Senior Medical Director, UK & Europe

At Vericel Corporation, we are pioneers in advanced cell therapies for sports medicine and severe burn care, transforming patient lives through cutting-edge regenerative medicine. Our commitment to innovation, patient-centered focus, and scientific excellence drives us to develop groundbreaking treatments including MACI (knee cartilage repair), Epicel and Nexobrid (burn care).

Position Summary

Vericel is seeking a highly strategic and externally focused Senior Medical Director to lead Medical Affairs and patient safety activities supporting the launch and commercialization of MACI in the United Kingdom while building the scientific and clinical foundation for future expansion across Europe.

This role will dedicate approximately 40% of time to UK launch execution and post-launch medical support, and 60% of time to identifying, developing, and cultivating key opinion leader (KOL) networks and clinical advocacy across priority future European markets, including Germany, the Netherlands, and other targeted expansion countries.

The successful candidate will serve as Vericel's senior medical representative in Europe, establishing trusted partnerships with orthopedic surgeons, sports medicine physicians, cartilage repair experts, professional societies, academic centers, regional Regulatory Authorities, and healthcare stakeholders. The individual will play a critical role in shaping market readiness, generating clinical insights, and informing Vericel's long-term European market access and expansion strategy.

Location: This is a remote position, ideally based in London, UK. Candidates based in Germany or the Netherlands will also be considered. The role requires up to 70% travel.

Key Responsibilities:

UK Medical Affairs Leadership (40%)

Launch & Commercialization Support

• Lead Medical Affairs strategy and execution for the UK launch of MACI.

• Serve as the medical subject matter expert supporting cross-functional launch teams.

• Develop and execute UK medical plans aligned with corporate objectives.

• Provide scientific support for commercial, market access, regulatory, and reimbursement initiatives.

• Ensure compliant scientific exchange with healthcare professionals and stakeholders.

• Assess local patient safety events in association with Vericel’s Global pharmacovigilance team and external safety vendors.

External Scientific Engagement

• Establish and maintain relationships with leading UK orthopedic surgeons, sports medicine specialists, and cartilage restoration centers.

• Deliver scientific presentations and facilitate peer-to-peer educational programs.

• Support advisory boards, investigator meetings, and scientific symposia.

• Gather and communicate field medical insights to internal stakeholders.

Evidence Generation

• Support real-world evidence initiatives and post-launch data generation activities.

• Identify opportunities for investigator-sponsored research and registry participation.

• Collaborate with clinical development and health economics teams to address evidence gaps relevant to UK adoption and reimbursement.

European Market Development & KOL Network Building (60%)

Future Market Readiness

• Develop comprehensive medical landscape assessments for priority European expansion markets beyond the UK, initially focused upon:

  • Germany

  • Netherlands

• Identify key treatment centers, referral networks, clinical influencers, and emerging leaders in cartilage restoration and sports medicine.

KOL Identification & Development

• Build and maintain a robust European KOL engagement strategy.

• Establish relationships with:

  • Orthopedic knee surgeons

  • Sports medicine physicians

  • Cartilage repair specialists

  • Professional societies

• Map key decision-makers influencing treatment adoption, clinical guidelines, reimbursement, and center-of-excellence development.

Scientific Advocacy & Market Shaping

• Partner with European experts to understand unmet needs, treatment pathways, and adoption barriers.

• Facilitate scientific collaborations and educational initiatives that increase awareness of cell-based cartilage repair.

• Support development of European advisory boards and strategic expert panels.

• Identify opportunities for publication, congress participation, and scientific visibility.

Strategic Intelligence

• Monitor competitive developments in cartilage repair and regenerative medicine throughout Europe.

• Provide insights on evolving standards of care, reimbursement dynamics, treatment pathways, and clinical trends.

• Inform European launch sequencing and market prioritization decisions through medical and scientific intelligence.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner closely with Commercial, Market Access, Regulatory Affairs, Pharmacovigilance, Clinical Development, HEOR, and Corporate Strategy teams.

• Contribute to European launch planning and long-range expansion strategies.

• Serve as the primary European medical voice in cross-functional planning discussions.

• Translate field insights into actionable business recommendations.

Qualifications:

Required

• MD, MBBS, or equivalent medical degree.

• 10+ years of relevant pharmaceutical, biotechnology, medical device, or regenerative medicine experience.

• Significant Medical Affairs leadership experience in Europe.

• Demonstrated success by launching or supporting specialty products in European markets.

• Extensive experience engaging and developing KOL networks.

• Deep understanding of orthopedic surgery, sports medicine, musculoskeletal disorders, regenerative medicine, or related therapeutic areas.

• Strong knowledge of European healthcare systems and reimbursement environments.

• Willingness to travel extensively throughout Europe (approximately 40–60%).

• Professional-level proficiency in English is required.

Preferred

• Experience in cartilage repair, orthobiologics, cell therapy, regenerative medicine, or orthopedic surgery.

• Existing network within leading European orthopedic and sports medicine communities.

• Experience supporting product launches in the UK, Germany, and/or Benelux markets.

• Prior MSL leadership or field medical leadership experience.

• Advanced scientific publication and presentation experience.

• Additional European language skills (German preferred).

Why Vericel? 

• Mission-Driven Work: Help bring potentially life-enhancing cell therapies to patients with serious medical conditions.

• Innovative Products: Work with a first-in-class therapy backed by clinical success and provider trust. 

• Career Growth: Be a part of a growing organization with opportunities to expand your impact.

• Collaborative Culture: Join a supportive, cross-functional team that values passion, integrity, and excellence. 

EEO Statement

All applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to their race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, or protected veteran status and will receive consideration for employment and will not be discriminated against on the basis of disability. Vericel Corporation is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer.

Vericel Corporation is VEVRAA federal contractor and desires priority referrals of protected veterans for job openings at all locations within the state.