Medical Director, Clinical Development

Would you enjoy leading drug development for rare conditions? Are you a medic with experience designing clinical trials and interacting with regulatory authorities?

If so, now is your chance to join Ascendis Pharma as our new Medical Director, Clinical Development, Endocrine & Rare Diseases

Ascendis Pharma is a global biopharmaceutical company committed to making a meaningful difference in patients’ lives. Guided by our core values of Patients, Science, and Passion, we are applying our innovative TransCon® technology platform to fulfill our mission of developing new therapies that demonstrate best-in-class potential to address unmet medical needs.

At our headquarters in Hellerup, Denmark, research facilities in Heidelberg, Germany, and additional offices across Europe and the United States, we are advancing programs in our Endocrinology Rare Disease and Oncology portfolios. We also collaborate with partners on the development of TransCon-based products in other therapeutic areas and markets. 

We are seeking an energetic and passionate Medical Director to join our team. As a member of the Ascendis Pharma team, you will play a crucial role in driving the design, safety monitoring, and data analysis within the Endocrine and Rare Disease Medical Sciences area. This is an exciting opportunity to work in a fast-paced environment, collaborate with cross-functional, global teams working together to achieve extraordinary results.

You will join the Clinical Development team, being part of the Endocrine & Rare Disease Medical Sciences organization. You will report directly to the VP of Clinical Science who is based in the US. You will be based in Hellerup together with the Danish team.

Since you will join a team based in different time zones, you must be available for evening meetings. This position also may require occasional international travel.

Your key responsibilities will be

• Contribute to formulation and implementation of the Clinical Development Plan
• Leverage medical expertise and hands-on clinical experience to promote relevance and rigor of the development program
• For clinical trials: design, provide overall oversight, and support site and subject retention
• Serve as a Medical Monitor for clinical trials, ensure study integrity, and track accumulating safety and efficacy data
• Provide leadership to teams of medical monitors and study teams
• Ensure successful completion of trial-related documents (including clinical trial protocols, investigator brochures, medical monitoring plans, site training materials, clinical study reports, health authority responses, standard operating procedures, etc.) with cross-functional team members
• Ensure study integrity, and track accumulating safety and efficacy data
• Analyze, evaluate, interpret, and report clinical data
• Anticipate and solve complex drug development problems
• Contribute to regulatory strategy
• Contribute to drafting and reviewing of clinical documents, manuscripts, presentations, and regulatory submissions
• Maintain up-to-date knowledge of relevant science, medical information, good clinical practices, and regulatory guidance
• Collaborate with—and serve as a clinical research resource for—cross-functional colleagues (e.g. in clinical operations, statistics, regulatory affairs, medical affairs, health economics outcomes research, commercial, finance) to optimize product development
• Contribute to (and may be asked to represent the clinical development department in) corporate strategic and organizational initiatives
• Cultivate relationships with investigative sites, clinical consultants, and key opinion leaders to represent the interests of the company
• Assist in portfolio management and commercial activities as needed
• Complete assigned tasks thoroughly, accurately, and on time
• Adhere to rigorous ethical standards

Qualifications and Skills:

You hold an M.D. degree and preferably also a Ph.D. degree. You have hands-on experience treating patients.

Furthermore, you have :

• At least 5-7 years of industry experience (other relevant experience e.g., post-graduate experience in the clinical and/or academic realms may also be considered on a case-by-case basis).
• Strong track record of scientific and clinical inquiry
• Possess excellent communication skills (written and oral)
• Demonstrate sound judgement in terms of handling complex, confidential, and regulated information

Key competencies :

You have a proven ability to learn quickly, even in fast‑paced environments.

You take ownership of your work, lead by example, and collaborate effectively with colleagues across the organization. You are trusted by others for your sound judgment and discretion, particularly when handling confidential, sensitive, or regulated information.

To succeed in the position, we expect you to be comfortable working with complex instructions, managing multiple priorities, and consistently maintaining a high level of accuracy and attention to detail.

Travel : 20-30 days per year

Office : Tuborg Boulevard 12, 2900 Hellerup, Denmark 

Apply now.

We evaluate applications when received, so we encourage you to apply as soon as possible. Please note that we conduct interviews on a rolling basis and reserve the right to remove the job posting at any time.   

To ensure your application is reviewed, please submit it through the specified platform - applications sent by email or other channels will not be evaluated. 

You can learn more about Ascendis by visiting our website

Applications must be submitted in English and will be treated confidentially.

A note to recruiters:

We do not allow external search party solicitation. Presentation of candidates without written permission from the Ascendis Pharma HR team (specifically from: Talent Acquisition Partner or Human Resources Director) is not allowed. If this occurs, your ownership of these candidates will not be acknowledged.