---
title: 'Medical Director or Senior Medical Director, Clinical Development at Lyell Immunopharma'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/medical-director-or-senior-medical-director-clinical-development-lyell-ac40a3d9fx1d'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-09-13'
---

# Medical Director or Senior Medical Director, Clinical Development at Lyell Immunopharma

- **Company:** Lyell Immunopharma
- **Location:** South San Francisco California, United States
- **Posted:** 2026-06-01
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-09-13
- **Apply:** https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/lyellimmunopharma/jobs/7711284003

## Job description

The Director or Senior Director, Clinical Development will serve as a key clinical contributor embedded in Lyell's small, high-impact development team. This individual contributor role is responsible for providing medical and scientific leadership across one or more clinical trials, supporting protocol development, regulatory interactions, and data interpretation as Lyell advances toward its first approval and commercial launch.

## KEY ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Clinical Trial Leadership & Execution

- Provide clinical leadership in the design, implementation, and oversight of cell therapy trials in oncology.
- Contribute meaningfully to clinical development plans (CDPs) and clinical trial protocols.
- Analyze and interpret clinical trial data; provide medical input for clinical study reports and regulatory documents.
- Ensure scientific integrity of clinical studies and compliance with GCP standards and regulatory requirements.

Regulatory & Compliance

- Collaborate with Regulatory Affairs to support preparation and review of regulatory submissions (IND, BLA, etc.).
- Serve as a medical representative in agency meetings (e.g., FDA, EMA) as appropriate.
- Oversee monitoring and reporting of adverse events and safety signals; contribute to risk management strategies.
- Ensure ethical conduct of clinical trials and adherence to all applicable regulatory guidelines.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

- Work closely with Clinical Operations, Biostatistics, Pharmacovigilance, Regulatory Affairs, and Medical Affairs.
- Contribute medical expertise to support cross-functional project teams and strategic planning.
- Support development and review of scientific content for regulatory documents and scientific communications.

External Engagement

- Represent Lyell at scientific conferences, industry meetings, and in interactions with KOLs.
- Build and maintain scientific relationships with clinical investigators and academic centers.

## PREFERRED EDUCATION

- MD required; MD/PhD or additional advanced training a plus.
- Board certification (current or prior) in oncology, hematology, or a related field preferred.

## PREFERRED EXPERIENCE

- Director - Minimum 5 years of clinical research experience in oncology, with a focus on cell therapy or immuno-oncology.
- Senior Director - Minimum 8+ years of pharmaceutical/biotech industry experience; 5+ years of clinical research experience in oncology.
- Demonstrated experience in the design, execution, and oversight of clinical trials.
- Experience with regulatory submissions and agency interactions (IND, BLA, FDA meetings) highly desirable.
- Prior industry experience in a pharmaceutical or biotech setting required.

## KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES

- Deep scientific expertise in oncology; ability to analyze and communicate complex clinical data to diverse audiences.
- Strong knowledge of regulatory requirements, GCP standards, and clinical development best practices.
- Excellent cross-functional collaboration skills; ability to work effectively across disciplines without direct authority.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills; comfortable engaging with external experts and internal senior leaders.
- Highly organized and able to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced, resource-constrained environment.
- Demonstrated adaptability: thrives in a pre-commercial biotech setting with evolving priorities and a leaner organizational infrastructure.
- Openness to adopting new technologies, including AI-assisted tools for clinical data synthesis and regulatory workflows; demonstrated willingness to learn and adapt as new capabilities are introduced into the development environment.

The salary range for this position is $240,000 to $300,000, annually, with the opportunity to earn an annual bonus. The salary range is an estimate, and the actual salary may vary based on Lyell’s compensation practices and an applicant’s qualifications and experience. Employees are also eligible to participate in Lyell’s Equity Incentive Plan.

At Lyell, we believe that highest performing teams include people from a wide variety of backgrounds and experiences who respectfully challenge each other. We are committed to building an open, diverse and inclusive culture for all employees. Lyell is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, citizenship status, national origin, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, age, religion, creed, physical or mental disability, medical condition, marital status, veteran status or any other characteristics protected under applicable federal, state and local laws.

