Job description
Are you ready to join a team committed to making a meaningful impact on cancer treatment through the discovery and development of precision medicines? At Kura Oncology, you have an opportunity to be a part of something bigger, with a lasting impact that you can be proud of.
At Kura Oncology, we are working to change the paradigm and improve the science of cancer treatment. As an organization, we strive to cultivate a diverse and talented professional culture driven to develop precision medicine therapeutics.
As we continue to build a leading biotech organization with a strong culture, a patient-focused mindset and a team focused on relentless execution, we are looking for innovative, passionate professionals to join us and make our vision a reality.
To succeed at Kura, you will need to have a demonstrated ability for excellence in drug discovery and development and a roll-up your sleeves attitude. The ideal candidate will possess a values-driven work style where integrity and grit drive all behaviors, decisions, and actions.
ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:
The Executive Director, Medical Strategy, is a seasoned medical affairs leader with hematology-oncology expertise, strong business acumen, and an established track record of shaping medical strategy and driving medical launch readiness and execution in the US market. The ideal candidate will have robust experience working in close partnership within a high functioning, matrix team. He/she will be an integral part of the brand planning and launch team(s) and will play a pivotal role in building an effective partnership with a global development and commercialization partner. Areas of focus include developing medical strategies in alignment with brand imperatives, devising an integrated evidence generation plan, guiding the field medical team’s externally facing activities, supporting publications strategy, and coordinating/executing engagements with external stakeholders. This is a high visibility opportunity to launch a new asset and interface with senior and executive leadership for the right medical affairs leader.
- Develop and execute the ziftomenib integrated medical affairs strategy and plan in AML in collaboration and alignment with the brand planning team
- Accountable/responsible for creating and executing on the medical affairs launch readiness and launch plans in close partnership with other commercial team members (ie Marketing, Market Access, Sales, Insights and Analytics)
- Serve as the medical affairs lead in developing the ziftomenib evidence generation strategy in close partnership with cross-functional partners
- Drive the planning and execution of KOL and community HCP focused advisory boards, inclusive of launch advisory committee oversight, while developing impactful relationships with these external stakeholders
- Collaborate with the field medical (ie MSL) leadership to ensure medical strategy is pulled through in medical insights gathering or other field educational initiatives (ie territorial plan implementation)
- Partner with the medical affairs team and provide input into the development and refinement of the ziftomenib IST, medical education, and publications strategy
- Co-develop and oversee scientific content development while supporting competitive intelligence gathering and dissemination at US oncology congresses
- Collaborate with ziftomenib co-development and co-commercialization partner to obtain medical input and coordination of medical activities
- Serve as a disease state and asset-specific expert in providing training and education to internal teams, including the field medical and field commercial teams
- Selectively build a fit for purpose medical strategy support team, as needed
- Support medical strategy for life cycle management and pipeline programs as required
EXPERIENCE/QUALIFICATIONS:
- Masters or Advanced (i.e. MD, PharmD, PhD) degree in a life-sciences discipline plus 12+ years progressive experience in the biopharmaceutical industry, including 7+ years of medical strategy experience(s); Advanced degree preferred
- Hematologic oncology or solid tumors experience required
- Launch experience within hematologic oncology or solid tumors in the US market strongly preferred
- Demonstrated track record of successfully developing and implementing impactful US medical plans in alignment with overarching asset or brand plans
- Experience working and influencing in a matrix environment with other functional groups (e.g. Regulatory, Clinical Development, Clinical Operations, Commercial) and as part of intercompany partnerships where swiftly driving toward a decision and good working relationships are important
- Analytical thinker with excellent problem-solving skills
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills
- Excellent planning, organization, and project management skills
The base range for an Executive Director is $303,382 - $361,500 per year. Individual pay may vary based on additional factors, including, and without limitation, job-related skills, experience, work location, and relevant education or training. Kura’s compensation package also includes generous benefits, equity, and participation in an annual target bonus.
Kura’s Values that are used for candidate selection and performance assessments:
- We work as one for patients
- We are goal-focused and deliver with excellence
- We are science-driven courageous innovators
- We strive to bring out the best in each other and ourselves
The Kura Package
- Career advancement/ development opportunities
- Competitive comp package
- Bonus
- 401K + Employer contributions
- Generous stock options
- ESPP Plan
- 20 days of PTO to start
- 18 Holidays (Including Summer & Winter Break)
- Generous Benefits Package with a variety of plans available with a substantial employer match
- Paid Paternity/Maternity Leave
- In-Office Catered lunches
- Home Office Setup
- Lifestyle Spending Stipend
- Commuter Stipend (Boston Office)
- Regular employee social activities, including happy hours, monthly birthday celebrations, Kura Koffee Talks, and much more!
Kura Oncology is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company discovering and developing personalized therapeutics for the treatment of blood cancers and solid tumors. The company’s diverse pipeline consists of small molecules that target cancer signaling pathways where there is a strong scientific and clinical rationale to improve outcomes by identifying those patients most likely to benefit from treatment. Kura Oncology’s approach to drug development is focused on rapidly translating novel science into life-saving medicines. Our goal is to help patients with cancer lead better, longer lives. Kura Oncology has offices in San Diego, California, and Boston, Massachusetts.
Kura’s pipeline consists of three investigational drug candidates: ziftomenib, tipifarnib and KO-2806. Ziftomenib, a once-daily, oral drug candidate targeting the menin-KMT2A protein-protein interaction, has received Breakthrough Therapy Designation for the treatment of R/R NPM1-mutant acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Kura has completed enrollment in a Phase 2 registration-directed trial of ziftomenib in R/R NPM1-mutant AML (KOMET-001). The Company is also conducting a series of clinical trials to evaluate ziftomenib in combination with current standards of care in newly diagnosed and R/R NPM1-mutant and KMT2A-rearranged AML. Tipifarnib, a potent and selective farnesyl transferase inhibitor (FTI), is currently in a Phase 1⁄2 trial in combination with alpelisib for patients with PIK3CA-dependent head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (KURRENT-HN). Kura is also evaluating KO-2806, a next-generation FTI, in a Phase 1 dose-escalation trial as a monotherapy and in combination with targeted therapies (FIT-001). For additional information, please visit Kura’s website at www.kuraoncology.com and follow us on X and LinkedIn.
Kura Oncology is committed to creating a diverse environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status.
