Vice President, Clinical Development, Cardiovascular at Avidity Biosciences

Job Title:

Vice President, Clinical Development, Cardiovascular

Location:

San Diego, CA / Hybrid / Remote

Position type:

FLSA:

Full time

Exempt

Department:

Clinical Development

At Avidity Biosciences, we are passionate about the impact of every employee in realizing our vision of improving people’s lives by delivering a new class of RNA therapeutics. Avidity is revolutionizing the field of RNA with its proprietary AOCs, which are designed to combine the specificity of monoclonal antibodies with the precision of oligonucleotide therapies to address targets and diseases previously unreachable with existing RNA therapies. If you are a committed, solution-oriented thinker, join us in making a difference and become part of our growing culture that is integrated, collaborative, agile and focused on the needs of patients. 

Avidity Biosciences, Inc.'s mission is to profoundly improve people's lives by delivering a new class of RNA therapeutics - Antibody Oligonucleotide Conjugates (AOCs™). Utilizing its proprietary AOC platform, Avidity demonstrated the first-ever successful targeted delivery of RNA into muscle and is leading the field with clinical development programs for three rare muscle diseases: myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1), Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) and facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD). Avidity is broadening the reach of AOCs with its advancing and expanding pipeline, including programs in cardiology and immunology through internal discovery efforts and key partnerships. Avidity is headquartered in San Diego, CA. For more information about our AOC platform, clinical development pipeline, and people, please visit www.aviditybiosciences.com and engage with us on LinkedIn and Twitter.

The Opportunity

Avidity is seeking a visionary Vice President of Clinical Development with a focus on rare disease and cardiology to lead the clinical programs from inception through to commercialization. Reporting to Head of Clinical Development, the Vice President of Clinical Development will be a key member of the R&D leadership team, responsible for overseeing clinical development of the cardiovascular portfolio. The successful candidate will play a pivotal role in providing leadership, supervision, coordination, mentoring, career development, and performance management for the staff within the cardiovascular team. This position will be viewed as a strategic partner to the Head of Clinical Development, helping to determine and shape strategy and standards of operational excellence and implementation across clinical development, driving the execution of clinical trials and advancing the pipeline of novel therapies for cardiovascular diseases.

What You Will Contribute

• Assist the CV translational research and discovery team with identifying appropriate clinical populations for pipeline assets and the design of translational studies to refine proof of concept hypotheses
• Support the development of regulatory strategies for cardiovascular development programs; identify and communicate potential risks
• Develop strong cross-functional working relationships with a diverse team of senior leaders
• Create, develop, and implement a successful therapeutic area strategy that will bring forth programs to successful approval and registration
• Provide strategic leadership and oversight for all aspects of clinical development activities primarily in the field of cardiology but may also provide leadership for neuromuscular assets
• Design and implement comprehensive clinical development plans in alignment with corporate goals and regulatory requirements
• Lead cross-functional teams to execute clinical trials, ensuring adherence to timelines, budgets, and quality standards
• Collaborate closely with internal stakeholders, including R&D, regulatory affairs, and medical affairs, to integrate clinical development strategies into overall product development plans
• Establish strong relationships with key opinion leaders, investigators, and clinical research organizations to support trial execution and patient recruitment efforts
• Drive the analysis and interpretation of clinical trial data, contributing to regulatory submissions, publications, and presentations
• Stay abreast of advancements in cardiology and cardiovascular medicine, providing insights into emerging trends and competitive landscapes

What We Seek

• Medical degree required; cardiovascular expertise preferential

• Minimum of 10 years of experience in clinical development within the biopharmaceutical industry, with a focus on cardiology; experience in genetic cardiomyopathies preferred
• Proven track record of successfully leading clinical development programs including rare indications from Phase I-III and regulatory approval
• Deep understanding of clinical trial design, execution, and regulatory requirements, particularly in cardiovascular therapeutic and rare disease areas
• Management experience, including managing direct reports, building teams, and leveraging relationships with clinical and commercial teams
• Experience leading a portfolio of programs at different clinical stages and with demonstrated ability to collaborate with both commercial and research
• Broad working knowledge of industry compliance requirements in USA and EU, clinical trial design and strategies, and medical information process

• Strong leadership skills with ability to inspire and motivate cross-functional teams to achieve ambitious goals
• Strategic thinker with keen analytical mindset and ability to translate complex data into actionable insights
• Demonstrated ability to thrive in a fast-paced, dynamic environment, adapting to evolving priorities and challenges
• Excellent written, communication, presentation and interpersonal skills, with the ability to effectively engage with internal and external stakeholders

• Ability to work collaboratively at all levels in a matrixed team environment
• A self-starter with hands-on approach to performing duties and excellent attention to detail

Benefits of the Opportunity

• Great management team who are all very experienced in developing and commercializing drugs
• Platform is first-in-class technology of antibody-oligonucleotide conjugates – able to effectively deliver oligonucleotides to tissues other than the liver, which has not previously been possible
• Already shown proof-of-mechanism with lead program in myotonic dystrophy type 1 – showed dose dependent delivery to muscle, improvement in the RNA splicing biomarkers and directional improvements in myotonia, muscle strength, and mobility
• Two other rare muscle disease programs in clinic (FSHD and DMD44) and rare cardiac targets heading towards IND
• Very well capitalized

• The base salary range for this role is $378,000-$417,800. The final compensation will be commensurate with such factors as relevant experience, skillset, internal equity and market factors.
• Avidity offers competitive compensation and benefits which includes the opportunity for annual and spot bonuses, stock options and RSUs, as well as a 401(k) with an employer match. In addition, the comprehensive wellness program includes coverage for medical, dental, vision, and LTD, and four weeks of time off.
• A commitment to learning and development which includes a variety of programming internally developed by and for Avidity employees, opportunities for job-specific training offered by industry, and an education reimbursement program.

Avidity Biosciences

10578 Science Center Dr. Suite 125

San Diego, CA

92121

O: 858-401-7900

F: 858-401-7901