Full-Time

Clinical Trial Liaison Director

West

Kardigan

Kardigan

201-500 employees

Biotech firm developing cardiovascular medicines

Compensation Overview

$253k - $329k/yr

United States

Remote

Role covers South San Francisco, Los Angeles, and San Diego, with travel up to 70%.

Bachelor's, Master's, PharmD, PhD, MD

Category
Biology & Biotech (1)
Required Skills
Word/Pages/Docs
Excel/Numbers/Sheets
PowerPoint/Keynote/Slides

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Requirements
  • A minimum Bachelor’s degree is required; a master’s or terminal degree such as MD, PhD, or PharmD is preferred.
  • At least 10 years of relevant industry and/or contract research organization experience is required.
  • Extensive site-facing clinical trial operations experience is required.
  • Extensive medical and scientific knowledge and understanding of clinical development are required.
  • The candidate must be able to communicate technical and scientific information effectively.
  • The candidate must be able to build relationships with the external medical community.
  • The candidate must be proactive and self-motivated and able to align activities with clinical development plans.
  • Strong organizational skills, effective time management, and prioritization are required.
  • Cross-cultural awareness is required.
  • Fluency in English and the local language of the country of residence is required.
  • Working knowledge of International Council for Harmonisation Good Clinical Practice is required.
  • Computer skills including Microsoft Excel, Word, and PowerPoint are required.
  • The candidate must be willing to travel frequently within the assigned geographical territory, including overnight travel.
  • A valid driver’s license is required.
Responsibilities
  • Provide country or regional operational insight into site feasibility, site selection, and the overall patient recruitment strategy.
  • Identify and cultivate high-quality cardiovascular investigators.
  • Communicate scientific and clinical information clearly and accurately so sites understand study objectives, rationale, investigational product profiles, updates, and amendments.
  • Collaborate with Clinical Operations and Clinical Development.
  • Participate in clinical study team meetings and quality meetings, providing study teams with input on operational issues based on site visits and contacts.
  • Attend and present at site initiation visits, investigator meetings, and monitor workshops or training sessions.
  • Participate in site visits with investigator site staff and/or contract research organization representatives, independently or with others, to support clinical trial execution and report feasibility, startup activities, enrollment, and escalated study or site issues to study teams.
  • Support enrollment and retention efforts through tailored discussions, data-driven insights, and relationship-building.
  • Review, document, and follow up on investigator site issues, including tracking metrics.
  • Provide regional operational support to the sponsor and act as a point of escalation for investigator sites when appropriate.
  • Identify and escalate site needs, barriers, and operational challenges to the Clinical Operations and Medical teams.
  • Participate in regulatory Good Clinical Practice inspections and/or audits at investigator sites as the sponsor representative.
  • Complete administrative responsibilities consistent with standard operating procedures and departmental guidelines, including required training, field activity documentation, expense reporting, and other assigned tasks.
  • Understand the scientific basis of assigned clinical trials.
  • Support the creation of educational materials that communicate the science behind clinical trials effectively.
  • Communicate the scientific basis of trials to team members, investigators, and site staff.
  • Identify effective prescreening strategies for each trial and recommend improvements.
  • Provide detailed reports of interactions with investigators and site staff.
  • Partner with Medical Affairs, Clinical Operations, and other cross-functional stakeholders to ensure consistent messaging and aligned site support.
  • Ensure all interactions comply with regulatory, ethical, and company standards.
Desired Qualifications
  • Cardiovascular clinical trial experience and expertise in cardiovascular disease, including heart failure, cardiomyopathies, hypertension, or cardiometabolic disease.

Kardigan develops medicines to prevent and treat cardiovascular disease. It focuses on discovering and developing multiple cardiovascular therapies at a rapid pace, using deep expertise in heart-health drug development to move candidates from research toward commercialization. Their product approach centers on creating medicines that address heart disease more effectively and earlier in the disease process. Kardigan differentiates itself through a leadership team of seasoned biopharma veterans and a commitment to modernizing how cardiovascular drugs are discovered and developed, aiming to bring therapies to patients faster and more efficiently. The company’s goal is to reduce the global burden of cardiovascular disease by providing safe, effective medicines that prevent progression or cure conditions related to heart health.

