Senior Director, Global Publications Lead

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The Company

Our client is a fast-growing, commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company singularly focused on a serious, progressive metabolic liver disease — one that, left untreated, can advance to cirrhosis, liver failure, and the need for transplantation. The company brought the first therapy of its kind to market in the U.S. and has since secured approval in the European Union as well, a milestone that positions it as the clear first-mover in a disease category analysts expect to be worth tens of billions of dollars by the end of the decade.

Quarterly product revenue has grown well over 100% year-over-year as adoption accelerates across both markets, and the organization continues to expand its pipeline through new licensing deals aimed at next-generation combination treatments.

The Role They Will Play

This is a newly elevated Senior Director role leading the strategy and execution of the organization’s global scientific publications program — directly shaping how peer-reviewed evidence about its flagship therapy reaches the physicians who prescribe it. The successful candidate will personally lead the writing, review, and approval of manuscripts, abstracts, and congress presentations, while helping formalize a publications governance process the function is actively scaling.

This is a highly visible builder’s role rather than a caretaker seat: the incumbent will help stand up infrastructure and process for a program still taking shape, with a clear line of sight to broader Medical Affairs leadership responsibility as the department — and its flagship product’s clinical evidence base — continues to expand. It reports to the Executive Director, Global Publications.

Key Responsibilities

• Define, prioritize, and execute global scientific publication needs for internal and external stakeholders.
• Own the annual publications plan — tactical execution, interdependencies, ownership, and budget management.
• Lead the writing, editing, and review of abstracts, posters, oral presentations, and manuscripts intended for peer-reviewed publication.
• Ensure all publications comply with the AMA Style Guide, ICMJE, and other industry standards; copyedit and fact-check for accuracy and consistency.
• Partner with external authors, investigators, and congresses to plan and deliver impactful publications.
• Work cross-functionally with medical information, clinical development, commercial, compliance, legal, and regulatory affairs to ensure consistent messaging.
• Lead publications committee meetings, integrating perspectives from medical writing, medical affairs, clinical development, and commercial stakeholders.
• Develop and maintain relationships with thought leaders, journal editors, congress organizers, and other scientific partners.
• Manage external publication service providers — freelancers and scientific communications agencies — including contracting, onboarding, and budget oversight.
• Provide strategic leadership on broader scientific communications initiatives: platforms, lexicons, global newsletters, Q&A documents, and congress reporting.
• Foster team development through mentoring and training; willingness to travel up to 30% for conferences and stakeholder meetings.

Background Profile

We’re looking for a scientifically fluent publications leader who can operate with the rigor of a physician-scientist and the pace of a commercial launch team.

• Expertise in global scientific publications strategy, medical writing, and AMA/ICMJE-compliant manuscript development.
• 15+ years’ Experience in healthcare or clinical practice, including at least 5 years in headquarters-based scientific publications.
• Exposure to publications management platforms such as iEnvision or PubStrat.
• Working Knowledge of cross-functional Medical Affairs collaboration spanning clinical development, HEOR/RWE, and biostatistics.
• Advanced degree (MD, PharmD, PhD, MPH, DNP, or equivalent) in a scientific or healthcare discipline, or equivalent experience; CMPP certification highly desirable.

Compensation & Logistics

• Base salary range: $253,000–$309,000, plus bonus and equity.
• Hybrid schedule — three days per week onsite (Greater Philadelphia, PA area).
• Travel: up to 30% for conferences and stakeholder meetings, including overnight trips.

About KBIC Life Sciences

Kaye/Bassman’s experienced pharmaceutical and biotechnology executive search team combines managing directors, partners, and tenured consultants who have exceptional industry and functional domain knowledge.

Because we were founded on the concept of Market Mastery™, each of our recruiters works in a specific functional domain that mirrors the departments of your company. Couple that with our Client Focused Search™ approach, and the result is that you get the top talent hand delivered to you fast. We work with scaling start-ups looking for cross-functional leadership. We also partner with established organizations focusing on strategic hires. All pharmaceutical, diagnostics, medical device, and related companies can benefit by partnering with Kaye/Bassman’s Pharma & Biotech team.