Who We Are
Cogent Biosciences is a publicly traded biotechnology company developing real solutions to treat genetically driven diseases. With a focus on rational drug discovery and development, we are leveraging validated biology to advance precision therapies designed to address the true underlying drivers of disease and provide real hope for patients. Cogent’s lead therapeutic candidate, bezuclastinib (CGT9486), is a precision kinase inhibitor designed to selectively and potently inhibit the KIT D816V mutation. This mutation is responsible for driving a rare and serious condition called Systemic Mastocytosis (SM), which can severely impact many different tissues and organs in the body. We are also studying CGT9486 to treat advanced gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST), which have a strong dependence on oncogenic KIT signaling. We are currently enrolling two Phase 2 clinical trials for patients with SM and a global Phase 3 trial for GIST patients.
Our Team
https://cogent.culturehq.com
The Role:
The Area Director of Field Medical Affairs is responsible for leading one of two areas (East or West) of the US MSL field team who will identify, engage, align, and develop relevant Healthcare Provider-(HCPs) specialists with an initial focus on our lead precision-therapy clinical development program of bezuclastinib in patients diagnosed with systemic mastocytosis and Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor (GIST).
The Area Director of Field Medical Affairs will lead the planning, hiring, development, and retention of a US-based Medical Affairs field-team. Members of the MSL team will be on the frontlines of education about bezuclastinib and garner a stronger understanding of unmet needs in the field as well as open questions from HCPs that will help Cogent further refine our strategic initiatives and other priority projects (e.g., data generation efforts) to better understand current medical and educational gaps and additional data needed to facilitate improvements in patient care. Each field team representative will also be responsible to speak fluently about Cogent’s emerging research pipeline (e.g., FGFR2/3, EGFR-sparing, CNS-pentrant ErbB2, etc.) to further highlight Cogent’s expertise in the development of novel TKI therapeutics across a range of genetically defined diseases. It is an amazing time to join Cogent, a company that is patient-and-employee-centric with a leadership and multi-disciplinary team that has a successful track-record of developing and commercializing ground-breaking rare disease and oncology therapeutics.
Bezuclastinib is a potential best-in-class investigational tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) therapy currently in late-stage clinical development in registration-directed clinical trials. This exciting, novel TKI is designed to target exon 17 mutations found within the KIT receptor tyrosine kinase, including KIT D816V. When KIT D816V remains in a perpetual ‘on’ state causing mast cells, a type of white blood cell, to accumulate in various internal organs including the bone marrow. The result is the rare disease called Systemic Mastocytosis (SM). Exon 17 mutations have also been found in advanced GIST, which have a strong dependence on oncogenic KIT signaling. Bezuclastinib is a highly selective and potent KIT inhibitor with the potential to provide a powerful new treatment option for SM and GIST patients.
With the very encouraging initial safety and efficacy data across the GIST (Peak), Advanced SM (Apex), and NonAdvanced SM (Summit) clinical trials, Cogent is enthusiastic about bezuclastinib’s potential as a best-in-class therapeutic that will ultimately help patients in need. This is in addition to the preclinical data that supports aspects of potential bezuclastinib differentiation related to its specificity for KIT D816V and the lack of CNS-permeability mitigating the potential for off-target liabilities and CNS-related toxicities, respectively. These clinical and preclinical data are critical for the MSL/Sr MSL to be subject matter experts on so that accurate data dissemination can be conducted in the field with relevant healthcare providers (HCPs).
The Area Director, Field Medical Affairs, is a key field leadership role responsible for management, oversight, and mentoring of the MSL Team (East or West Area), to ensure accurate, timely, and compliant execution of strategic territory plans aligned with corporate and team objectives and priorities. This role provides leadership support to the MSL Team to increase effectiveness in raising awareness about Cogent Biosciences and bezuclastinib to ensure that there is a broad understanding in the relevant HCP communities about Cogent’s focus on developing innovative and potential best-in-class therapeutics for patients with genetically defined diseases and that there is clear, comprehensive, and compliant scientific discourse in the field about bezuclastinib preclinical and clinical data that provides context about the product’s future potential as a treatment across the range of patients for which the compound is being evaluated for. This includes the ability to respond to requests for medical information on SM, GIST, and bezuclastinib, and the ability to respond compliantly to requests related to the product’s expanded access mechanisms for physicians that have patients with unmet medical needs.
