Director, Field Medical

As a critical member of Lyell's inaugural U.S. Field Medical Team, the Director, Field Medical will serve as a field-based subject matter expert on cellular therapy for the external health care professional (HCP) community and internal partners. Reporting directly to the Senior Director, Field Medical, this high-performing field medical professional will be responsible for driving strategic regional external engagement, deep therapeutic expertise, pivotal clinical trial support, and advanced insight generation across hematologic and solid tumors—particularly within cellular therapy to establish Lyell as the partner of choice in the rapidly evolving cellular therapy landscape. This role is expected to model AI-fluency for field medical — leveraging emerging tools for scientific synthesis, insight generation, and engagement planning to operate with the speed and impact of a team.

This role will initially operate as an individual contributor with a defined pathway to people management. As Lyell's field team expands, the Director, Field Medical will assume responsibility for recruiting, coaching, and leading a team of MSLs within their region.

Strategic Territory Ownership & Team Foundation

• Design and execute comprehensive, insight-driven regional territory plan aligned with Medical Affairs strategy through sophisticated mapping and engagement of HCPs, cellular therapy treatment centers, CAR-T referring networks, disease-area influencers, and institutional decision makers.
• Leverage advanced knowledge of the CAR-T ecosystem — augmented by AI-powered landscape tools, literature synthesis platforms, and digital signal monitoring — to anticipate scientific, clinical, and operational needs across the territory.
• Apply strategic acumen and innovation to shape regional medical priorities and tactics.
• Serve as foundational member of inaugural field medical team, contributing to creation of standardized field medical processes, external and internal resources, and mentorship and supervision of future MSL hires.
• Prepare for future team leadership by contributing to MSL hiring, onboarding frameworks, and performance management processes in partnership with the Senior Director, Field Medical.

Scientific Exchange & Stakeholder Engagement

• Function as the regional scientific expert in cellular immunotherapy, delivering high-impact, fair-balanced scientific exchange tailored to the needs of:
  • Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs)
  • Academic investigators
  • Transplant and cell therapy centers
  • Community oncology and hematology treaters
• Drive deep, peer-to-peer scientific discussions across complex topics such as CAR-T mechanism, safety management, durability, immune cell fitness, and trial protocols.
• Represent the organization with field presence at local regional conferences and major scientific meetings (e.g., ASH, ASCO, ESMO, SITC).
• Utilize AI-assisted tools for pre-call planning, scientific literature synthesis, and post-interaction insight capture to maximize the quality and consistency of HCP engagements.

Strategic Impact & Quality Adherence

• Generate high-quality, actionable medical insights by synthesizing signals across scientific conversations, clinical practice patterns, competitive intelligence, and emerging translational science — using AI-enabled tools to accelerate pattern recognition, summarization, and insight delivery to internal stakeholders.
• Serve as strategic, scientific thought partner of choice through proactively synthesizing data and insights that meaningfully inform:
  • Evidence generation plans, clinical trial design, and protocol amendments
  • Launch readiness and positioning
  • Cross-functional strategies (Clinical Operations, HEOR, R&D)
• Partner closely with Clinical Operations to accelerate site identification, study start-up and enrollment, and scientific training to investigators, sub investigators, research staff, and referral sites for pivotal clinical trials.
• Maintain strict adherence to compliance standards and accurate and timely documentation of field activity, insights, and expenses.
• Champion the responsible adoption of AI tools within the field medical function, while maintaining compliance and data integrity standards.

• PharmD, PhD, MD, or DO with residency/fellowship and board certification for clinical degrees preferred. Advanced degree in health sciences (NP, PA, RN) considered if extensive clinical/medical experience in therapeutic areas.
• Oncology/hematology specialty required; lymphoma and/or CAR-T cell therapy experience strongly preferred. Solid tumor experience (particularly GI oncology) valued.

• 5+ years pharmaceutical/biotech industry experience in a field medical or MSL role. Prior experience in a Senior MSL, Principal/Executive MSL, or field medical leadership capacity preferred.
• Demonstrated success engaging multi-disciplinary high-level academic and community providers.
• Demonstrated track record of solving complex problems and proactive field medical innovation.
• Demonstrated experience incorporating technology such as AI tools into field medical workflows, with a track record of rapid technology adoption.
• Experience contributing to or leading MSL team development, hiring, or onboarding a plus.

• Strong knowledge of clinical trial processes, CAR-T operational pathways, and latest immuno-oncology science.
• Expertise tailoring complex scientific and clinical data into relevant scientific exchange.
• Exceptional communication, presence, and scientific storytelling abilities.
• Comfort operating at the intersection of immuno-oncology science and emerging technology, including AI-enabled field operations.
• Ability to work autonomously in a rapidly evolving, high-growth biotech environment.
• Strategic and systems-level thinker and doer with deep scientific curiosity and expertise.
• Demonstrated ability to mentor, coach, or informally lead peers in a field medical setting.
• Exceptional collaboration and influence.
• High adaptability and comfort with ambiguity.
• Strong ethical judgment and integrity.
• Passion for transforming patient outcomes through cutting-edge science.
• Frequent travel (up to 50-70%), including visits to cellular treatment centers, community practices, and local regional conferences.