Senior Director, Medical Capabilities

Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq ARWR) is a commercial stage biopharmaceutical company that develops medicines that treat intractable diseases by silencing the genes that cause them. Using a broad portfolio of RNA chemistries and efficient modes of delivery, Arrowhead therapies trigger the RNA interference mechanism to induce rapid, deep, and durable knockdown of target genes. RNA interference, or RNAi, is a mechanism present in living cells that inhibits the expression of a specific gene, thereby affecting the production of a specific protein. Arrowhead’s RNAi-based therapeutics leverage this natural pathway of gene silencing. Arrowhead is focused on developing innovative drugs for diseases with a genetic basis, typically characterized by the overproduction of one or more proteins that are involved with disease. The depth and versatility of our RNAi technologies enables us to potentially address conditions in virtually any therapeutic area and pursue disease targets that are not otherwise addressable by small molecules and biologics. Arrowhead is leading the field in bringing the promise of RNAi to address diseases outside of the liver, and our clinical pipeline includes disease targets in the liver and lung with a promising pipeline of preclinical candidates. Arrowhead’s corporate headquarters is in Pasadena, CA with research and development teams in Madison, WI & San Diego, CA, and a state of the art manufacturing facility in Verona, WI. Our employees are nimble, science-driven innovators who are collaborating to bring new therapies to patients in need. The Position Let's do something amazing together! We are seeking a Senior Director, Medical Capabilities, to lead the team responsible for scientific medical resources, Medical Information, and medical review across Arrowhead's commercialized and pipeline portfolio, primarily focused on the cardiometabolic therapeutic area. This leader will set priorities, build reliable processes, and develop colleagues while remaining a hands-on contributor to high-priority deliverables. The role ensures that Medical Affairs materials and responses are accurate, balanced, current, useful to their intended audiences, and delivered on time. The Senior Director partners with Medical Affairs colleagues including Field Medical, Medical Strategy, Evidence Generation and Dissemination, Clinical Development, Regulatory, Safety, Legal, and Commercial, as appropriate, and reports to the Group Vice President of Medical Affairs. This role is based in Pasadena with an expectation to be in office 5 days a week. Responsibilities Capability and Team Leadership - Lead, coach, and develop a team spanning medical resources, Medical Information, and medical review with global purview; define roles, standards, capacity, and development plans. - Own an integrated, prioritized workplan with clear owners, due dates, review milestones, and weekly status reporting; identify risks early and resolve or escalate barriers. - Develop and maintain scalable processes, training, quality checks, and systems for intake, authoring, review, and retirement of content. - Balance strategic direction with personal execution: directly create, critically edit, review, and deliver priority work when scientific complexity, timing, or capacity requires it. Medical Resources and Scientific Content - Lead the development and lifecycle management of cardiometabolic disease state and product resources, slide decks, field tools, FAQs, training materials, and congress resources for internal and external scientific exchange. - Translate clinical, real-world, and published evidence into clear, accurate, appropriately referenced scientific narratives; tailor content to approved audience and use. - Partner with Medical Affairs colleagues including Medical Strategy, Field Medical, Evidence Generation and Dissemination, and other scientific colleagues to identify content gaps, prioritize updates, and roll out resources with practical training and version control. - Personally draft or substantially revise complex and time-sensitive resources, including data updates and launch or pipeline materials. Medical Information - Lead the Medical Information function and its operating model, including intake, triage, response development, fulfillment, documentation, metrics, vendor oversight, and periodic review of standard responses. - Ensure responses to unsolicited medical inquiries are evidence based, balanced, accurate, timely, and tailored to the question within applicable policies and procedures. - Personally handle complex or escalated scientific inquiries and oversee appropriate handoffs to Safety, Quality, or other functions for adverse events, product complaints, and other reportable information. - Use inquiry trends and feedback to identify evidence gaps, improve standard response documents, and inform Medical Affairs planning and scalability. Medical Review and Governance - Provide timely scientific and medical review within the applicable cross-functional review process; assess data interpretation, claim support, references, fair balance, and consistency with current evidence and approved materials. - Personally review high-priority or complex materials and give specific, actionable feedback that enables accurate and timely resolution. - Maintain clear review standards, service timelines, documentation, and escalation pathways; partner with Regulatory, Legal, Compliance, and Commercial reviewers while respecting each function’s decision rights. - Oversee content accuracy and currency through scheduled review, change control, and prompt updates when new data or guidance affect existing materials. Requirements - Advanced scientific or healthcare degree (PharmD, PhD, MD, DO, or equivalent) or equivalent combination of education and relevant industry experience. - 10+ years of relevant biopharmaceutical experience, including substantial work in Medical Affairs, Medical Communications, Medical Information, or medical review. - Demonstrated ability to lead and develop colleagues, independently write and review scientific content, and manage multiple complex deliverables to deadlines. - Excellent scientific writing, editing, judgment, and communication skills; able to translate complex evidence into useful materials for different audiences. - Proven ability to set priorities, meet deadlines, maintain quality under pressure, and communicate progress and risks without prompting. - Collaborative leader who gives clear direction, holds the team accountable, accepts feedback, and works effectively across functions and regions. - Strong command of clinical data interpretation, scientific literature, references, and requirements for accurate, balanced medical communications; experience with review and content-management systems preferred. - Experience in launch readiness, rare disease, cardiometabolic medicine, or RNA-targeted therapeutics is a plus. - Knowledgeable and comfortable in global and dynamic environment California pay range $280,000—$300,000 USD Arrowhead provides competitive salaries and an excellent benefit package. Candidates must have current, valid authorization to work in the country where this role is located. California Applicant Privacy Policy