---
title: 'Associate Director, Clinical Scientist at Kailera Therapeutics, Inc.'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/associate-director-clinical-scientist-kailera-therapeutics-inc-waltham-sgrctnmfaxpv'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-11-07'
---

# Associate Director, Clinical Scientist at Kailera Therapeutics, Inc.

- **Company:** Kailera Therapeutics, Inc.
- **Location:** Waltham, MA
- **Compensation:** $159k–$195k
- **Posted:** 2026-11-06
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-11-07
- **Apply:** https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/kailera/jobs/5475777008

## Job description

At Kailera, we are bold, authentic and committed to our mission of developing therapies that give people the power to transform their lives and elevate their overall health. Rooted in an entrepreneurial spirit and a team-oriented culture, we are working together to advance Kailera’s mission to advance novel therapies for obesity and related conditions.

We are passionate about creating an inclusive workplace that promotes collaboration, integrity, and excellence. As we expand, we seek the most talented individuals with diverse backgrounds, cultures, perspectives, and experiences to join our team.

What You’ll Do:

The Associate Director, Clinical Scientist is a unique opportunity to play a key role in the research and development organization. This role allows for hands-on scientific responsibility of clinical trial execution and delivery. For this role, we are seeking a resourceful and matrixed individual who excels in operating at both the study team and leadership levels to lead in day-to-day execution, data review, and data analysis of the program in support of a Phase 3 pivotal study slated for NDA submission.

This opportunity requires a creative thinker who takes independent initiative to identify and address challenges, while working cross-functionally to drive the development and refinement of clinical and scientific processes and procedures in support of program deliverables.

This individual will assume increasing strategic and leadership responsibilities with broad external scientific communication from study start-up through reporting in support of a growing development portfolio.

Required location: Waltham, MA (hub-based, onsite 3-4 days per week)

Responsibilities:

In cooperation with the Clinical Science Asset Lead and key R&D stakeholders this individual will contribute to clinical strategy with the following expectations:

- Support the Medical Directors for one or more Phase I–III clinical studies
- Lead studies across the full trial lifecycle, from start-up through database lock and reporting
- Provide scientific input to the efficacy and safety endpoint objectives of clinical trials
- Identify and provide solutions to data trends, inconsistencies, and potential issues; partnering with Data Management, Biostatistics, and Safety
- Collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams including Clinical Operations, Data Management, Biostatistics, Programming, Safety, and Regulatory
- Provide clinical oversight of study execution in collaboration with cross-functional teams and ensure alignment with overall clinical strategy in partnership with the Clinical Science Lead for the program
- Author, review, and contribute to trial documents, such as protocols, amendments, Investigator’s Brochures, and Clinical Study Reports
- Develop and deliver clear, well-structured presentations to study teams
- Understand and communicate the disease and treatment landscape to ensure scientific innovations are considered and/or incorporated into clinical trial development strategy
- Contribute to the development and standardization of templates, processes, infrastructure, and procedures to support clinical development
- Be flexible with travel and attend site related clinical development activities; form and maintain relationships with KOL’s

Required Qualifications:

- 5+ years of extensive hands-on experience supporting clinical trials in a clinical development role
- Experience working on study teams representing their technical expertise while working collaboratively with colleagues to achieve milestones and goals
- Demonstrates experience reviewing and interpreting clinical trial data listings
- Strong understanding of clinical trial conduct and cross-functional trial workflows
- Ability to work independently while navigating leadership demands by directing the broader study team in partnership with clinical operations
- Exceptional organizational, prioritization, leadership and execution skills
- Demonstrates strong ability to communicate cross-functionally
- Ability to manage multiple studies and deadlines in a fast-paced environment
- A dynamic individual who acts as the subject matter expert (SME) for the cross-functional study team and contributes to the development strategy as a member of a broader team
- Has a thorough understanding of the drug development process from IND/CTA through BLA/NDA submission
- Broad understanding of functional areas of drug development, including preclinical, regulatory, pharmacovigilance, drug supply, data sciences (data management, biostatistics, programming), and clinical operations (including site selection, study start-up, study conduct, and finalization)
- Ability to understand, interpret, and communicate clinical information including literature reviews, competitive intelligence, and changing treatment paradigms

Education:

- RN, MS, PhD or PharmD, or equivalent with clinical research experience. Advanced degree and/or professional certification/credentials highly preferred

Salary Range $159,000—$195,000 USD

For Full Time Roles: This range represents the company’s good-faith estimate of the salary at the time of posting. Actual pay may vary based on experience, skills, qualifications, location, and internal equity. We also offer comprehensive health coverage, flexible time off, paid holidays, and a year-end shutdown. Enjoy a monthly wellness stipend, generous 401(k) match, tuition reimbursement, commuter benefits, disability and life insurance, plus annual bonus opportunities and equity grants—because your well-being and future matter to us.

## EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY INFORMATION:

Kailera Therapeutics, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer that does not discriminate on the basis of actual or perceived race (including traits historically associated with race, such as hair texture and protective hairstyles), color, creed, religion (including religious dress and grooming practices), national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, age (40 and over), sex or gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, pregnancy-related conditions, and lactation), gender identity or expression (including transgender status), sexual orientation, marital status, military service and veteran status, physical or mental disability, genetic information, reproductive health decisions, domestic victim status, political affiliation, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local laws and ordinances.

