80 Medical Director jobs in the United Kingdom

Overview

Cactus Life Sciences partners with the global biopharma industry to drive innovation and elevate patient outcomes through agile, science-driven medical communications. We transform complex data into actionable insights, bridging the critical gaps between research, decision-making, and real-world healthcare impact. As a growing scientific communications agency, we are seeking a self-motivated, strategy-oriented Medical Director to add to our scientific services team.

We are a remote-first organization, and we embrace an "accelerate from anywhere culture". You may be required to travel based on business requirements or for company/team events.

Responsibilities

• Work with clients’ Medical Affairs and Scientific Communications teams to develop and execute strategic scientific communications initiatives such as scientific communications platforms, scientific communications plans, KOL engagement plans, etc.
• Work with clients’ scientific teams to develop and execute both publications and medical communication tactics, such as manuscripts, abstracts, posters, review articles, symposia decks, literature searches, gap analyses, strategic publication plans, and MSL field materials.
• Take ownership of client relationship by partnering with the Account Director to build confidence in company’s service offerings; ensure compliance and consistency with client SOPs, messaging, and scientific communications objectives; and assisting with resolution of client concerns.
• Work with in-house technology and creative teams to build innovative digital solutions for Medical Affairs and Scientific Communications clients.
• Oversee and be accountable for quality of scientific communications tactics/deliverables developed by in-house scientific writers. Review deliverables to ensure strategic alignment and scientific accuracy and be accountable for quality of deliverables sent to the client.
• Develop, manage, and track strategy and tactics in partnership with a cross-functional team of internal and client stakeholders.
• Train and mentor junior writers; contribute to skill development of the writing team.
• Participate in client pitches and business development meetings as the scientific lead.
• Ensure organic growth through ensuring quality deliverables and client engagement.

Qualifications And Prerequisites

• MD, PhD, PharmD or similar advanced degree required.
• At least 5 years of core writing experience and 3+ years of experience as a Medical Director at a pharmaceutical company or 7+ years of core writing experience and 2+ years as an Associate Medical Director.
• Integrated Scientific Communications experience preferred with demonstrated experience on both medical communications and publications accounts.
• Demonstrated expertise in developing and executing deliverables mentioned in the above for both investigational and mature products.
• Experience across several therapy areas preferred.
• Experience in writing/reviewing deliverables.
• Experience with developing digital content and other deliverables to supplement traditional deliverables and communications.
• Strong attention to detail and editorial skills needed.
• Willingness to train and develop junior writers by doing detailed reviews of documents and training sessions.
• Experience providing congress support and conducting/facilitating advisory board meetings a plus.
• This role is fully remote (based anywhere in the US); travel to client locations, meetings, etc within the US and elsewhere will be required.
• Must work East Coast times.

Benefits of this Role

• Annual leaves, public holidays and a special day off for your birthday and work anniversary
• Statutory leaves including SSP, maternity and paternity leaves
• Comprehensive health coverage including eye tests.
• Holistic wellness support with access to fitness club and sportive activites.
• Financial security through life assurance and income protection
• Retirement savings plan with employer contributions

Application Process

Before applying, please ensure you meet the role requirements listed above and have legal authorization to work in the country where this role is advertised. The selection process for this role includes an initial recruiter screening, an interview with the hiring manager, a strategic assessment, and HR interview rounds.

Equal Opportunity

Our hiring practices reflect our commitment to providing equal opportunities and creating an environment where everyone can thrive, develop, and succeed. We celebrate the uniqueness of our team members and prohibit discrimination of any kind, based on race, color, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, marital status, disability, or any other protected characteristic.

Accelerating from Anywhere

As a remote-first organization, these are essential attributes we look for in all our candidates.

• Taking ownership of your work with minimal supervision, showing strong ability to organize, prioritize and deliver results independently.
• Documenting work that brings everyone on the same page.
• Maturity to choose between synchronous and asynchronous collaboration.
• Effectively collaborating with colleagues across different time zones by setting dedicated hours for collaboration and keeping team members updated through your MS Teams status.

