in recruitment, hiring, training or promotion or any other employment practices for reasons of race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age, sexual orientation, marital or veteran status, disability, or any other legally protected status.