Associate Medical Director - Oncology (West Coast)
POSITION SUMMARY
The Associate Area Medical Director (Associate AMD) is a physician contributor operating within a defined regional geography under the guidance of an Area Medical Director or Medical Affairs leadership. This role is designed for a clinically credentialed oncologist who is building field medical affairs expertise and developing the cross-functional, commercial, and scientific capabilities required for full AMD-level autonomy.
The Associate AMD executes field engagement activities, supports MSL partnership, and delivers scientific education within established frameworks and account priorities. The role contributes to insight generation and escalation management, but does not yet carry independent ownership of area strategy or cross-functional leadership. This is a 50% field-based role requiring strong clinical foundations, a bias for action, and the capacity to develop rapidly in a high-autonomy environment.
PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES
MD-Level Field Engagement
● Execute 8–12 MD-level engagements per quarter within defined geography, with at least 50% in pre-identified top strategic community accounts.
● Maintain at least 3 field ride days per month alongside MSL counterparts, targeting accounts designated by area leadership.
● Establish contact with medical leads in assigned top accounts; engage 100% of flagged accounts within 10 business days of assignment.
Share responsibility for implementation and execution of “platinum-glove” provider engagement activities with area AMD lead.
Scientific Communication and Education
● Attend, support, or present at regional educational programs as directed; develop toward independent program leadership over time.
● Complete annual recurrent speaker training; maintain working proficiency across assigned tumor histologies and the MRD diagnostic landscape.
● Document scientific exchange summaries and objection-handling themes in Salesforce following each engagement.
Cross-Functional Collaboration
● Participate in bi-weekly 1:1s with MSL manager and attend monthly MSL team meetings; support area planning sessions as directed.
● Respond to escalated area medical inquiries within 48 hours with 100% closed-loop documentation; triage complex inquiries to the AMD or histology-specific Medical Directors.
● Generate at least 2 actionable regional insights per quarter; contribute to quarterly written insight report submitted to AMD or manager.
Identify, triage and resolve operational issues coming from area accounts through cross-functional coordination and ownership.
Clinical Development Support
● Identify and document field-driven evidence generation opportunities; escalate to AMD for evaluation and submission to histology lifecycle teams.
● Support AMD-led clinical trial concept development; participate in one histology-specific program identification per year.
Performs other duties as assigned.
QUALIFICATIONS
Required:
● M.D. or D.O. with board certification or active board eligibility in medical oncology, medical oncology/hematology, radiation oncology, surgical oncology or a directly related clinical specialty.
● Minimum 2–5 years of clinical practice or medical affairs experience following training (HM4 level; equivalent field experience accepted).
● Clinical knowledge across at least one or more tumor histologies and foundational understanding of molecular diagnostic testing in oncology.
● Demonstrated ability to communicate clinical data and engage physician audiences in a professional setting.
Preferred:
● Prior medical affairs, MSL, or field-based clinical role in oncology diagnostics, pharma, or biotech.
● Familiarity with cfDNA-based testing, MRD assays, or molecular residual disease concepts.
● Experience presenting at scientific or clinical educational forums.
KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES
Technical:
● Clinical knowledge across oncology histologies relevant to the assigned geography; capacity to develop proficiency in Natera's full product portfolio.
● Working proficiency in Salesforce or equivalent CRM for documentation and compliance adherence.
● Ability to interpret and communicate clinical data and study results to physician audiences.
Behavioral:
● Developing autonomy. Executes within defined parameters; proactively seeks guidance when needed and builds toward independent problem-solving.
● Bias for action. Does not wait to be directed on routine field activities; moves on assigned priorities without prompting.
● Scientific curiosity. Asks questions, reads the data, and actively builds proficiency across the MRD landscape and Natera product evidence.
● Cross-functional awareness. Understands how medical affairs, MSL, commercial, and marketing functions interrelate and engages accordingly.
● Clear communicator. Can simplify complex clinical concepts for diverse physician audiences and internal stakeholders.
PHYSICAL DEMANDS & WORK ENVIRONMENT
This is a field-based role with approximately 50% of time spent in regional travel. The Associate AMD attends in-person customer meetings, educational programs, and internal team meetings, which may require extended hours and evening events. Remote home-office work constitutes the remaining time and requires reliable high-speed internet access. Physical demands are consistent with standard office and field-based activities.
Travel required for this position: Yes ☒ Anticipated travel: >50% within Natera-defined area geography
The pay range is listed and actual compensation packages are based on a wide array of factors unique to each candidate, including but not limited to skill set, years & depth of experience, certifications and specific office location. This may differ in other locations due to cost of labor considerations.
Remote USA
$180,000—$270,000 USD