About CACTUS

At Cactus Life Sciences (cactuslifesciences.com), we believe the future of medical communications lies at the intersection of science, technology, and human connection. Headquartered in Princeton, New Jersey, with teams in Switzerland, the United Kingdom, India, and Japan, we help biopharmaceutical organizations redefine scientific exchange - leveraging AI, automation, and innovation while keeping patients at the heart of everything we do.

Our expertise spans medical strategy, scientific content development, and medical education across therapeutic areas and the product lifecycle. By blending scientific rigor, agile operational models, and future-ready technologies, we partner with medical affairs teams to catalyze their transformation, adapt to a changing landscape, and drive meaningful outcomes for healthcare communities worldwide.

Are you a dynamic and visionary clinical leader ready to shape the future of mental health care?

Are you ready to join an award-winning, industry-leading organisation where quality is at the heart of everything we do — and excellence is more than just a word, it's our culture? With just under 300 medical professionals on our team, we’re setting the standard for care.

Cygnet Health Care is seeking an exceptional Divisional Medical Director (DMD) to take on a pivotal executive leadership role. As the most senior medical leader within your division, you will drive the strategic direction, uphold the highest professional standards, and lead a high-performing medical workforce dedicated to delivering safe, effective, and person-centred care.

This is a unique opportunity to collaborate at the highest level across multidisciplinary teams, influence organisational priorities, and champion a culture of innovation, learning, and continuous improvement.

Cygnet distinguishes itself through a unique combination of scale, specialism, and personalisation of care. Our 13,000 staff support 8,300 individuals and with a portfolio of over 150 services, we offer care across a range of services from acute, PICU, Eating Disorders and CAMHS. We have a strong reputation for quality, inclusion, and staff satisfaction. We stand apart through our ability to deliver exceptional, high-acuity care at scale, underpinned by deep clinical understanding, sector-leading quality ratings, and an unwavering focus on person-centred practice.

We keep our focus on maintaining high-quality standards across all our services, consistently achieving sector-leading regulatory ratings across the UK. 81% of services evaluated earned a Good or Outstanding rating by regulators, outperforming the national average. Cygnet has 17% higher CQC Good or Outstanding ratings than the rest of the mental health independent sector and 95% of our hospitals are rated Good or Outstanding by our internal quality assessment team. Our collaboration with 360 commissioning bodies, has not only allowed us to support integrated pathways of care, but has also helped shape local and regional strategies for individuals with complex needs.

Cygnet has also been recognised externally, with recent wins at the HealthInvestor Awards including Specialist Care Provider of the Year and has also been recognised by the Carers Trust, with 20 of our services being awarded Triangle of Care accreditation.

Reporting directly to the Group Clinical Director, this is a full-time position responsible for strategic leadership of our Health Care South region (Including Greater London, South East, South West, South Wales and West Midlands). This is a remote role but will include travel to sites within this region 2 – 3 days per week, so access to a car & UK driving licence is essential.

Key Responsibilities:

Strategic and Clinical Leadership

• Provide strategic clinical leadership across the division, setting high standards for medical practice and professional conduct.
• Ensure alignment with national clinical policy and statutory requirements, championing evidence-based care, prevention, early intervention, and integrated models of service delivery.
• Promote a strong culture of patient safety, learning, and openness in line with Just Culture principles.

Clinical Governance and Quality Improvement

• Oversee clinical governance frameworks to ensure safe, effective, and person-centered care.
• Lead on clinical quality improvement, audit, and innovation initiatives, ensuring high standards of care are maintained and continuously enhanced.
• Promote adherence to policies relating to safeguarding, medicines optimisation, infection prevention and control, and controlled drug safety.

Medical Workforce Leadership

• Lead on all aspects of clinical workforce planning, including recruitment, retention, role redesign, and succession planning.
• Ensure a high-performing and appropriately skilled clinical workforce through oversight of appraisal, revalidation, CPD, and professional development.
• Embed a culture of reflective practice, supervision, and 360-degree feedback within medical leadership.

