Regional Medical Director Jobs in California
Regional Medical Director jobs in California are among the most active in the country, concentrated in managed care organizations, large integrated health systems, and multi-site physician groups, with openings ranging from associate medical director through senior regional roles. The highest volume of hiring is in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and San Diego, where organizations like Kaiser Permanente, Dignity Health, and Sutter Health maintain large regional operations. Utilization management, quality improvement, and population health leadership are the most in-demand areas of focus for these roles in California. Find a role that fits below and apply directly.
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The Regional Medical Scientific Director (RMSD) - Cardiovascular & Metabolism is a credentialed (i.e., PhD, PharmD, DNP, MD) therapeutic and disease expert who engages in scientific exchange with leaders in the external medical and scientific community. RMSDs provide to Scientific Leaders (SLs) balanced, factual, scientific information about non-product areas of interest to the company. RMSDs reply to scientific questions from SLs, including questions about company products. The work of an RMSD is aligned to the core pillars: Scientific Exchange, Clinical Research, Scientific Congress Support, and Scientific Insights. This position covers the territory of Northern California & Nevada.
Scientific Exchange:
- Develop professional relationships and engage with national and regional SLs to ensure access to medical and scientific information on areas of therapeutic interest and company products.
- Conduct peer-to-peer scientific discussions and maintain a reliable presence with those SLs to ensure they have a medical contact within the company.
- Address scientific questions and direct SL inquiries on issues outside of RMSD scope (e.g. grants) to appropriate company resources consistent with applicable policies.
- Review HQ-directed education and training to maintain current knowledge and comprehension of dynamic scientific and clinical environment in the company's areas of interest.
- Scientific exchange does not include promotional claims about any drug, vaccine or biologic product. RMSDs have no sales objectives or accountability for prescribing or sales of any company product and are required to avoid any situations that could create the appearance that they have such responsibilities. A RMSD may not comment on or make suggestions with respect to the diagnosis, treatment, or circumstances of a specific patient.
- Liaison between the scientific community and company to enhance the comprehension of scientific foundations and goals for approved, in development and active Company-Sponsored Trials and/or our Company's Investigator-Sponsored Program (MISP) research studies.
- Identify barriers to patient enrollment and retention efforts to achieve study milestones, recommend study sites, and identify potential investigators to participate in phase II-IV clinical development programs.
- Address questions from investigators and provide information regarding participation in our Company-sponsored clinical studies.
- Enhance the comprehension of the scientific foundations and goals of our company Investigator Studies Program (MISP) research.
- Identify barriers to patient enrollment and retention efforts to achieve study milestones.
- Initiate discussions with SLs and/or potential investigators that include scientific/data exchange within our Areas of Interest (AOIs) to determine the alignment with our research strategies, study concepts, scientific merit, and qualifications for a specific compound or trial.
- Engage in scientific and medical meetings through pre-congress preparation, facilitate scientific and data exchange for both our Company and competitor data, collect meaningful insights, and staff congress exhibit booth as applicable.
- Gather feedback, data, or information during routine activities that can help the company better comprehend medical or scientific needs, priorities, or concerns of healthcare practitioners and/or patients.
- Serve as a role model for other field medical team members, including on-boarding and/or therapeutic training.
- This is a remote position that serves the territory of Northern California & Nevada. This person must reside in the territory.
- Ability to travel up to 50%
- PhD, PharmD, DNP, or MD.
- Proven competence and a minimum of 3 years of relevant therapeutic area (Cardiovascular & Metabolism) experience beyond that obtained in the terminal degree program, e.g., Atherosclerosis / Lipidology / MASH (metabolic dysfunction–associated steatohepatitis).
- Ability to conduct doctoral-level discussions with key external stakeholders
- Dedication to scientific excellence with a strong focus on scientific education and dialogue
- Excellent stakeholder management, communication, and networking skills
- A thorough comprehension of FDA, OIG, HIPAA, and other ethical guidelines, laws, and regulations relevant to the pharmaceutical industry and its customers
- Ability to organize, prioritize, and work effectively in a constantly changing environment
- Strong working knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite (Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Teams, OneNote)
- Familiarity with virtual meeting platforms
- Working to transform the environment, culture, and business landscape
- Leveraging varied perspectives and experiences to ensure business value, consistent with the global people strategy
- Ensuring accountability to drive an inclusive culture
- Strengthening the foundational elements of talent and teamwork
- Consistent adherence to field and corporate policies and Global Medical Scientific Affairs (GMSA) strategy, including field standard operating procedures (SOPs), Good Clinical Practice (GCP) guidelines, and administrative/operational responsibilities
- Field-based medical experience in Cardiovascular & Metabolism
- Research Experienced
- Demonstrated record of scientific/medical publication
Required Skills:
Cardiovascular and Metabolic Disease (CVMD), Medical Affairs, Medical Knowledge, Pharmaceutical Medical Affairs, Professional Integrity, Professional Networking, Scientific Communications, Territory Management
Preferred Skills:
Current Employees apply HERE
Current Contingent Workers apply HERE
US and Puerto Rico Residents Only:
Our company is committed to inclusion, ensuring that candidates can engage in a hiring process that exhibits their true capabilities. Please click here if you need an accommodation during the application or hiring process.
