Chief Medical Officer (CMO)

CONFIDENTIAL RETAINED SEARCH | SAN DIEGO LIFE SCIENCES

We are conducting a confidential, retained search for a biotech chief medical officer at a clinical-stage biotech or commercial-stage pharma company in the San Diego / CaliBaja life sciences corridor. The CMO will lead clinical strategy, medical affairs, and pharmacovigilance, and will report to the CEO. We seek physician executives with 12+ years of clinical development leadership.

Search Reference: TNF-LS-CMO-2026 | Clinical Leadership Mandate, Life Sciences

ABOUT THIS SEARCH

Top Notch Finders holds an exclusive, strictly confidential retained search for a Chief Medical Officer at a client in the San Diego / CaliBaja life sciences corridor. To protect our client and every candidate, we disclose the company’s identity only to qualified candidates under a confidentiality agreement. In addition, Top Notch Finders receives and manages every inquiry and application directly.

THE BIOTECH CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER OPPORTUNITY

The CMO leads clinical strategy, medical affairs, and pharmacovigilance. As a result, this executive serves as the senior physician voice who guides a program from IND through approval. Also, the CMO acts as the primary clinical science interface with regulatory agencies, key opinion leaders, and the board.

MARKET CONTEXT

Demand is strongest for deep expertise in oncology, rare disease, cell and gene therapy, and immunology. Because of this, we look for physician executives whose therapeutic-area depth fits these programs.

For a deeper look at how we evaluate and hire senior leaders in this industry, read our The 2026 San Diego Life Sciences Executive Search Hiring Guide. It explains our approach to executive search for clinical and medical affairs leadership roles.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Design and oversee the clinical development strategy across the pipeline.
• Serve as lead clinical spokesperson in FDA/EMA interactions and advisory committee meetings.
• Direct medical affairs, pharmacovigilance, and drug safety functions.
• Partner with Regulatory Affairs on submission strategy and label negotiations.
• Provide clinical and scientific input into business development, licensing, and M&A diligence.
• Represent the company to physician networks, KOLs, and patient advocacy organizations.
• Mentor and build out the clinical development and medical affairs organization.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

• MD or MD/PhD required; board certification in a relevant therapeutic specialty strongly preferred.
• 12+ years of clinical development leadership experience in biotech or pharma.
• Experience personally guiding a program through FDA/EMA approval (highly preferred).
• Deep therapeutic-area expertise in oncology, rare disease, cell and gene therapy, or immunology.
• A strong track record of KOL and investigator relationships.
• Experience presenting to boards and institutional investors.

HOW TO APPLY IN CONFIDENCE

This is a discreet, retained engagement. We will never present your candidacy to any organization without your explicit prior authorization. In addition, the hiring company cannot see any application at this stage.

If you are an accomplished physician executive and want to be considered as our next biotech chief medical officer, please submit your resume in confidence through the Top Notch Finders website. Reference search code TNF-LS-CMO-2026 in your submission. However, do not include patient-identifiable, trial-blinded, or other confidential clinical information of any kind in your application materials. We will contact only the candidates whose backgrounds align closely with the mandate.