Operational Excellence and Resource Stewardship

• Work closely with the respective Managing Directors and regional clinical directors to ensure high-quality and high-value service delivery.
• Ensure clinical productivity and resource utilisation are optimised, with clear outcome measures and benchmarking in place.
• Contribute to the achievement of the overall financial targets by the division.

Innovation, Research and Partnership

• Foster academic and clinical partnerships with external stakeholders, including NHS bodies, academic institutions, and research networks.
• Promote engagement in ethically approved research, supporting a culture of inquiry, learning, and evidence-based practice.
• Champion patient and resident involvement in research to inform service development and improve care outcomes.

We are looking for someone who is…

• Extensively experienced in senior medical leadership, ideally at Associate Medical Director, Regional Medical Director, Divisional Director or equivalent level.
• Holds an in-depth understanding of clinical and corporate governance frameworks.
• Has comprehensive knowledge of the professional, educational, and regulatory requirements of the medical workforce.
• Experienced in service redesign, workforce transformation and strategic planning.
• Demonstrates a proven ability to lead change, manage complex teams and influence across organisational boundaries.
• Demonstrates commitment to quality improvement and evidence-based practice in a multi-disciplinary setting.
• Holds strong financial and budget management skills (desirable).
• Experienced in medical research, audit, and clinical effectiveness.
• Shows high emotional intelligence and excellent interpersonal skills, with the ability to navigate complexity and foster consensus.
• Excellent written, verbal, and presentation skills, with the ability to engage diverse stakeholders.
• Committed to ongoing personal and professional development, including the use of feedback tools such as MSF/360 appraisal.
• Fully registered GMC & MBBS (or equivalent) qualified, and registered on the specialist register (CCT/CESR), Section 12 and AC Status

Why Cygnet? We’ll offer you…

• Market leading salary and bonus
• Company shares
• Travel allowance
• Generous annual leave entitlement that increases with length of service
• Company paid Life Assurance scheme covering 3x salary
• Contributory pension scheme
• Electric Car Scheme
• Free meals, on-site parking and EAP support
• Research and teaching opportunities, as well as the opportunity to lead and participate in QI & Audit initiatives
• A unique opportunity to lead the development of new services within the independent sector, shaping an innovative model of care from the ground up
• Extensive development opportunities and monthly CPD groups
• Peer‑led “Characters of Care” programme and a comprehensive employee benefit and support programme
• Company Funded Cash plan with the ability to claim up to £1000 per annum worth of benefits including free Physiotherapy, Osteopaths, Optical, dental, consultations, scans and free prescriptions
• Gym Discounts across the UK as well as free online fitness classes with ClassPass, Nutritional Programmes and Fitness Consultations
• Discount schemes including Reward Gateway, NHS Discount and Blue Lights Card
• Smart Health Toolkit, including 24 hour GP service with the option of prescription delivery to your local pharmacy

If you would like to discuss this informally we’d be more than happy to facilitate this. Please contact: Hannah Dunlop via or 077 20 497 792

Requirements

The successful candidate will be required to undergo an enhanced DBS and reference check and an offer of employment will be subject to successful clearance.

*Recruitment agencies please note: Speculative emails are not to be sent directly to our clinical staff, these need to go via our internal recruitment team. If speculative candidates are sent directly to a member of the clinical team, we will consider these candidates as our own*

Are you a dynamic and visionary clinical leader ready to shape the future of mental health care?

Are you ready to join an award-winning, industry-leading organisation where quality is at the heart of everything we do — and excellence is more than just a word, it's our culture? With just under 300 medical professionals on our team, we’re setting the standard for care.

Cygnet Health Care is seeking an exceptional Divisional Medical Director (DMD) to take on a pivotal executive leadership role. As the most senior medical leader within your division, you will drive the strategic direction, uphold the highest professional standards, and lead a high-performing medical workforce dedicated to delivering safe, effective, and person-centred care.

This is a unique opportunity to collaborate at the highest level across multidisciplinary teams, influence organisational priorities, and champion a culture of innovation, learning, and continuous improvement.