Responsibilities
- Recruit, hire, develop, and retain a best-in-industry MSL team
- Mentor, coach, develop and monitor individual team members’ performance and progress on an on-going basis, including performance reviews and field reports. Sets expectations and holds team members accountable on the execution of goals and objectives
- Plan and manage FTE and operational expenses aligned with the budget and review/revise as necessary in collaboration with the Finance team
- Lead Field Medical Affairs strategies in the peri-product-launch period in the designated area/territories aligned with corporate and team objectives and strategic priorities
- Establishes a productive work environment by creating trust and respect within the team and emerges as a strong business partner across the multi-disciplinary team (clinical development, commercial, etc.).
- Develops and implements a Field Medical Affairs strategy in the assigned Area across MSL territories, aligned with corporate and program goals and objectives and in collaboration with Medical Affairs and Patient Advocacy team members (e.g., Area Director (East or West), Director of Medical Strategy, and VP of Patient Advocacy, Engagement, and Digital Innovation, etc.).
- Work collaboratively by establishing and maintaining strong partnerships with internal, cross-functional, colleagues
- Demonstrate expertise in the ability to communicate complex scientific topics to all relevant audiences and via different modes (in-person, virtual, written)
- Represent Cogent at scientific meetings and other forums of interest and relevance
- Identify, bring forward, and gain alignment on novel initiatives that can advance Cogent’s standing in the healthcare community as scientific leaders aligned on our patient-centric mission to advance healthcare and optimize patient outcomes in partnership with the healthcare and advocacy communities
- Work with the healthcare community, and partner with advocacy colleagues and advocates, on aligned priorities so that Cogent’s clinical development programs, or other initiatives, can help to fill in identified gaps to ensure program success from clinical through to commercialization.
Qualifications
- Advanced science degree (MD, PhD, PharmD, RN-NP, MS-CGC)
- 10+ years of biopharmaceutical industry experience in relevant disciplines
- Proven track record of people management and leadership including hiring, development, coaching, motivation, and performance management
- Previous management experience in pre-launch through launch timeframe required
- Experience in rare disease required, experience in hematology/oncology preferred
- Experience in supporting Medical Affairs’ team initiatives in the peri-product-launch activities
- Strong interpersonal skills with demonstrated ability to work compliantly in a dynamic environment and ability to rapidly change course
- Demonstrated ability to foster strong partnerships and work collaboratively with internal multi-disciplinary teams (R&D, Clinical Development Operations, Clinical Research/Science and Commercial teams)
- Demonstrated ability to forge partnerships with the medical community to advance care for patients with rare disease
- Demonstrated scientific acumen in relevant fields from bench and translational to clinical research
- Excellent communication skills required, verbal and written.
- Experience in presenting scientific data in a variety of formats and venues
- Demonstrated ability to remain poised in challenging situations
- Ability to travel extensively, primarily in the United States, ≥50%
Our Locations:
Waltham, MA: Our Boston office includes an open office layout that has recently undergone a makeover designed for collaboration and giving our employees the best work place possible. Free access is provided for both on-site parking and gym facilities in the building.
Boulder, CO: We have just moved into our new state-of-the art Research Facility in the fast-growing biopharmaceutical hub in the greater Denver/Boulder corridor. Our CEO is based full-time in this location and we are proud to call this the home of Cogent’s discovery research organization.
Our Offer To You:To attract the very best talent, we offer a generous benefits package that includes competitive pay, performance-based bonus, stock options, insurance coverage (health, dental, life, and disability), competitive time-off, a 401(k) plan, and commuter/parking benefits.
We are proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. Our goal is to have a diverse workforce. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, age, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran status or disability, or any other status protected under federal, state, or local law. All employment is decided on the basis of qualifications, merit, and business need.
Our Locations
Waltham, MA: Our Boston office includes an open office layout that has recently undergone a makeover designed for collaboration and giving our employees the best work place possible. Free access is provided for both on-site parking and gym facilities in the building.
Boulder, CO: We have just moved into our new state-of-the art Research Facility in the fast-growing biopharmaceutical hub in the greater Denver/Boulder corridor. Our CEO is based full-time in this location and we are proud to call this the home of Cogent’s discovery research organization.
Our Offer To You
To attract the very best talent, we offer a generous benefits package that includes competitive pay, performance-based bonus, stock options, insurance coverage (health, dental, life, and disability), competitive time-off, a 401(k) plan, and commuter/parking benefits.
We are proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. Our goal is to have a diverse workforce. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, age, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran status or disability, or any other status protected under federal, state, or local law. All employment is decided on the basis of qualifications, merit, and business need.
