Head of Medical Affairs & GCSP (Global Clinical Safety & Pharmacovigilance)

At Bavarian Nordic, we are committed to saving and improving lives by unlocking the power of the immune system. Our commercial portfolio includes market-leading vaccines against smallpox/mpox, rabies, tick-borne encephalitis, typhoid fever, and cholera. We excel in R&D innovation, manufacturing, and commercialization—working every day to protect people’s health and quality of life and protecting our tomorrow.

The role

We’re looking for an experienced Medical Officer providing medical leadership across Global Clinical Safety & Pharmacovigilance (GCSP), Epidemiology, Medical Affairs, and Medical & Process Compliance. You will guide patient safety and benefit–risk, shape evidence generation and medical governance, and partner closely with Regulatory, Clinical Development, Quality, CMC/Manufacturing, Commercial, and Market Access to ensure scientific rigor and aligned execution across the product lifecycle. The position reports to the SVP of R&D and can be based in either Switzerland or Germany - global travel up to ~30% should be expected.

Key responsibilities

• Lead and develop high-performing GCSP, Epidemiology, Medical Affairs, and Medical & Process Compliance teams, including people leadership, budgets, and talent development.
• Have oversight of the GCSP team and QPPV office.
• Set and execute global Medical Affairs strategy aligned to development milestones, regulatory interactions, and commercialization plans; ensure medical accuracy and balance across all external scientific content.
• Establish and scale regional medical networks to support local commercial teams, capture insights, and localize global strategies.
• Own medical information capabilities and responses to unsolicited medical inquiries.
• Drive late-stage and post-approval evidence generation, including RWE, observational, and epidemiological studies.
• Institute robust medical governance appropriate for company growth; chair and/or contribute to internal medical governance committees.
• Partner deeply with Clinical Development to inform future trials and label expansions; collaborate across Regulatory, Manufacturing/CMC, Quality, Commercial, and Market Access.
• Build strategic external relationships with key opinion leaders and public-health stakeholders.

What you bring

To succeed in this role, you bring deep expertise in medical affairs, clinical safety, and global pharmacovigilance, with a strong foundation in immunology, epidemiology, and vaccine safety. Your strategic mindset and operational rigor ensure patient safety and scientific excellence across the product lifecycle. Besides bringing 10+ years of experience from a similar role, you’re an exceptional communicator who can translate complex medical and regulatory topics into clear, actionable guidance for both scientific and non-scientific stakeholders. As a trusted advisor to senior leadership, you provide confident counsel on medical strategy, compliance, and risk management.

It is important that you have 10+ years of experience from a leadership role with both direct and indirect reports. As a leader, you’re hands-on and people-focused—ready to coach, mentor, and elevate high-performing teams across regions—while orchestrating medical governance, evidence generation, and external collaborations with precision and credibility. Equally, you’re curious and data-driven; you monitor emerging trends, synthesize real-world evidence, and challenge assumptions to inform better decisions.

Most importantly, you thrive in change; your judgment, integrity, and resilience help safeguard patient safety and support our transition from development to full commercialization in a fast-moving, life-science environment. Please note an advanced degree is required, and an MD qualification is preferred for this role.

Why this role

This is a pivotal leadership opportunity at the forefront of Bavarian Nordic’s scientific and strategic agenda. You will shape the direction of global clinical safety, medical affairs, and pharmacovigilance—ensuring the highest standards of patient safety and scientific integrity across our vaccine portfolio. You will drive medical strategy and governance, influence regulatory and commercial decisions, and represent the company in critical interactions with external experts, health authorities, and global stakeholders. Your expertise and judgment will be instrumental in guiding cross-functional teams, supporting innovation, and enabling successful product development. In this role, you will have the platform to make a lasting impact on public health, advance our mission, and set new benchmarks for medical excellence in a dynamic, growth-oriented biotechnology environment.

Application

If you are ready to take on a pivotal role in a growing organization and drive meaningful change in healthcare, apply now and join Bavarian Nordic in our mission to improve health outcomes and foster sustainable growth.