Cygnet distinguishes itself through a unique combination of scale, specialism, and personalisation of care. Our 13,000 staff support 8,300 individuals and with a portfolio of over 150 services, we offer care across a range of services from acute, PICU, Eating Disorders and CAMHS. We have a strong reputation for quality, inclusion, and staff satisfaction. We stand apart through our ability to deliver exceptional, high-acuity care at scale, underpinned by deep clinical understanding, sector-leading quality ratings, and an unwavering focus on person-centred practice.

We keep our focus on maintaining high-quality standards across all our services, consistently achieving sector-leading regulatory ratings across the UK. 81% of services evaluated earned a Good or Outstanding rating by regulators, outperforming the national average. Cygnet has 17% higher CQC Good or Outstanding ratings than the rest of the mental health independent sector and 95% of our hospitals are rated Good or Outstanding by our internal quality assessment team. Our collaboration with 360 commissioning bodies, has not only allowed us to support integrated pathways of care, but has also helped shape local and regional strategies for individuals with complex needs.

Cygnet has also been recognised externally, with recent wins at the HealthInvestor Awards including Specialist Care Provider of the Year and has also been recognised by the Carers Trust, with 20 of our services being awarded Triangle of Care accreditation.

Reporting directly to the Group Clinical Director, this is a full-time position responsible for strategic leadership of our Health Care South region (Including Greater London, South East, South West, South Wales and West Midlands). This is a remote role but will include travel to sites within this region 2 – 3 days per week, so access to a car & UK driving licence is essential.

Key Responsibilities:

Strategic and Clinical Leadership

• Provide strategic clinical leadership across the division, setting high standards for medical practice and professional conduct.
• Ensure alignment with national clinical policy and statutory requirements, championing evidence-based care, prevention, early intervention, and integrated models of service delivery.
• Promote a strong culture of patient safety, learning, and openness in line with Just Culture principles.

Clinical Governance and Quality Improvement

• Oversee clinical governance frameworks to ensure safe, effective, and person-centered care.
• Lead on clinical quality improvement, audit, and innovation initiatives, ensuring high standards of care are maintained and continuously enhanced.
• Promote adherence to policies relating to safeguarding, medicines optimisation, infection prevention and control, and controlled drug safety.

Medical Workforce Leadership

• Lead on all aspects of clinical workforce planning, including recruitment, retention, role redesign, and succession planning.
• Ensure a high-performing and appropriately skilled clinical workforce through oversight of appraisal, revalidation, CPD, and professional development.
• Embed a culture of reflective practice, supervision, and 360-degree feedback within medical leadership.

Operational Excellence and Resource Stewardship

• Work closely with the respective Managing Directors and regional clinical directors to ensure high-quality and high-value service delivery.
• Ensure clinical productivity and resource utilisation are optimised, with clear outcome measures and benchmarking in place.
• Contribute to the achievement of the overall financial targets by the division.

Innovation, Research and Partnership

• Foster academic and clinical partnerships with external stakeholders, including NHS bodies, academic institutions, and research networks.
• Promote engagement in ethically approved research, supporting a culture of inquiry, learning, and evidence-based practice.
• Champion patient and resident involvement in research to inform service development and improve care outcomes.

We are looking for someone who is…

• Extensively experienced in senior medical leadership, ideally at Associate Medical Director, Regional Medical Director, Divisional Director or equivalent level.
• Holds an in-depth understanding of clinical and corporate governance frameworks.
• Has comprehensive knowledge of the professional, educational, and regulatory requirements of the medical workforce.
• Experienced in service redesign, workforce transformation and strategic planning.
• Demonstrates a proven ability to lead change, manage complex teams and influence across organisational boundaries.
• Demonstrates commitment to quality improvement and evidence-based practice in a multi-disciplinary setting.
• Holds strong financial and budget management skills (desirable).
• Experienced in medical research, audit, and clinical effectiveness.
• Shows high emotional intelligence and excellent interpersonal skills, with the ability to navigate complexity and foster consensus.
• Excellent written, verbal, and presentation skills, with the ability to engage diverse stakeholders.
• Committed to ongoing personal and professional development, including the use of feedback tools such as MSF/360 appraisal.
• Fully registered GMC & MBBS (or equivalent) qualified, and registered on the specialist register (CCT/CESR), Section 12 and AC Status

