Vice President Clinical Development

About the Role

The Vice President, Clinical Development - provides strategic and scientific leadership for all clinical programs, overseeing trial direction, design, execution and data analysis and interpretation from first-in-human through proof-of-concept, and approval. While anchored in early clinical development, this leader holds accountability across the full clinical development continuum — from first-in-human through late-stage trials and registration — ensuring seamless strategic continuity as programs advance. A primary focus of this role is to create an adaptable early development clinical strategy to support innovative trials that require creative, forward-thinking approaches to study design, endpoints, and operational strategy. Equally critical is building and sustaining a high-performing clinical development organization: attracting top talent, cultivating the next generation of clinical leaders, and fostering a culture of scientific rigor, accountability, and continuous learning. This leader will challenge conventional paradigms, applying rigorous scientific judgment and out-of-the-box thinking to inform key development decisions across all stages.

This position will oversee Clinical Sciences, Clinical Operations, Biostats/Data Mgmt and will partner cross-functionally with Regulatory Affairs, Translational Sciences, Medical Affairs, Commercial, Innovation lab, Finance and Legal to drive efficient and scientifically rigorous clinical work. This person will also work closely with the Business Development team and will be involved in clinical due diligence.

Let’s talk about some of the key responsibilities of the role:

Maintains an active, hands-on role in clinical strategy and execution, directly contributing to protocol development, study design decisions, data interpretation, and cross-functional problem solving that can rapidly and robustly assess proof-of-concept in early trials

• Provides leadership and strategic oversight in the determination of study strategy, objectives, scope and schedule to meet business needs; align the team on common priorities and initiatives
• Builds, develops, and retains a world-class Clinical Development team; establishes clear role expectations, performance standards, and growth pathways that attract exceptional talent and reduce attrition; actively mentors and sponsors emerging clinical leaders, providing hands-on coaching, stretch assignments, and deliberate succession planning to grow the organization’s long-term leadership depth
• Ensures the leadership team is kept informed of study progress and that all critical issues are appropriately escalated within the organization
• Fosters a close partnership with CMO and Medical Affairs team on all studies, from study design, site selection to KOL partnerships and BD Due Diligence.
• Fosters a close partnership with Innovation Lab Leadership and help advance IL programs into Early Development and beyond
• Key Partner to BD in all due diligence for clinical assessment and development pathways along with appropriate risk assessment
• Exhibits and fosters key leadership competencies, including an innovative mindset, strong business acumen, an outcome-driven orientation, and a commitment to growing and expanding the capabilities and capacity of the team
• Drives innovation by identifying and integrating cutting-edge technologies and methodologies into early development clinical trial design
• Shapes clinical plans including timelines, budgets and oversight of clinical teams
• Represents the company with investigators, regulators and executive leadership
• Drive contributions focused on generating information that supports safe use, patient targeting, and clinical/commercial positioning
• Reviews and interprets clinical data across all development stages — with particular depth in early and mid-stage studies — applying flexible analytical frameworks and innovative data evaluation strategies to generate insights that accelerate decision-making and de-risk late-stage investment
• Serve as a senior leader, participating in the broader leadership team and guiding strategic decisions
• Actively partners with Regulatory Affairs, Translational Sciences, Operations, Medical Affairs, BD and Commercial teams to drive company and asset strategy
• Shapes and sustains a high-performance team culture grounded in scientific excellence, psychological safety, and a shared commitment to patients; instils accountability while creating an environment where bold ideas are encouraged, tested rigorously, and translated into actionable clinical decisions
• Oversees full-stage clinical development strategy — from Phase 1 through registrational trials — ensuring that the scientific rigor and adaptive thinking applied in early development translate effectively into robust late-stage programs; provides key connectivity between early exploratory work and the disciplined execution required for regulatory approval

Factors for Success:

• Advanced degree(s) in relevant field (e.g. PharmD, MD, PhD) with deep experience and demonstrated success in early clinical development
• Experience in ophthalmology is preferred; dermatology, inflammatory diseases or infectious diseases a plus.
• Minimum of 15 years of biotech/pharmaceutical industry based clinical experience with broad exposure across all clinical development stages (Phase 1 through registration) and demonstrated hands-on experience designing and executing early proof-of-concept and Phase 1 clinical trials
• Ability to communicate complex scientific concepts across internal and external audiences, and the ability to influence cross-functional teams
• Established strategic leadership track record with evidence of excellent people management experience, problem solving, collaboration, and cross functional leadership
• Demonstrated track record of mentoring and developing clinical leaders; known for creating environments where high-potential scientists and physicians grow into senior decision-makers, and for building teams that consistently outperform in both scientific quality and execution speed
• Prior experience in clinical development at a start-up or small pharmaceutical company preferred
• Demonstrated ability to develop and execute drug development strategic plans, to develop contingency plans, to provide technical and strategic advice, and to meet milestones and budgets.
• Must be willing to be “hands on” and delve into details

Leadership Competencies - This role requires mastery of the Tarsus Leadership Competencies for Leading Teams, including:

• Empowering Others - Fosters empowerment by aligning authority with accountability, developing leaders’ decision-making capability, and creating systems that support performance and growth.
• Emotional Intelligence - Foster trust and psychological safety, navigating complex interpersonal dynamics with compassion and accountability, and adapting leadership style to support others while maintaining composure under pressure.
• Grows Capacity - Builds organizational capacity by developing talent systems, coaching cultures, and strategic partnerships that grow leadership strength and prepare the next generation of leaders. 
• Business Acumen - Demonstrates strong business acumen by anticipating market dynamics and using financial and strategic insight to guide investments, manage risk, and align priorities with long-term organizational value. 
• Innovative Mindset and Action - Demonstrates an innovative mindset by championing new ideas, investing in enabling systems and partnerships, and translating innovation into sustainable growth and organizational resilience.

A Few Other Details Worth Mentioning:

• The position will be based in our beautiful Irvine office, complete with onsite gym, pool, snacks, drinks, and occasional catered meals. We provide a hybrid work environment. Remote work is an option.
• We are passionate about our culture! Our Tarsans live our values of commitment to patients, empowerment to champion innovation, and teamwork to amplify impact!
• This position reports directly to our COO.
• Travel is required – up to 40%

At Tarsus, we understand the importance of attracting and retaining top talent. The expected base pay range for this position is $300,000 - $420,000 plus bonus, stock equity, and comprehensive benefits. The base pay range reflects the target range for this position, but individual pay will be determined by additional factors such as job-related skills, experience and relevant education or training. Our benefits include health, dental and vision insurance benefits to ensure your well-being. We believe in work-life balance and offer generous paid time off, including vacation, holidays, and personal days. For more details regarding Tarsus benefits, please visit: https://eb.alliant.com/26tarsusbenefitssnapshot.

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