Company Size

201-500

Company Stage

IPO

Headquarters

South San Francisco, California

Founded

2023

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Simplify Jobs

Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

  • June 2026 IPO raised $460 million gross, lifting cash to $660.7 million.
  • August 2026: KINSHIP-DCM Phase 3 started, while KARDINAL-ASH enrolled its first patient.
  • ESC 2026 presentations and 1H 2027 topline data keep multiple catalysts ahead.

What critics are saying

  • Kardigan reported $116.2 million Q2 2026 losses, burning IPO cash quickly.
  • All three programs need successful 1H 2027 readouts; one failure could erase valuation.
  • No product revenue exists; another financing round before 2028 would dilute shareholders.

What makes Kardigan unique

  • Tassos Gianakakos and Jay Edelberg built MyoKardia’s mavacamten playbook, then Kardigan.
  • Kardigan pairs Prolaio AI with late-stage cardio trials for narrower, faster registrational studies.
  • Danicamtiv, ataciguat, and tonlamarsen target separate unmet cardiovascular niches without approved therapies.

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Benefits

Hybrid Work Options

Growth & Insights and Company News

Headcount

6 month growth

15%

1 year growth

15%

2 year growth

30%
MarketScreener
Jun 18th, 2026
Kardigan makes strong Nasdaq debut following upsized IPO.

Kardigan makes strong Nasdaq debut following upsized IPO. Kardigan delivered a notable market debut on the Nasdaq, raising $400m in an upsized initial public offering. Shares of the cardiovascular treatment specialist opened at $16.25, above the $16 IPO price, before climbing more than 22% during the session. This performance underscores a resurgence in investor appetite for biotechnology firms boasting advanced clinical programs and robust growth prospects. Published on 06/18/2026 at 03:52 pm EDT Based in Princeton, New Jersey, Kardigan is developing several precision therapies for cardiovascular diseases. Its pipeline notably includes drug candidates danicamtiv, ataciguat, and tonlamarsen. Management has indicated that pivotal data regarding these three programs are expected during the first half of next year. The company was founded by Tassos Gianakakos and Jay Edelberg, two former executives who played key roles in the development of the heart medication mavacamten at MyoKardia, which was acquired by Bristol Myers Squibb for $13bn in 2020. This transaction takes place within a more favorable environment for biotech IPOs following several years defined by tighter access to capital. However, analysts point out that Kardigan may require additional financing in the medium term. The company stated in its regulatory filings that its current resources would not be sufficient to fund operations for at least twelve months without further capital injections, even though the funds raised are intended to accelerate the development of its clinical programs. (C) MarketScreener.com - 2026

IPO Scoop
Jun 18th, 2026
Kardigan

Disclaimer: A SCOOP Rating (Wall Street Consensus of Opening-day Premiums), is a general consensus taken, at press time, from Wall Street and investment professionals concerning how well an IPO might perform when it starts trading. The SCOOP Rating does not reflect the opinions of anyone associated with IPOScoop.com. The SCOOP ratings should not be taken as investment advice. The rating merely reflects the opinion of the professionals at the time of publication and is subject to last-minute changes due to market conditions, changes in a specific offering and other factors, such as changes in the proposed offering terms and the shifting of investor interest in the IPO. The information offered is taken from sources we believe to be reliable, but we cannot guarantee the accuracy.