Why Cygnet? We’ll offer you…

• Market leading salary and bonus
• Company shares
• Travel allowance
• Generous annual leave entitlement that increases with length of service
• Company paid Life Assurance scheme covering 3x salary
• Contributory pension scheme
• Electric Car Scheme
• Free meals, on-site parking and EAP support
• Research and teaching opportunities, as well as the opportunity to lead and participate in QI & Audit initiatives
• A unique opportunity to lead the development of new services within the independent sector, shaping an innovative model of care from the ground up
• Extensive development opportunities and monthly CPD groups
• Peer‑led “Characters of Care” programme and a comprehensive employee benefit and support programme
• Company Funded Cash plan with the ability to claim up to £1000 per annum worth of benefits including free Physiotherapy, Osteopaths, Optical, dental, consultations, scans and free prescriptions
• Gym Discounts across the UK as well as free online fitness classes with ClassPass, Nutritional Programmes and Fitness Consultations
• Discount schemes including Reward Gateway, NHS Discount and Blue Lights Card
• Smart Health Toolkit, including 24 hour GP service with the option of prescription delivery to your local pharmacy

If you would like to discuss this informally we’d be more than happy to facilitate this. Please contact: Hannah Dunlop via or 077 20 497 792

Requirements

The successful candidate will be required to undergo an enhanced DBS and reference check and an offer of employment will be subject to successful clearance.

*Recruitment agencies please note: Speculative emails are not to be sent directly to our clinical staff, these need to go via our internal recruitment team. If speculative candidates are sent directly to a member of the clinical team, we will consider these candidates as our own*

ARTO have partnered with a highly funded biotechnology company with an innovative preclinical platform looking to find therapeutic candidates for diseases in Autoimmune, Neurological and Cardiovascular diseases.

As their research moves towards the clinic and phase I, we are now searching for a Medical Director to oversee the drafting of the IND packages, prepare for the company's drug development plan and also be a key member of the R&D team.

For this position, the ideal candidate would be based in the UK, with a bi-weekly office expectation of roughly 3 days in Cambridge.

Responsibilities:

• Implement translational medicine and early clinical development plans for different therapeutic candidates
• Prepare for Phase I clinical trials
• Design and Implement clinical development plans
• Lead the prep of regulatory submission documents.
• Build relationships with stakeholders, senior management, KOLs

Qualifications:

• MD, with experience working as a Clinical lead for early phase clinical trials.
• Strong scientific background in Immunology/Inflammation/Dermatology and exposure and understanding of multiple disease areas and also drug development/discovery processes
• Proven experience leading Phase I and II clinical trials.
• At least 5 years of experience in industry from a pharmaceutical/biotech company.
• Ability to work hands on in a dynamic team.

+447476557042

ARTO is currently partnered with a globally renowned mid sized Pharmaceutical company who are committed to the development of drugs within the Rare Disease space.

With a growing clinical development team, we are currently searching for a Medical Director in their Clinical Development group who will be able to assist with the development of drugs from proof of concept up to the crucial NDA/BLA submission phase.

Key Responsibilities:

• Medical Oversight : Acts as Medical Monitor, overseeing study execution, subject eligibility, and safety surveillance.
• Scientific Leadership : Provides medical input on clinical study and protocol design, as well as driving clincial and project groups through execution
• Data Analysis & Interpretation : Critically evaluates study data and contributes to the integration and interpretation of results.
• Strategic Contribution : Supports the Clinical Development Plan (CDP) by aligning studies with broader clinical and scientific strategy.
• Stakeholder Collaboration : Engages with internal teams and external physician stakeholders to inform clinical decisions and ensure relevance.

Experience Needed:

• MD/MD PhD
• 5 Years experience in the pharmaceutical industry
• Experience as a Clinical Lead
• Rare Disease experience preffered, but experience developing drugs in the wider Immunology space is also acceptable

If you'd like to hear more, please reach out to me on , or directly on LinkedIn DM!