## About Lyell Immunopharma

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: Lyell Immunopharma is a clinical-stage biotechnology company advancing next-generation CAR T-cell therapies designed to deliver durable remissions for patients with cancer.
- **Entity Type**: Public (ticker not explicitly confirmed in provided sources; investor relations page indicates public reporting)  
- **Headquarters**: South San Francisco, California, United States  
- **Founded**: Not publicly available from provided sources  
- **Founders**: Rick Klausner, M.D. (Founder & Chairman), Crystal Mackall, M.D. (Founder), Stan Riddell, M.D. (Founder)  

## Core Business
- **Primary industry**: Biotechnology – Cell Therapy / Oncology  
- **Target customers**: B2B (healthcare providers, clinical trial sites, and patients seeking one-time cell therapies)  
- **Mission / purpose**: “To fully realize the curative potential of cell therapy for patients with cancer” – advancing next-generation CAR T cells that provide potent, long-lasting responses in both hematologic malignancies and solid tumors.  

## Products & Services
- **Ronde-Cel (LYL797)**: A next-generation CAR T-cell product candidate targeting ROR1 in solid tumors; currently presenting clinical and translational data at conferences like ASH 2025.  
- **Other pipeline candidates**: Multiple undisclosed product candidates for hematologic malignancies and solid tumors, designed with novel CAR constructs, T-cell exhaustion‑resistance technologies, and proprietary manufacturing protocols.  

## Market Standing
- **Valuation / Market Cap**: Not publicly available from provided sources  
- **Key Metric**: Clinical-stage; no approved product yet. Most recent disclosed financing is a $50 million tranche of equity private placement (closed April 2026).  
- **Notable Investors / Partners**: Not explicitly listed in provided data; investors likely include those from private placements and institutional holders (details not available).  
- **Growth Signals**:  
  - Clinical progress with Ronde-Cel in solid tumors  
  - State-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Bothell, WA, approved for clinical and commercial production  
  - Active pipeline across hematologic and solid tumor indications  
  - Establishment of three West Coast hubs (South San Francisco HQ, Seattle, Bothell)  

## Competitive Advantages
- **Proprietary T-cell biology**: Pioneering approaches to prevent T-cell exhaustion, enabling longer‑lived and more potent cancer killing.  
- **End‑to‑end control**: Own and operate a dedicated manufacturing facility, ensuring supply chain control and product quality.  
- **Founding by cell‑therapy pioneers**: Founders (Klausner, Mackall, Riddell) are leaders in the field, providing deep scientific expertise.  

## Strategic Focus
- **Pipeline advancement**: Progress next‑generation CAR T candidates through clinical trials, aiming to improve outcomes over first‑generation CAR T therapies.  
- **Solid tumor expansion**: Aggressively develop therapies for solid tumors where current cell therapies have limited efficacy.  
- **Manufacturing scale‑up**: Leverage internal manufacturing to accelerate development and eventual commercialization.  

## Why Work Here
- **Culture**: Described as “grounded in science, infused with courage, and powered by respect and collaboration.” Employees report feeling welcomed and able to contribute, with diverse perspectives valued.  
- **Work model**: Hybrid – in‑office collaboration days and weekly lunches; offices in South San Francisco, Seattle (South Lake Union), and Bothell.  
- **Benefits**:  
  - Comprehensive medical, dental, vision (up to 100% premium for employees, 85% for dependents)  
  - Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP) with 15% discount  
  - 401(k) matching  
  - FSA/HSA options  
  - Company‑sponsored life insurance, short‑ and long‑term disability  
  - Paid vacation and sick time  
  - Commuter benefit  
  - Wellness program (mental health, physical fitness, financial wellness)  

## Sources
1. [Lyell.com – Company Overview](https://www.lyell.com/)  
2. [Lyell.com – Careers](https://www.lyell.com/careers/)  
3. [Lyell.com – Job Openings](https://www.lyell.com/careers/job-openings/)  
4. [Lyell.com – Investor Relations](https://ir.lyell.com/investor-relations)  
5. [Lyell.com – Leadership](https://www.lyell.com/about/leadership/)

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