StockTitan
Jun 18th, 2026
Kardigan prices upsized $400M IPO at $16 per share on Nasdaq

Kardigan, a clinical-stage precision therapeutics company developing treatments for cardiovascular diseases, has priced its initial public offering of 25 million shares at $16 per share. The offering is expected to generate gross proceeds of $400 million before underwriting discounts and expenses. The company has granted underwriters a 30-day option to purchase an additional 3.75 million shares. Kardigan's shares are expected to begin trading on the Nasdaq Global Market on 18 June 2026 under the ticker symbol "KARD", with the offering closing on 22 June 2026. J.P. Morgan Securities, Jefferies, Leerink Partners and TD Securities are serving as underwriters. Based in South San Francisco and Princeton, Kardigan focuses on developing medicines targeting cardiovascular diseases without approved treatments.

pharmaphorum
Jun 18th, 2026
Heart drug biotech Kardigan raises $400m in upscaled IPO.

Heart drug biotech Kardigan raises $400m in upscaled IPO. Cardiovascular drug developer Kardigan has completed its IPO, and in common with the prevailing trend in Nasdaq listings this year, has raised substantially more than it originally anticipated. The gross proceeds have come in at around $400 million, with 25 million shares sold for $16 apiece, which compares to Kardigan's earlier objective of selling 23.3 million at a range of $14 to $16. The final tally could be increased by another $60 million or so if underwriters take up an option to buy another 3.75 million shares at the final price. The proceeds - which top up cash reserves of around $287 million held by Kardigan at the end of March - will go towards the company's three clinical-stage drug candidates, which are all in late-stage development, along with R&D and general corporate purposes. Between $80 million and $90 million is earmarked for danicamtiv, an oral cardiac myosin activator for dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) driven by MYH7 and TTN gene variants in genes coding for the sarcomere, the functional unit of muscle tissue. That should allow Kardigan to complete an ongoing phase 2b trial and the start of phase 3 development, according to its IPO prospectus. The company has allocated the same amount to ataciguat, a once-daily, oral soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC) activator for calcific aortic valve stenosis (CAVS), and $40 million to $50 million for tonlamarsen, an angiotensinogen-targeted subcutaneous antisense oligonucleotide for blood pressure management in acute severe hypertension (ASH). Once again, that should fund the completion of ongoing phase 2b studies of the two drugs and the start of phase 3, with another $50 million to $60 million pledged to other R&D activities. That includes the further development of its Prolaio platform for applying AI to cardiovascular drug development, which it acquired for up to $200 million. Phase 2b data from the KINSHIP-DCM trial of danicamtiv is due in the first half of 2027, with a series of readouts from the KATALYST-AV study of ataciguat and the KARDINAL study of tonlamarsen also expected next year. Founded by former executives from MyoKardia - which was bought by Bristol Myers Squibb for $13.1 billion in 2020 - Kardigan is based in Princeton, New Jersey, with a second site in South San Francisco. Kardigan's stock is due to start trading on the Nasdaq tomorrow under the KARD ticker symbol. 18 June, 2026

Caproasia
Jun 14th, 2026
United States heart drug biotech company Kardigan Nasdaq IPO to raise $373 million at $1.4 billion valuation with expected IPO listing on 18th June 2026, co-founded in 2023 by Tassos Gianakakos.

United States heart drug biotech company Kardigan Nasdaq IPO to raise $373 million at $1.4 billion valuation with expected IPO listing on 18th June 2026, co-founded in 2023 by Tassos Gianakakos. Jun 15, 2026 15th June 2026 | Hong Kong United States heart drug biotech company Kardigan Nasdaq IPO is raising $373 million at $1.4 billion valuation, with expected IPO listing on 18th June 2026. Kardigan was co-founded in 2023 by Tassos Gianakakos. Kardigan - Kardigan is a patient-driven heart health company that is modernizing cardiovascular drug development to deliver medicines that move patients beyond symptom management to functional cures. By matching critical disease drivers with treatment responders identified in clinical trials, Kardigan is developing a portfolio of medicines that modify the underlying cardiovascular disease pathophysiology to get patients closer to the cures they deserve. Kardigan has significant East and West Coast operations and focus. "United States heart drug biotech company Kardigan Nasdaq IPO to raise $373 million at $1.4 billion valuation with expected IPO listing on 18th June 2026, co-founded in 2023 by Tassos Gianakakos"