Executive Director, Medical Affairs

About Artiva:

Artiva is clinical-stage, publicly-traded biotechnology company focused on developing natural killer (NK) cell-based therapies for patients suffering from devastating autoimmune diseases and cancers. Artiva’s lead program, AlloNK®, is an allogeneic, off-the-shelf, non-genetically modified NK cell therapy candidate designed to enhance the antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity effect of monoclonal antibodies to drive B-cell depletion. AlloNK is delivered in the outpatient setting with no required hospitalization.  

AlloNK is currently being evaluated in three ongoing clinical trials for the treatment of B-cell driven autoimmune diseases. This includes two company-sponsored trials, one in systemic lupus erythematosus for patients with or without lupus nephritis, and a basket trial across autoimmune diseases (Rheumatoid Arthritis,  Systemic Sclerosis, Idiopathic Inflammatory Myopathies and Sjögren’s  Disease), as well as an investigator-initiated basket trial in B-cell driven autoimmune diseases. Artiva’s pipeline also includes CAR-NK candidates targeting both solid and hematologic cancers.

Artiva was founded in 2019 as a spin out of GC Cell, formerly GC Lab Cell Corporation, a leading healthcare company in the Republic of Korea, pursuant to a strategic partnership granting Artiva exclusive worldwide rights (excluding Asia, Australia and New Zealand) to GC Cell’s NK cell manufacturing technology and programs. Artiva is headquartered in San Diego, California.

For more information, visit www.artivabio.com.

Role Overview:

The Executive Director of Medical Affairs will provide strategic and hands-on leadership for Artiva’s Medical Affairs function. This role is external facing for the most part and execution-driven, with accountability for scientific communications, medical messaging, key opinion leader (KOL) engagement, advisory activities of external thought leaders, and competitive/market insights. The successful candidate will be comfortable “hitting the pavement,” traveling extensively, and personally engaging key stakeholders.

Key Responsibilities:

Scientific and Medical Communications

Develop and execute scientific and medical communications strategies aligned with company development objectives.

Identify, build and own scientific and medical presentations that communicate our science and development strategy to clinical trial sites, KOLs/health care practitioners (HCPs), and patient groups.

Partner cross-functionally with Clinical Development, Clinical Operations, Translational Science, and Regulatory to ensure accurate, compliant scientific messaging.

Develop a Conference Strategy Plan for supporting International, National and Regional conferences in Rheumatology and Cell Therapy.

Develop/Co-develop materials and resources for field Medical Affairs usage including clinical trial brochures, slide decks and conference booth materials.

Congress & Conference Execution

Provide operational Medical Affairs support for major congresses, including booth presence, scientific exchange, speaker coordination, and on-site engagement with KOLs and HCPs.

Ensure Medical Affairs readiness for conferences, including training, preparation of materials, and logistics.

KOL & External Engagement

Develop and execute a robust KOL engagement strategy, including identification, prioritization, and relationship building.

Conduct frequent in-person visits to investigators and key opinion leaders to educate, gather insights, and build advocacy for the AlloNK program.

Serve as a scientific ambassador for Artiva, representing the company in high-value external scientific discussions.

Advisory Boards & Steering Committees

Plan and execute advisory boards and steering committees, including objective setting, faculty selection, content development, and insight capture.

Ensure high-quality scientific exchange and compliant execution.

Medical Insights, Market Research & Competitive Intelligence

Lead medical market research efforts to understand physician perceptions, unmet needs, and treatment paradigms.

Collect, synthesize, and communicate medical insights from the field to inform clinical strategy, evidence generation, and corporate decision-making.

Monitor and analyze competitive intelligence, including competitor pipelines, data readouts, publications, and congress activity.

Cross-Functional Leadership

Partner closely with Clinical, Translational, Regulatory, and Corporate teams to align on strategy and execution.

Support internal education and alignment by translating external insights into actionable recommendations.

Qualifications:

Required

Minimum 5 years of Medical Affairs experience, 10 years preferred, in the pharmaceutical or biotechnology industry, with direct ownership of:

Publications and Congress strategy

KOL engagement

Advisory boards

Medical insights and competitive intelligence

Formal training and hands-on experience in Immunology and/or Inflammation (e.g., MD, PhD, or equivalent scientific background strongly preferred).

Proven ability to operate in a highly external, travel-intensive role.

Strong understanding of Medical Affairs compliance and scientific exchange standards.

Exceptional communication skills, with the ability to engage credibly with leading physicians and researchers.

Preferred

Experience in early- to mid-stage biotech.

Prior leadership experience building or scaling Medical Affairs capabilities.

Experience supporting clinical-stage programs and pre-launch activities.

In addition to a great culture, we offer:

· A beautiful facility 

· An entrepreneurial, highly collaborative, and innovative environment

· Comprehensive benefits, including:

Medical, Dental, and Vision

Group Life Insurance

Long Term Disability (LTD)

401(k) Retirement Plan

Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

Flexible Spending Account (FSA)

Paid Time Off (PTO)

Company paid holidays, including the year-end holiday week

Our recognition program, Bonus.ly, is where you can trade in points earned for things you want.

If all this speaks to you, come join us on our journey!

Base Salary: $200,000 - $300,000. Exact compensation may vary based on skills and experience.