Pediatric Clinical Development Medical Director Lead (MD-Senior Director)

JOB SUMMARY

The Pediatric Clinical Development Medical Director Lead (Internal Medicine, Field‑Based) is a Senior Director–level, field‑based clinical development leadership role within Internal Medicine, operating independently of any Pfizer office location. The position is designed to support pediatric clinical programs through direct engagement with pediatric investigators, children’s hospitals, and research institutions across the United States, with geographic placement determined by field coverage needs rather than office proximity. 

The role is accountable for both hands‑on pediatric clinical site engagement and leadership of a small team of Pediatric Clinical Development Directors to enable timely and successful delivery of Internal Medicine pediatric clinical programs, with initial emphasis on the pediatric rimegepant portfolio. 

The role functions as a working Pediatric Clinical Development Medical Director, personally engaging with pediatric investigators, children’s hospitals, and study teams to accelerate site activation, optimize recruitment performance, and resolve site‑level issues that threaten enrollment timelines. In parallel, the role provides senior leadership and accountability for the pediatric site engagement capability within Internal Medicine, including prioritization across studies, performance oversight, coaching and development of team members, and escalation of delivery risks to IM Clinical Development leadership. 

As a Senior Director and pediatric medical SME, the Pediatric Clinical Development Medical Director Lead partners closely with the Global Development Leads, Clinical Development Scientist Lead, study clinicians, and Clinical Operations to translate field‑based pediatric insights into actionable execution strategies, risk mitigation plans, and continuous improvement of pediatric site engagement practices. The role provides senior pediatric medical leadership for site‑facing clinical discussions, in partnership with study clinicians and governance structures.

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES  

 Pediatric Clinical Development Medical Director Responsibilities (Working Role) 

·       Serve as a hands‑on Pediatric Clinical Development Medical Director for assigned IM pediatric studies, providing direct site‑facing pediatric expertise to investigators and site teams. 

·       Personally lead pediatric site engagement activities (virtual and face‑to‑face), including site identification, feasibility discussions, start‑up acceleration, and recruitment optimization. 

·       Work directly with pediatric sites to identify and resolve operational and recruitment barriers (e.g., workflow constraints, competing trials, referral pathway challenges), escalating issues through appropriate operational channels as needed. 

·       Support protocol interpretation and practical implementation at the site level, in partnership with study clinicians and clinical development colleagues, without displacing formal clinical accountability. 

·       Maintain productive working relationships with pediatric investigators and institutions to support site engagement and enrollment delivery.  

·       Provide real‑time, field‑based intelligence (e.g., site performance, barriers, competitive dynamics) to study teams to inform execution decisions and risk mitigation strategies. 

·       Provide senior pediatric medical expertise to support site‑facing discussions related to protocol design, eligibility criteria, safety considerations, and feasibility.  

·       Serve as a pediatric medical escalation point for complex clinical questions arising from investigators or Pediatric Clinical Development Directors, in alignment with protocol and governance.  

·       Partner with study clinicians and Global Development Leads to support resolution of complex pediatric clinical issues impacting site activation or enrollment. 

 

Pediatric Clinical Development Medical Director Lead Responsibilities (Senior Director Scope) 

·                Provide senior leadership and accountability for a small team of Pediatric Clinical Directors functioning as a player‑coach. 

·                Set priorities and guide deployment of pediatric site engagement resources across IM pediatric studies based on dynamic prioritization of delivery risk, enrollment needs, and program timelines. 

·                Provide performance management input, coaching, and development for Pediatric Clinical Development Directors, fostering consistent execution, professional growth, and pediatric SME excellence. 

·                Ensure consistency of approach and best practices across pediatric site engagement activities, including site qualification criteria, engagement tactics, escalation pathways, and documentation of lessons learned. 

·                Provide cross‑study oversight of pediatric site performance, identifying systemic risks and opportunities across IM pediatric programs and driving corrective actions in partnership with Clinical Operations and Global Development Leads. 

·                Monitor and review performance metrics (e.g., time‑to‑activation, enrollment acceleration, issue resolution cycle time) and synthesize insights for IM Clinical Development leadership. 

·                Escalate material delivery risks related to pediatric site performance and recruitment to appropriate IM Clinical Development leadership forums, with clear recommendations. 

Strategic and Continuous Improvement Contributions 

·       Provide senior leadership and accountability for a small team of Pediatric Clinical Directors functioning as a player‑coach. 

·       Set priorities and guide deployment of pediatric site engagement resources across IM pediatric studies based on dynamic prioritization of delivery risk, enrollment needs, and program timelines. 

·       Provide performance management input, coaching, and development for Pediatric Clinical Development Directors, fostering consistent execution, professional growth, and pediatric SME excellence. 

·       Ensure consistency of approach and best practices across pediatric site engagement activities, including site qualification criteria, engagement tactics, escalation pathways, and documentation of lessons learned. 

·       Provide cross‑study oversight of pediatric site performance, identifying systemic risks and opportunities across IM pediatric programs and driving corrective actions in partnership with Clinical Operations and Global Development Leads. 

