Director, Medical Science Liaison / Regional Medical Lead

About Us  

Kardigan is a heart health company working to make cardiovascular disease preventable, curable and no longer the leading cause of death in the world.

It is Kardigan’s mission to develop multiple targeted treatments in parallel that bring people with cardiovascular diseases to the cures they deserve.

Led by Tassos Gianakakos, Jay Edelberg, M.D., Ph.D., and Bob McDowell, Ph.D., Kardigan’s co-founders have reunited after leading MyoKardia to discover and develop mavacamten, the first cardiac myosin inhibitor, resulting in an acquisition by Bristol Myers Squibb in 2020.

We have a cutting-edge discovery and translational research platform, a pipeline of late-stage candidates, and an industry-leading team that is driven to improve the lives of patients.

At Kardigan, we are motivated by our values which guide how we work, interact, and achieve our goals. Driven by patients and their families , we are deeply committed to improving the lives of patients and prioritizing their needs above all else. We believe in being authentic —leading with truth to bring out the best in others by creating an environment where every person knows they will be fully accepted. With an eagerness to learn , we encourage the highest levels of curiosity and are open to changing our minds. We are committed to winning as a team with urgency, excellence, and intention, and support each other no matter what role we play or where we sit. Lastly, we strive to enable the impossible because patients are counting on us. We are not afraid to take risks to unlock innovation and advance scientific discoveries.

These values are the foundation of our work, empowering us to make a real difference, every day.

Job Overview  

The Director, Medical Science Liaison (MSL) / Regional Medical Lead (RML) serves as a field-based scientific leader responsible for advancing the medical strategy within a defined region. This role combines traditional MSL responsibilities with regional leadership oversight, strategic execution, and cross-functional collaboration to support cardiovascular assets across approved products and pipeline programs. 

The individual acts as a scientific expert in cardiovascular disease (e.g., heart failure, cardiomyopathies, hypertension, cardiometabolic disease, etc.), builds trusted partnerships with key opinion leaders (KOLs), and drives regional medical excellence aligned with global and U.S. medical strategy. 

Essential Duties and Responsibilities  

Scientific Engagement & KOL Development (MSL Function)

Develop and maintain strategic peer-to-peer relationships with leading cardiologists, heart failure specialists, interventionalists, and academic researchers. 

Conduct high-level scientific exchange regarding disease state, mechanism of action, clinical trial data, real-world evidence, and emerging pipeline assets.

Present and interpret complex cardiovascular clinical data (Preclinical research, Phase I–IV , biomarker data).

Identify unmet needs and evolving trends within cardiovascular treatment paradigms.

Support medical congresses (ACC, AHA, ESC, HFSA) through scientific engagement and insight capture.

Facilitate investigator-initiated studies (IIS) and research collaborations. 

Regional Medical Leadership Responsibilities

As a Regional Medical Lead, additional responsibilities include: 

Regional Strategy Execution

Translate national/global cardiovascular medical strategy into actionable regional plans.

Prioritize KOL engagement and resource allocation based on regional impact.

Identify high-value centers for clinical development and research partnerships.

Drive alignment between medical objectives and regional market dynamics.

Team Leadership & Mentorship

Serve as scientific mentor and thought partner to regional MSLs.

Support onboarding, field coaching, and scientific development of team members.

Lead regional medical team meetings and strategy reviews for future field medical team development

Ensure consistent, high-quality scientific engagement across the region.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

Partner with Clinical Development to identify high-performing cardiovascular trial sites.

Provide regional insights to Commercial, Market Access, and HEOR teams.

Collaborate with Safety and Regulatory regarding emerging data trends.

Support launch readiness planning across all cardiovascular assets.

Insight Generation & Strategic Influence

Aggregate regional field insights and communicate trends to Medical Affairs leadership.

Identify shifts in guideline interpretation, formulary access, and competitive positioning.

Contribute to lifecycle management strategies and publication planning.

Provide input into advisory board strategy and speaker development. 

Clinical & Research Support

Identify and cultivate high-quality cardiovascular investigators.

Support site feasibility, trial enrollment acceleration, and retention strategies.

Provide protocol education and scientific support in compliance with regulations.

Facilitate research proposal evaluation in partnership with Medical Affairs leadership. 

Compliance & Governance

Ensure all scientific interactions comply with FDA, EMA, Sunshine Act, and internal SOPs.

Maintain accurate documentation of all field activities in CRM systems.

Uphold ethical standards and scientific integrity in all engagements. 

Qualifications and Preferred Skills  

Education  

MD, PharmD, PhD, or equivalent advanced scientific degree required. *Salary Range posted is for MD candidates.  Non-MD range will be adjusted down

Experience  

5+ years in cardiovascular Medical Affairs, clinical research, or related field.

Prior MSL experience required.

Regional leadership or mentoring experience preferred.

Strong understanding of cardiovascular trials and guideline development. 

Expertise Areas May Include  

Heart Failure (HFrEF, HFpEF)

Dilated and Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy

Hypertension

Valvular Heart Diseases (Aortic Stenosis)

ASCVD & Lipid Disorders

Thrombosis & Anticoagulation

Cardiometabolic Disease

Rare Cardiovascular Condition 

  Exact Compensation may vary based on skills, experience and location.

Pay range $220,000 — $320,000 USD