Senior Director, Medical Affairs, Medical Science Liaisons

Company: Denali
Location: South San Francisco
Posted on: November 1, 2025

Job Description:

Neurodegenerative diseases are one of the largest medical challenges of our time. Denali Therapeutics is a biotechnology company dedicated to developing breakthrough therapies for neurodegenerative diseases through our deep commitment to degeneration biology and principles of translational medicine. Denali is founded on the collaboration of leading scientists, industry experts, and investors who share the vision that scientific discovery energetically applied to translational medicine is the key to delivering effective therapies to patients. We invite you to consider an opportunity with Denali to help achieve our goal of delivering meaningful therapeutics to patients. The Senior Director, Medical Science Liaisons (MSLs) provides global field medical affairs leadership across the clinical stage portfolio. The Senior Director, MSLs is a key member of the Commercial, Medical and Public Affairs (CMPA) leadership team, responsible for delivering the organizational strategy for effective and compliant medical affairs field deployment and management of the MSL team. This leader will engage with CMPA leadership, commercial functions, and clinical development program teams to support product strategy and ensure coordinated field engagement with external customers. Strategic agility, deep knowledge of field medical success metrics, intimate familiarity with compliance requirements in global customer engagement, and an ability to integrate and disseminate cutting-edge therapeutic area knowledge in neuroscience and rare disease are essential. Key Accountabilities/Core Job Responsibilities: Provide strategic and managerial oversight for Medical Affairs field teams on thought leader identification and engagements, insights gathering, and materials used for field engagement Work seamlessly with medical affairs leadership, clinical development, and commercial functions to develop integrated molecule product strategies and coordinated, compliant customer interactions Design, evolve, and implement a multi-year roadmap for external scientific engagement capabilities including MSL communications, material development, and resourcing needs as molecule programs advance progress toward future launch readiness Define strategy for regional and national professional medical, payer/health care organization, and patient society meetings to learn, gather clinical and business insights and support corporate activities Develop and maintain an efficient and compliant operating model for field scientific engagement including data dissemination and insights collection Manage and evolve Denali’s medical customer relationship management (CRM) platform, including appropriate documentation of interactions in accordance with company policies and regional and national guidelines Responsible for MSL overall spend, budget management Ensure high quality standards for SOP development, training, compliance, and IT platform utilization for the MSL organization Oversee training, and hiring of exceptional field medical personnel facile with both deep scientific content and excellence in customer engagement; lead direct report(s) through annual goal setting, growth planning, adherence to company policies, maintain training compliance and provide ongoing feedback on growth, development and areas of improvement. Qualifications/Skills: PharmD, PhD, MD with demonstrated track record of scientific excellence; specialty training in neurology and/or neurodegeneration preferred 12 years of relevant work experience including 10 years in the biopharmaceutical industry in a people management role and 7 years as a medical science liaison Demonstrated excellence in people management Comprehensive understanding of regulations, standards and guidelines regarding field medical activities in a global biopharmaceutical context Track record of excellence in design and oversight of field team training and assessment programs Track record of leading teams in completing tasks to deadlines and on budget Ability to thrive in a dynamic, evolving environment and to collaborate effectively with people at all levels of the organization Travel will be required Salary Range: $288,000.00 to $322,000.00 . Compensation for the role will depend on a number of factors, including a candidate’s qualifications, skills, competencies, and experience. Denali offers a competitive total rewards package, which includes a 401k, healthcare coverage, ESPP and a broad range of other benefits. This compensation and benefits information is based on Denali’s good faith estimate as of the date of publication and may be modified in the future.This compensation and benefits information is based on Denali’s good faith estimate as of the date of publication and may be modified in the future. Denali is committed to its core company value of unity by creating a diverse and inclusive environment. We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer and do not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, sex, age, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, status as a veteran, basis of disability, or any other federal, state, or local protected class.

Keywords: Denali, South San Francisco , Senior Director, Medical Affairs, Medical Science Liaisons, Science, Research & Development , South San Francisco, California