·       Monitor and review performance metrics (e.g., time‑to‑activation, enrollment acceleration, issue resolution cycle time) and synthesize insights for IM Clinical Development leadership. 

·       Escalate material delivery risks related to pediatric site performance and recruitment to appropriate IM Clinical Development leadership forums, with clear recommendations. 

Field‑Based Operating Model 

·       Operate as a fully field‑based clinical development role, with primary work conducted through direct engagement with pediatric investigators and clinical trial sites. 

·       The role is not aligned to a Pfizer office or hub location; effectiveness is measured by site impact and study delivery rather than office presence. 

·       Manage travel, scheduling, and prioritization autonomously to align with pediatric site and program demands.

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS 

Medical degree (MD or DO), with pediatric residency and/or subspecialty training relevant to pediatric populations. 

Active or prior medical licensure preferred. 

·       10 years of biopharmaceutical industry experience, including pediatric clinical trials, with demonstrated success in direct clinical execution and providing senior leadership,

organizational navigation, and influence across cross‑functional development teams. 

·       Pediatric subject matter expertise, including experience working directly with children’s hospitals, pediatric investigators, and pediatric research networks. 

·       Experience functioning as a player‑coach, balancing hands‑on individual contributor responsibilities with leadership of a small, specialized team. 

·       Strong working knowledge of pediatric regulatory frameworks and expectations (e.g., PREA, PWR, PIP) and their implications for trial execution. 

·       Ability to thrive in a field‑based environment and operate with a high degree of autonomy.

·       Experience managing and developing small, highly specialized teams, including goal setting, coaching, and performance management input in a matrixed environment. 

·       Success in a field‑based or highly autonomous role not anchored to a corporate office, requiring independent prioritization, travel planning, and execution across geographically

  distributed clinical sites.

·       Experience leading, developing, and evolving a specialized clinical development capability or team within a matrixed biopharmaceutical organization. 

COMPETENCY REQUIREMENTS 

·       Pediatric Medical and Clinical Credibility – Recognized pediatric SME able to engage investigators and institutions as a credible partner. 

·       Senior Leadership and Accountability – Ability to set priorities, manage performance, and own delivery outcomes across a small team. 

·       Execution Excellence – Proven ability to identify barriers and deliver pragmatic solutions that improve activation timelines and recruitment performance. 

·       Influence and Communication – Ability to align stakeholders and communicate clearly across study teams and leadership levels. 

·       People Leadership –Demonstrated ability to lead, coach, or develop team members or colleagues; set clear expectations; provide performance feedback; and build a high

performing specialized team.

 

ORGANIZATIONAL RELATIONSHIPS 

Within Clinical Development & Operations 

Clinical Study Team Leads; Clinical Operations (including study start‑up, site activation, and recruitment support teams); Medical Writing (as needed); Statistics and Data Sciences (as needed). 

Within Pfizer Research & Development 

Internal Medicine Clinical Development leadership (including Global Development Leads, Clinical Development Scientist Lead, and Study Clinicians); Clinical Trial Experience / Patient Engagement teams; Clinical Development Quality (CDQ); Clinical Pharmacology/Pharmacometrics; Program and Portfolio Operations Management (POPM). 

External Relationships 

Pediatric investigators and sub‑investigators; children’s hospitals and pediatric research institutions; pediatric clinical trial site staff; pediatric research networks and referral sources, as appropriate. 

RESOURCES MANAGED

Direct leadership of a small team of Pediatric Clinical Development Directors (approximately three additional FTEs). 

Significant domestic travel is required to support both direct pediatric site engagement and leadership of field‑based team members. The role is not office‑based and does not require routine presence at a Pfizer location. 

#LI-Remote


The annual base salary for this position ranges from $254,100.00 to $423,500.00. In addition, this position is eligible for participation in Pfizer’s Global Performance Plan with a bonus target of 25.0% of the base salary and eligibility to participate in our share based long term incentive program. We offer comprehensive and generous benefits and programs to help our colleagues lead healthy lives and to support each of life’s moments. Benefits offered include a 401(k) plan with Pfizer Matching Contributions and an additional Pfizer Retirement Savings Contribution, paid vacation, holiday and personal days, paid caregiver/parental and medical leave, and health benefits to include medical, prescription drug, dental and vision coverage. Learn more at Pfizer Candidate Site – U.S. Benefits | (uscandidates.mypfizerbenefits.com). Pfizer compensation structures and benefit packages are aligned based on the location of hire. The United States salary range provided does not apply to Tampa, FL or any location outside of the United States.



This role is posted in multiple locations. If you are applying for the role in an secondary job posting location where pay transparency regulations apply, your Talent Advisor will share the local pay information with you during the first interview.




Relocation assistance may be available based on business needs and/or eligibility.




Candidates must be authorized to be employed in the U.S. by any employer.

U.S. work visa sponsorship (such as TN, O-1, H-1B, etc.) is not available for this role now or in the future.






To learn more about acceptable and prohibited uses of AI during the recruitment process, please review our candidate AI-use guidelines available on Pfizer Careers.


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