Area Medical Director - Oncology

About this role

POSITION SUMMARY

The Area Medical Director (AMD) is a senior physician leader embedded within a defined geography (Northeast, East, Central, or West) to serve as Natera's primary MD-to-MD clinical presence across the community oncology market. This role addresses the intersection of medical affairs, field execution, and scientific credibility — driving engagement with community oncologists, KOLs, and cross-functional field teams to accelerate appropriate utilization of Natera's oncology portfolio, including Signatera and Altera.

The AMD owns regional medical strategy, leads cross-functional field partnerships, and operates with high autonomy to define and execute area priorities. The AMD functions without a defined playbook, translates business strategy into field-level action, and surfaces clinical intelligence that informs both commercial execution and development priorities. This is a 50% field-based role.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES

MD-Level Field Engagement

● Execute 12–18 MD-level engagements per quarter across defined geography, with at least 50% concentrated in top strategic community accounts.

● Maintain field presence of at least 4 ride days per month, prioritizing and overseeing area high-value and "platinum" accounts, including lost/down account retrieval. Responsible/accountable for oversight and coordination with these accounts with Associate AMD.

● Establish and maintain contact with the medical lead in the top 20 area accounts; engage 100% of flagged accounts within 10 business days.

Cross-Functional Medical Leadership

● Serve as the primary MD triage point for escalated area medical inquiries, acknowledging at least 90% within 48 hours with 100% closed-loop documentation in Salesforce.

● Partner with MSL managers, Area Sales Directors, and Area Marketing Directors through structured bi-weekly and monthly cadences to align scientific messaging and commercial strategy.

● Participate in at least 75% of high-priority account strategy reviews and area/regional planning sessions; co-own quarterly business reviews with MSL leadership.

• Proficiency with and current understanding of Natera’s evidence generation portfolio and ability to speak to/escalate questions or issues coming from area accounts.

Scientific Communication and Education

● Host, present, or observe at least 12 regional educational programs per quarter targeting high-impact community accounts.

● Lead development of at least one educational initiative per cycle (physician-facing, patient-facing, or via webinar/podcast); complete annual recurrent speaker training.

● Ensure consistent, compliant scientific positioning across field activities; document objection-handling themes and manage escalation to histology-specific Medical Directors where appropriate.

Clinical Development Contribution

● Identify and document field-driven evidence generation opportunities; surface at least one histology-specific clinical trial concept per year in collaboration with the CMO and histology Medical Director teams.

● Generate at least 3 actionable regional insights per quarter in quarterly written reports submitted prior to manager review.

● Identify at least 3 qualified KOL collaboration leads per quarter, including IST/RWE prospects, documented in Salesforce.

Performs other duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS

Required:

● M.D. or D.O. with board certification in oncology, hematology, or a directly related clinical specialty.

● Minimum 5–8 years of related clinical or medical affairs experience following board certification (HM5 level; equivalent field experience accepted).

● Demonstrated proficiency across multiple tumor histologies and working knowledge of the molecular residual disease (MRD) diagnostic landscape.

● Experience in a field-based medical affairs, clinical development, or medical education role within oncology diagnostics, pharma, or biotech.

● Proven ability to communicate complex clinical data to community oncologist audiences.

Preferred:

● Direct experience with cfDNA-based or MRD testing platforms (e.g., Signatera, ctDNA-based assays).

● Prior experience in a cross-functional field role collaborating with commercial, MSL, and marketing teams.

● Experience contributing to clinical trial design, IST development, or real-world evidence programs.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES

Technical:

● Deep clinical fluency across multiple solid tumor histologies and understanding of MRD biology, assay methodology, and clinical application in oncology management.

● Working proficiency in Salesforce or equivalent CRM for documentation, engagement tracking, and compliance adherence.

● Ability to analyze and translate clinical data, publications, and evidence landscapes into field-level scientific narratives and objection-handling frameworks.

● Familiarity with regulatory and compliance boundaries governing medical affairs activities, including fair balance and off-label communication protocols.

Behavioral:

● High autonomy. Operates effectively without a defined playbook; identifies the problem, defines the approach, and executes without close management.

● T-shaped profile. Brings deep oncology clinical expertise with the ability to connect across commercial, scientific, and operational domains.

● Builder orientation. Establishes new ways of working, not just operates within existing structures — particularly in ambiguous or rapidly evolving environments.

● Executive presence. Maintains credibility and composure in physician-level and leadership settings; can challenge without alienating.

● Data-driven. Applies clinical evidence and field intelligence to frame medical conversations and inform internal strategic decisions.

● Cross-functional fluency. Communicates clearly across medical, commercial, and marketing functions without requiring translation layers.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS & WORK ENVIRONMENT

This is a field-based role with approximately 50% of time spent in regional travel across a…