Director, Clinical Rare Disease in London

Location: London

Job Type: Permanent with a hybrid working environment

Are you passionate about making life science life changing and delivering impact for patients? We want to hear from you.

About the role:

The Director, Clinical Rare Disease is a senior clinical leader responsible for shaping and delivering LifeArc’s clinical strategy in rare disease, aligned to LifeArc’s organisational mission and priorities. This role holds accountability for defining the clinical development strategy and driving the timely and quality execution of a portfolio of collaborative, and funded programmes. The Director works closely with senior leadership to ensure alignment and integration across the portfolio, maintaining high scientific and clinical rigour, clear decision‑making, and on‑time delivery of key milestones to progress assets through clinical development. Operating within a dynamic, matrixed environment, the Director provides strategic and clinical leadership of the rare disease portfolio, ensuring alignment with the broader LifeArc clinical strategy. The role includes line management of a small team with responsibility for building and leading a high‑performing team and delivering portfolio outcomes in line with LifeArc’s strategic goals.

About you:

Key responsibilities include:

• Developing and implementing the clinical strategy in collaboration with LifeArc Pillars.
• Chairing the clinical development team for rare disease.
• Responsibility for the delivery of clinical programmes to cost, quality and time.
• Providing input on and may attend key clinical programme interactions e.g. regulatory authorities, HTAs to support successful delivery of clinical programmes.
• Providing the review of key clinical project documentation.
• Appraising and giving final recommendations on the pursuit of opportunities (including considerations on viability and developability) for clinical collaborations in rare disease to CRM.
• Responsibility for overseeing the budget and the escalation of planned variances or RFCs out of a pre‑defined tolerance window.
• Responsibility for the effective reporting and communication of clinical programme progress towards corporate goals/clinical pillar objectives to Snr Leadership, Exec and external partners.
• Sponsorship of new business cases in Clinical Pillar.
• Leading and developing teams, including direct line management and cross‑functional teams to deliver results.
• Responsibility for major decisions on clinical programmes, including risk management and resolution of complex challenges.
• Responsibility for ensuring the development of frameworks, governance and SOPs/working practices for clinical pillar projects and programmes.
• Potentially serving as the programme lead for programmes or projects.
• Representing the organisation in high‑level forums and external partnerships/collaborations.
• Being an ambassador and subject matter expert for the clinical pillar and LifeArc.

Essential experience required:

• Extensive Global Clinical Development experience (Pharma/Biotech/Academia) in therapeutics, diagnostics, devices or other medical technologies.
• Experience of developing and implementing clinical strategy.
• Asset selection and/or program prioritisation experience.
• Clinical trial regulatory submission experience e.g. IND/CTA.
• Product approval regulatory submission experience e.g. NDA/MAA/BLA.
• National and International regulatory authority interactions.
• Extensive therapeutic area expertise in rare disease.
• Demonstrate an in‑depth understanding of clinical research regulations.
• Experience of building high performing and collaborative teams.
• Demonstrable skills in line management.
• Experience of Advanced therapeutics e.g. cell and gene therapy, ASOs.
• Experience of Paediatric drug development.

Education:

• Minimum qualification of BSc Life Sciences (PhD or MD preferred).
• Professional qualifications in clinical research, and clinical project management preferred.

Skills & abilities:

• Skilled at building relationships and fostering cross‑functional teamwork in a matrix environment.
• Self‑awareness and a high level of professionalism, a can‑do attitude and with a consistent track record of high impact delivery.
• Can build and manage strategic collaborations.
• Able to represent LifeArc as a credible clinical leader externally.
• Ability to inspire direct reports and cross‑functional teams, influence stakeholders, and drive strategic initiatives.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.
• Able to manage clinical programme budgets and funding allocation.

About us:

LifeArc is a not‑for‑profit life science organisation, leading the way for change in rare diseases in the UK and supporting promising initiatives in global health. We seek out research in areas of unmet need that has great potential, providing support to help it become breakthroughs that change lives.

What we can offer you:

Focused on finding life changing solutions for underserved patients, our people thrive in an inclusive, and supportive environment that prioritises their health and wellbeing. Our multidisciplinary approach guarantees our people growth opportunities, while our culture of innovation and collaboration drives the impact we make delivering on our purpose of ‘putting patients at the centre of everything we do’.

LifeArc is committed to making our recruitment practices as inclusive as possible and developing a culture that values differences. As a Disability Confident Employer, we guarantee an interview to candidates with a disability or long‑term health condition who meet the essential criteria for the role.

Please note that in certain situations, such as high volumes of applications, it may not be practical to interview all eligible candidates. In these cases, we may need to select those who best meet the essential criteria.

Salary will be determined by qualifications and experience along with other exceptional benefits. Because we understand everyone has different requirements, our flexible benefits allow you to choose those which are important to you. Our pension scheme offers employer contributions of up to 12%, private health insurance, and annual leave of 31 days PLUS bank holidays.

Don’t meet every single requirement? Studies have shown that women and people from minority ethnic backgrounds, for example, are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single qualification. At LifeArc we are dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive, and authentic workplace, so whatever your background or lived experience, if you’re excited about this role but your experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyway. Our top priority is finding the best candidate, and you may be just right for this or other roles.

We all have potential. At LifeArc, you’ll discover what you can really do with it.

At LifeArc, we commit to advancing equal opportunities and building a diverse workforce by ensuring a fair, inclusive, and accessible recruitment experience for all. We employ individuals based on their suitability for the work to be performed and their potential for development, regardless of age, sex, race, colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin, disability, marital status, pregnancy or maternity, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, religion, or belief. Our commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion includes creating a culture where everyone feels they belong, is valued for who they are and has the opportunity to translate their potential.

We want every candidate to do their very best. If you require special assistance or reasonable adjustments, please be sure to let us know in advance what will be most useful for you and / or to discuss your needs.

Please note we are actively recruiting, and the closing date may be brought forward if we find the right person for this role.