E-Verify:

Kailera Therapeutics, Inc. uses E-Verify to confirm the identity and employment eligibility of all new hires.

#LI-Hybrid

## About Kailera Therapeutics, Inc.

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: Kailera Therapeutics is an advanced clinical-stage biotechnology company developing a diversified pipeline of GLP-1‑based therapies for obesity and overweight.
- **Entity Type**: Private (clinical stage; in‑licensed through a strategic collaboration with Jiangsu Hengrui Pharmaceuticals)
- **Headquarters**: Waltham, Massachusetts, United States
- **Founded**: Not publicly available
- **Founders**: Not publicly available

## Core Business
- **Primary industries**: Biotechnology / Obesity therapeutics
- **Target customers**: B2B (pharma partnerships) and ultimately patients and healthcare providers managing obesity and overweight
- **Mission**: To give people the power to restore their health and transform their lives by delivering category‑leading obesity management medications. [kailera.com/about-us](https://www.kailera.com/about-us/)

## Products & Services
Kailera’s pipeline is designed to address diverse unmet needs in obesity care, building on clinical data from Hengrui’s trials in China. All candidates are in‑licensed from Hengrui with exclusive rights outside China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan.

- **Ribupatide (KAI‑9531)** – Once‑weekly injectable GLP‑1/GIP receptor dual agonist peptide; currently in a global Phase 3 program.
- **Ribupatide oral tablet** – Once‑daily oral formulation of the dual agonist.
- **KAI‑7535** – Oral small‑molecule GLP‑1 receptor agonist (clinical stage).
- **KAI‑4729** – Once‑weekly injectable GLP‑1/GIP/glucagon receptor tri‑agonist (clinical stage).

## Market Standing
- **Valuation / Market Cap**: Not disclosed (private company)
- **Key Metric**: Total funding – not publicly available; revenue – none (pre‑commercial). Pipeline lead in Phase 3.
- **Notable Investors / Partners**: Jiangsu Hengrui Pharmaceuticals Co., Ltd. (strategic collaboration and in‑licensing partner). Leadership team includes veterans from Cerevel Therapeutics, Translate Bio, Bain Capital Life Sciences, Amgen, Frazier Life Sciences, and AbbVie. [kailera.com/leadership](https://www.kailera.com/leadership/)
- **Growth Signals**:
  - Ribupatide clinical data presented at the American Diabetes Association (ADA) 2026.
  - Global Phase 3 program underway for ribupatide.
  - Multiple clinical‑stage candidates (oral, small molecule, tri‑agonist) targeting different patient needs.
  - Active hiring with 29 open positions (as of mid‑2026) across R&D, clinical, supply chain, regulatory, and corporate functions. [job-boards.greenhouse.io/kailera](http://job-boards.greenhouse.io/kailera)

## Competitive Advantages
- **Diversified modality pipeline**: Injectable dual agonist, oral formulation, oral small molecule, and tri‑agonist – covering a broad range of patient preferences and treatment stages.
- **Cross‑border development acceleration**: Access to Hengrui’s clinical data from China informs and de‑risks global trials.
- **World‑class leadership**: CEO Ron Renaud (former CEO of Cerevel and Translate Bio, both acquired by AbbVie and Sanofi respectively). CMO Scott Wasserman, M.D. (former CEO of Latigo Biotherapeutics, former Amgen VP leading metabolic and cardiovascular portfolios). Commercial and operational executives from top pharma. [kailera.com/leadership](https://www.kailera.com/leadership/)
- **Obesity‑first focus**: Pipeline deliberately built for the chronic, progressive nature of obesity, aiming to address the gap for greater weight loss and higher‑BMI patients.

## Strategic Focus
Kailera’s immediate priority is advancing ribupatide through Phase 3 to regulatory submission while progressing the earlier‑stage oral and tri‑agonist programs. The company aims to “elevate the next era of obesity care” by delivering multiple options for patients no matter where they are in their treatment journey. [kailera.com/](https://www.kailera.com/)

## Why Work Here
- **Culture (“Kai Values”)**: Emphasizes courage, collaboration, compassion, and commitment. The team operates with entrepreneurial spirit, transparency, and a patient‑centered mission. [kailera.com/join-our-team](https://www.kailera.com/join-our-team/)
- **Work Model**: Hybrid and remote options available – many roles are based in Waltham, MA, but some (e.g., Statistical Programming, Clinical Quality Assurance) are listed as US‑Remote.
- **Notable Perks**: Purpose‑driven work in a fast‑growing therapeutic area; opportunity to work with top industry veterans; exposure to a pipeline that spans multiple cutting‑edge modalities (injectable, oral, small molecule).
- **Growth Opportunity**: With 29 open positions across all levels (Associate Director to Senior Director), the company is scaling rapidly, offering significant career advancement in a high‑impact field.

## Sources
1. [kailera.com](https://www.kailera.com/)
2. [kailera.com/about-us](https://www.kailera.com/about-us/)
3. [kailera.com/leadership](https://www.kailera.com/leadership/)
4. [kailera.com/join-our-team](https://www.kailera.com/join-our-team/)
5. [job-boards.greenhouse.io/kailera](http://job-boards.greenhouse.io/kailera)

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