At Bavarian Nordic, we are committed to saving and improving lives by unlocking the power of the immune system. Our commercial portfolio includes market-leading vaccines against smallpox/mpox, rabies, tick-borne encephalitis, typhoid fever, and cholera. We excel in R&D innovation, manufacturing, and commercialization working every day to protect people's health and quality of life and protecting our tomorrow.
The roleWe're looking for an experienced Medical Officer providing medical leadership across Global Clinical Safety & Pharmacovigilance (GCSP), Epidemiology, Medical Affairs, and Medical & Process Compliance. You will guide patient safety and benefit-risk, shape evidence generation and medical governance, and partner closely with Regulatory, Clinical Development, Quality, CMC/Manufacturing, Commercial, and Market Access to ensure scientific rigor and aligned execution across the product lifecycle. The position reports to the SVP of R&D and can be based in either Switzerland or Germany - global travel up to ~30% should be expected.
Key responsibilities
Lead and develop high-performing GCSP, Epidemiology, Medical Affairs, and Medical & Process Compliance teams, including people leadership, budgets, and talent development
Have oversight of the GCSP team and QPPV office
Set and execute global Medical Affairs strategy aligned to development milestones, regulatory interactions, and commercialization plans; ensure medical accuracy and balance across all external scientific content
Establish and scale regional medical networks to support local commercial teams, capture insights, and localize global strategies
Own medical information capabilities and responses to unsolicited medical inquiries
Drive late-stage and post-approval evidence generation, including RWE, observational, and epidemiological studies
Institute robust medical governance appropriate for company growth; chair and/or contribute to internal medical governance committees
Partner deeply with Clinical Development to inform future trials and label expansions; collaborate across Regulatory, Manufacturing/CMC, Quality, Commercial, and Market Access
Build strategic external relationships with key opinion leaders and public-health stakeholders
What you bringTo succeed in this role, you bring deep expertise in medical affairs, clinical safety, and global pharmacovigilance, with a strong foundation in immunology, epidemiology, and vaccine safety. Your strategic mindset and operational rigor ensure patient safety and scientific excellence across the product lifecycle.
Besides bringing 10+ years of experience from a similar role, you're an exceptional communicator who can translate complex medical and regulatory topics into clear, actionable guidance for both scientific and non-scientific stakeholders. As a trusted advisor to senior leadership, you provide confident counsel on medical strategy, compliance, and risk management.
It is important, that you have 10+ years of experience from a leadership role with both direct and indirect reports. As a leader you're hands-on and people-focused, ready to coach, mentor, and elevate high-performing teams across regions while orchestrating medical governance, evidence generation, and external collaborations with precision and credibility. Equally, you're curious and data-driven; you monitor emerging trends, synthesize real-world evidence, and challenge assumptions to inform better decisions.
Most importantly, you thrive in change; your judgement, integrity, and resilience help safeguard patient safety and support our transition from development to full commercialization in a fast-moving, life-science environment.
Please note an advanced degree is required, and an MD qualification is preferred for this role.
Why this roleThis is a pivotal leadership opportunity at the forefront of Bavarian Nordic's scientific and strategic agenda. You will shape the direction of global clinical safety, medical affairs, and pharmacovigilance ensuring the highest standards of patient safety and scientific integrity across our vaccine portfolio.
You will drive medical strategy and governance, influence regulatory and commercial decisions, and represent the company in critical interactions with external experts, health authorities, and global stakeholders. Your expertise and judgement will be instrumental in guiding cross-functional teams, supporting innovation, and enabling successful product development and commercialization.
In this role, you will have the platform to make a lasting impact on public health, advance our mission, and set new benchmarks for medical excellence in a dynamic, growth-oriented biotechnology environment.
ApplicationIf you are ready to take on a pivotal role in a growing organization and drive meaningful change in healthcare, apply now and join Bavarian Nordic in our mission to improve health outcomes and foster sustainable growth.
If you have any questions regarding the role, Senior Talent Acquisition Partner, Charlotte Kehlet Godt will be available for questions from 5th of January 2026 - please contact her via mobile; +45 3137 2437.
We kindly request that headhunters or recruitment agencies refrain from contacting us regarding this position.
Founded in 1994, we have +30 years of experience developing life-saving vaccines. We are a global leader in smallpox and mpox vaccines. Our commercial product portfolio contains market-leading vaccines against rabies, tick-borne encephalitis, cholera, typhoid, and Ebola. We are headquartered in Denmark and have manufacturing, research, and sales offices across Europe and North America. Our values - our Bavarian Nordic DNA, as we like to call it - are what guide our actions every day. We act as persistent pioneers, embrace change, value being boosted by the team, and believe in protecting lives every day. If that is also a part of your DNA, we invite you to join us at Bavarian Nordic! Bavarian Nordic is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applications will receive consideration for employment and will not be discriminated against based on race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or protected veteran status.
www.bavarian-nordic.com