Senior Medical Director
Listed compensation
$195k-$321k
The week · per this posting · weekdays assumed
Ask the employer about call expectations, weekend coverage, nights and shift pattern and time off.
Job Description
Life Unlimited. At Smith+Nephew we design and manufacture technology that takes the limits off living. The Senior Medical Director provides expert medical guidance across the full product life cycle for Smith+Nephew's portfolio, with a particular focus on the Advanced Wound Management (AWM) franchise.
The role includes medical leadership for device, pharmaceutical, biologic, and combination-product activities, including clinical development, medical monitoring, regulatory strategy, benefit-risk evaluation, and evidence generation.
The Sr. Medical Director delivers medical insights to all relevant functions (Clinical Strategy & Operations, Evidence Evaluation, Quality Affairs, Regulatory Affairs, R&D, Marketing, Market Access, Health Economics) and provides medical safety oversight including safety assessments and benefit-risk evaluations.
What Will You Be Doing?
- Quality & Compliance: Comply with QMS requirements, SOPs, and regulatory standards; support Global Medical Affairs processes; contribute to CAPA activities; responsible for FDA medical strategy and BLA clinical readiness.
- Product Safety: Provide medical expertise for adverse events, pharmacovigilance, product complaints, and post-market safety signals; contribute to Health Hazard Evaluations, benefit-risk analyses; participate in safety governance (AEMB, MIMB, SERB); serve as escalation point for regulatory authorities.
- R&D and M&A: Provide medical therapeutic area expertise throughout development; contribute medical input to external technology evaluations and due diligence; maintain up-to-date knowledge of clinical trends and competitive landscape.
- Clinical Studies: Collaborate on clinical study design; serve as medical authority for sponsored studies; ensure GCP compliance (ISO 14155, ICH E6); provide medical monitoring for pharmaceutical, biologic, device, and combination-product studies.
- Regulatory: Support regulatory strategy and submissions including FDA IND processes, clinical development plans, investigator brochures, safety update documents, and BLA-related documentation.
What will you need to be successful?
- Minimum 15 years of relevant experience (at least 6 years clinical experience, at least 2 years in medical device/pharma/biotech industry)
- Experience in pharmaceutical or biologic clinical development including medical monitoring
- Good understanding of statistical methods
- Expertise in GCP (ISO 14155), FDA 21 CFR 312, ISO 14971, EU MDR
- Experience with FDA regulatory pathways for pharmaceutical/biologic products including IND submissions and BLA strategy
- Knowledge of scientific publications and technical documentation review
- Strong executive presence; ability to present at senior levels
- Patient-focused mindset
- Effective written and oral communication (scientific and non-scientific audiences)
- Strong organizational and interpersonal skills
- Ability to influence, mentor, and collaborate across cross-functional teams
- Travel up to 10%
Education
- Medical degree required
- Post-Doctoral research preferred
- Board certification or equivalent in wound care, burn care, surgery, dermatology, plastic surgery, critical care, or relevant specialty (strongly preferred)
- Active license to practice medicine in country of residence
- Research doctorate (PhD, Dr. med., or equivalent) preferred
You Unlimited.
The anticipated base compensation range for this position is $195,000 - $320,938 USD annually. The actual base pay offered to the successful candidate will be based on multiple factors, including but not limited to job-related knowledge/skills, experience, and geographic location.
Compensation decisions are dependent upon the facts and circumstances of each position and candidate.
In addition to base pay, we offer competitive bonus and benefits, including medical, dental, and vision coverage, 401(k), tuition reimbursement, medical leave programs, parental leave, generous PTO, paid company holidays, 8 hours of volunteer time annually, and a variety of wellness offerings such as EAP.
Inclusion + Belonging: Committed to Welcoming, Celebrating and Thriving. Learn more about our Employee Inclusion Groups on our website smith-nephew.com
Your Future: 401k Matching Program, 401k Plus Program, Discounted Stock Options, Tuition Reimbursement
Work/Life Balance: Flexible Personal/Vacation Time Off, Paid Holidays, Flex Holidays, Paid Community Service Day
Your Wellbeing: Medical, Dental, Vision, Health Savings Account (Employer Contribution of $500+ annually), Employee Assistance Program, Parental Leave, Fertility and Adoption Assistance Program
- Flexibility: Hybrid Work Model (For most professional roles)
- Training: Hands-On, Team-Customized, Mentorship
- Extra Perks: Discounts on fitness clubs, travel and more!
- Smith+Nephew provides equal employment opportunities to applicants and employees without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, or disability.
- Stay connected by joining our Talent Community.
We're more than just a company - we're a community! Follow us on LinkedIn to see how we support and empower our employees and patients every day.
Check us out on Glassdoor for a glimpse behind the scenes and a sneak peek into You. Unlimited., life, culture, and benefits at S+N.
Explore our website and learn more about our mission, our team, and the opportunities we offer.
Key Responsibilities
The Senior Medical Director provides expert medical guidance across the full product life cycle, focusing on the Advanced Wound Management franchise. Responsibilities include medical safety oversight, clinical study design, regulatory strategy, and providing medical input for R&D and M&A activities.
Requirements
Candidates must possess a medical degree and at least 15 years of relevant experience, including clinical and industry-specific roles. Expertise in regulatory pathways, GCP compliance, and clinical development for medical devices or pharmaceuticals is required.
Qualifications
- Education
- Doctoral or professional degree (postgraduate degree)
- Experience
- 10+ years of experience
Certifications
Key Skills
Medical Affairs — Physician Career Context
In Texas, the Physician weighted monthly median benchmark on WeekdayDoc is ~$322k (345 salary observations; 3,423 listings), vs ~$306k nationally (5,859 salary observations; 27,320 listings). Monthly aggregates cover 2025-11-01 through 2026-11-01; these are not the modal's selected comparable-job medians.
The cost-of-living index for Texas is 97.1 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)), so the posted ~$258k midpoint carries the purchasing power of roughly $266k in an average-cost state. 57.7% of Texas clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).
| Measure | This job | Market |
|---|---|---|
| Listed pay | $195k–$321k | Physician median $300k (middle half $267k–$324k)59 comparable listings, Nov 2026 |
| Texas vs national | $322k median in Texas | $306k nationally (+5%)345 state / 5,859 national salary observations |
| Cost-of-living adjusted pay | ~$266k in purchasing power | Texas index 97.1 (US = 100)BEA Regional Price Parities (2024) |
| All physician listings in Texas | 1,557 active | 22,272 nationallylive on WeekdayDoc, Nov 2026 |
| Sign-on & loan repayment | sign-on bonus | Texas physician listings (all specialties): 18% state a sign-on bonus (median $75k) · 5% offer loan repayment1,000 active listings, Nov 2026 |
| Medical Affairs hiring demand | #6 of 28 specialties | postings stay open a median 69 daysWeekdayDoc Hiring Index, October 2026 · 162 postings, 36 closed |
| New Medical Affairs listings | 94 in the last 30 days | 90 the 30 days before (+4%)U.S., first seen on WeekdayDoc, Nov 2026 |
| Physician pay trend (all specialties) | −5.4% vs prior quarter | —through Oct 2026 |
Location & Logistics
Texas has no state income tax, which can significantly increase take-home pay compared to high-tax states. At the posted ~$258k midpoint, that is roughly $10k–$18k a year versus a typical 4–7% state rate.
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