[Hiring] Senior Director, Medical and Scientific Communications @Vera Therapeutics, Inc.

Role Description

Reporting to the Vice President, Medical and Scientific Communications, the Senior Director, Medical and Scientific Communications will lead the development and execution of Vera's publication and scientific congress strategy. This individual is responsible for ensuring that clinical and scientific data are communicated in a timely, accurate, consistent, and impactful manner across manuscripts, congresses, and other scientific communications.

This is a highly cross-functional and hands-on role requiring both strategic leadership and strong executional capability. The Senior Director will work closely with Clinical Development, Biostatistics, Medical Affairs, Clinical Operations, Regulatory, and Commercial to translate clinical development milestones, emerging data, and scientific priorities into an integrated, long-range publication and congress plan.

The successful candidate will bring exceptional scientific judgment, writing and editorial skill and the ability to identify inconsistencies or gaps in the scientific narrative across programs and materials.

Responsibilities

• Strategy and Scientific Narrative
  • Lead the development of the long-range publication plan in partnership with Clinical Development, Biostatistics, and Medical Affairs.
  • Build and maintain an integrated publication roadmap encompassing manuscripts, abstracts, posters, oral presentations, encore presentations, and other scientific communications.
  • Translate clinical development plans, data readouts, and key milestones into proactive publication and congress strategies.
  • Anticipate future evidence and communication needs and evolve the publication plan as clinical programs and the external scientific landscape advance.
  • Develop and maintain publication-level scientific content and evidence-based messaging.
• Publications and Congresses
  • Lead development of the scientific congress strategy in collaboration with Clinical Development, Medical Affairs, and Commercial.
  • Draft, edit, and critically review scientific content, ensuring materials accurately communicate the significance, limitations, and context of clinical findings.
  • Lead the end-to-end publication development process from concept and data availability through submission, presentation, publication, and post-publication activity.
  • Coordinate internal and external author review, including resolution of conflicting feedback.
  • Ensure publications comply with applicable standards and guidelines.
• Cross-Functional Partnership
  • Partner with Clinical Development and Biostatistics to interpret clinical datasets and translate them into high-quality scientific communications.
  • Engage early in the clinical development and analysis process to ensure planned data outputs support anticipated publications.
  • Serve as the scientific communications partner to various departments, building alignment on data dissemination priorities.
  • Review cross-functional materials for consistency with the approved scientific narrative.
  • Identify scientific communication risks, gaps, or inconsistencies and recommend solutions.
• Operations and Vendor Management
  • Optimize Vera's publication planning and development processes.
  • Maintain the systems that track publication status, deadlines, dependencies, and key decisions.
  • Coordinate the cross-functional publication planning committee.
  • Manage external medical communications agencies and vendors.
  • Build and maintain publication and congress forecasts and manage delivery within the budget.

Qualifications

• Advanced scientific or clinical degree (PhD, PharmD, MD, or equivalent) in a relevant discipline.
• Minimum of 10 years of experience in scientific communications, medical writing, or publications.
• Demonstrated experience developing and executing strategic publication plans for clinical-stage programs.
• Strong understanding of clinical development and ability to interpret clinical trial data.
• Exceptional scientific writing, editing, and critical review skills.
• Knowledge of Good Publication Practice (GPP) and applicable publication standards.
• Ability to manage multiple complex projects in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong interpersonal and influencing skills.

Preferred

• Scientific training or research experience in nephrology, immunology, or a closely related discipline.
• Experience developing long-range publication strategies.
• Prior people leadership experience within a publications or medical communications function.
• Certified Medical Publication Professional (CMPP) credential.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance.
• 401k match.
• Flexible time off.
• Paid holidays.