Denali Therapeutics logo
Denali Therapeutics
South San Francisco, California

Medical Director, Clinical Development

Medical AffairsFull-Time

Listed compensation

$272k-$336k

The week · per this posting

Ask the employer about the work setting, call expectations, weekend coverage and time off.

Posted 58m ago · Verified live

Job Description

Denali Therapeutics Inc. is a biotechnology company pioneering a new class of biotherapeutics designed to cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB) using its proprietary TransportVehicle™ platform. With the first FDA-approved biologic specifically designed to cross the BBB, a clinically validated delivery platform and a growing portfolio of therapeutic candidates across all stages of development, we are advancing toward our goal of delivering effective medicines to transform the lives of people living with neurodegenerative diseases, lysosomal storage disorders and other serious diseases.

We invite you to consider an opportunity with Denali to help achieve our goal of delivering meaningful therapeutics to patients.

To support our growing pipeline, we are seeking a Medical Director, Clinical Development, to provide clinical leadership for our enzyme replacement programs. The ideal candidate will have experience in neurology or rare disease drug development, including the execution of therapeutic clinical trials.

The Medical Director will report to the Executive Director, within Clinical Development, and will play a critical role in shaping clinical strategy, collaborating cross-functionally, and engaging with external experts, investigators, and study sites.

This is an exciting opportunity for a physician/physician-scientist with a strong background in neurology and clinical development to help advance innovative therapies for patients.

Key Accountabilities / Core Job Responsibilities

Provide clinical leadership on one or more programs, including the development and execution of Clinical Development Plans (CDPs).

Oversee clinical science aspects of trial design, execution, interpretation, and reporting, with a focus on safety, pharmacodynamics, and efficacy.

Collaborate cross-functionally with translational, regulatory, statistical, clinical operations, and safety teams to ensure integrated, data-driven development plans.

Lead the creation of clinical documents, including study protocols, investigator brochures, clinical study reports, and regulatory submissions.

  • Conduct and supervise medical monitoring and safety reporting throughout trials.
  • Provide medical oversight for adverse event (AE) and serious adverse event (SAE) assessments and follow-up.
  • Mentor clinical science team members.
  • Interacts with external clinical experts, investigators, and advisory boards to support clinical and translational development.
  • Represent Denali and its programs in both internal and external forums.
  • Champion a culture of compliance, ethics, patient-centricity, and scientific rigor.

Qualifications/Skills

MD or MD-PhD; formal training in neurology is strongly preferred. Subspecialty experience in pediatric neurology, immunology, or genetics is ideal.

Minimum of 3+ years of post-training clinical development experience in industry or equivalent clinical or academic research experience, preferably in neurology.

  • Proven ability to lead cross-functional teams in a biopharmaceutical environment.
  • Demonstrated experience in therapeutic trial planning and execution for neurological indications, including FIH and other clinical studies.
  • Strong understanding of biomarker-driven strategies and medical monitoring.
  • Effective cross-disciplinary collaboration skills.
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with strong presentation capabilities.
  • Growth mindset.

Salary Range: $272,000.00 to $336,000.00. Compensation for the role will depend on a number of factors, including a candidate’s qualifications, skills, competencies, and experience. Denali offers a competitive total rewards package, which includes a 401k, healthcare coverage, ESPP and a broad range of other benefits. Learn more at denalitherapeutics.com

This compensation and benefits information is based on Denali’s good faith estimate as of the date of publication and may be modified in the future.

Denali is committed to its core company value of unity by creating a diverse and inclusive environment. We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer and do not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, sex, age, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, status as a veteran, basis of disability, or any other federal, state, or local protected class.

Key Responsibilities

The Medical Director will provide clinical leadership for enzyme replacement programs, overseeing trial design, execution, and data interpretation. They will collaborate cross-functionally to develop clinical strategies and manage regulatory documentation and safety reporting.

Requirements

Candidates must hold an MD or MD-PhD, with formal training in neurology strongly preferred. A minimum of 3 years of post-training clinical development experience in the biopharmaceutical industry is required.

Qualifications

Education
Doctoral or professional degree (postgraduate degree)
Experience
2+ years of experience

Key Skills

Clinical trial designCross-functional leadershipEnzyme replacement therapyProtocol developmentTranslational medicineScientific communication

Medical Affairs — Physician Career Context

The cost-of-living index for California is 110.7 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)), so the posted ~$304k midpoint carries the purchasing power of roughly $275k in an average-cost state. 63.6% of California clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

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Work-life snapshot

median 4.2this job 3.0
Better work-life than 30% of Medical Affairs listings

Listing-based score, 0–10, across 222 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

Living in South San Francisco

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$1.23M≈ 4.5× annual pay
Typical market rent
$4,027/mo≈ 18% of gross pay
Residents’ average commute
26 min
State income tax
Up to 13.3%
Sources & methodology

Sources: Zillow home values (Aug 2026), Zillow market rents (Aug 2026), U.S. Census ACS 2024 five-year.

Ratios use this listing’s gross annual pay. Not a cost-of-living guarantee.

Denali Therapeutics logo

About Denali Therapeutics

Biotechnology Research
South San Francisco, California
501-1,000 employees

Benefits & Perks

401(k) retirement plan
Healthcare coverage
Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP)
Broad range of other benefits