As an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer, we provide equal opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, color, age, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, disability status, or other applicable legally protected characteristics. As a federal contractor, we comply with all affirmative action requirements for protected veterans and individuals with disabilities. For more information about personal rights under the U.S. Equal Opportunity Employment laws, visit:
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We are proud to be a company that embraces the value of bringing together, talented, and committed people with diverse experiences, perspectives, skills and backgrounds. The fastest way to breakthrough innovation is when people with diverse ideas, broad experiences, backgrounds, and skills come together in an inclusive environment. We encourage our colleagues to respectfully challenge one another’s thinking and approach problems collectively.
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The primary location for this posting is:
USA - California - San Francisco
Where required by law, the compensation range for this role is provided below.
The salary range for the primary location of this role is:
$190,800.00 - $300,300.00
This range reflects the Company's reasonable expectation of the base salary applicable to this role at the time of posting. An employee’s position within the salary range will be based on several factors including, but not limited to relevant education, qualifications, certifications, experience, skills, geographic location, government requirements, and business or organizational needs. The successful candidate will be eligible for annual bonus and long-term incentive, if applicable.
We offer a comprehensive package of benefits. Available benefits include medical, dental, vision healthcare and other insurance benefits (for employee and family), retirement benefits, including 401(k), paid holidays, vacation, and compassionate and sick days. More information about benefits is available at https://jobs.merck.com/us/en/compensation-and-benefits.
Additional location(s): Please note the salary range above applies to the Primary Location of the position. Where a role has other listed locations, different compensation guidelines may apply. You may find the salary ranges for additional locations below. If the salary range is not listed for the location you are applying to, our Talent Acquisition team will provide further information to you relevant to your location.
Additional location(s) Compensation Information:
San Francisco Residents Only: We will consider qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records for employment in compliance with the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance
Los Angeles Residents Only: We will consider for employment all qualified applicants, including those with criminal histories, in a manner consistent with the requirements of applicable state and local laws, including the City of Los Angeles’ Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance
Search Firm Representatives Please Read Carefully
Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA, also known as Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC, Rahway, NJ, USA, does not accept unsolicited assistance from search firms for employment opportunities. All CVs / resumes submitted by search firms to any employee at our company without a valid written search agreement in place for this position will be deemed the sole property of our company. No fee will be paid in the event a candidate is hired by our company as a result of an agency referral where no pre-existing agreement is in place. Where agency agreements are in place, introductions are position specific. Please, no phone calls or emails.
Employee Status:
Regular
Relocation:
No relocation
VISA Sponsorship:
No
Travel Requirements:
50%
Flexible Work Arrangements:
Remote
Shift:
Not Indicated
Valid Driving License:
Yes
Hazardous Material(s):
n/a
Job Posting End Date:
11/5/2026*A job posting is effective until 11:59:59PM on the day BEFORE the listed job posting end date. Please ensure you apply to a job posting no later than the day BEFORE the job posting end date.
Requisition ID: R423307
See All 12 Regional Medical Director Jobs in California
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Find JobsRegional Medical Director Jobs by City in California
Where California roles are concentrated, by current openings.
Regional Medical Director Job Market in California
A snapshot from current California openings, updated as new roles post.
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Top Industries Hiring
- Healthcare & Medical Services
What California Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in regional medical director jobs across California.
- Active and unrestricted California physician license issued by the Medical Board of California
- Board certification in a recognized medical specialty relevant to the organization's patient population
- MD or DO degree from an accredited medical school plus completion of a residency program
- Minimum five to seven years of clinical practice experience in California or a comparable health system
- Demonstrated leadership experience managing clinical teams, physician groups, or multi-site operations
- Familiarity with California's Medi-Cal program, DMHC regulations, and value-based care contracting models
Regional Medical Director Jobs in California: Frequently Asked Questions
How do you become a regional medical director in California?
The foundational requirement is an active, unrestricted physician license issued by the Medical Board of California, which requires completing an accredited MD or DO program, finishing a residency, and passing the relevant board exams. Most California employers also expect board certification in a clinical specialty and several years of direct patient care or physician leadership experience. From there, candidates typically move into medical director roles through quality, utilization management, or physician leadership tracks within California health systems or medical groups.
Which companies hire regional medical directors in California?
Employers hiring regional medical directors in California right now include LifeLong Medical Care, Merck, and Alignment Health, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of October 2026. California's density of large integrated systems, Medi-Cal managed care plans, and multi-site physician organizations means the employer pool is unusually broad compared with most other states.
Which California cities have the most regional medical director jobs?
Los Angeles, California, and Fresno have the most regional medical director openings in California. Los Angeles anchors the market as home to the state's largest managed care plans and integrated networks, while San Francisco and San Diego draw significant hiring through major academic medical centers, biotech-affiliated health systems, and large regional physician groups serving dense metropolitan populations.
Are there remote regional medical director jobs in California?
Yes, but they are less common than in purely desk-based fields, since the role typically involves site visits, physician oversight, and on-the-ground operational leadership. About 50% of regional medical director openings tied to California are remote or hybrid as of October 2026, reflecting growing flexibility in utilization management and population health oversight functions. Administrative and quality-focused sub-roles within the position are most likely to offer a remote component.
How can I get hired as a regional medical director in California with little or no experience?
The most realistic entry path is a physician leadership development role or associate medical director position within a large California health system such as Kaiser Permanente, Dignity Health, or a county health plan. Many candidates transition from clinical roles in quality assurance, utilization review, or population health management, where they build the operational and administrative skills that regional medical director positions require. Pursuing a California-based healthcare administration credential or completing a physician leadership program at a UC medical school can strengthen a less experienced candidate's profile significantly.
Where can I find and apply to regional medical director jobs in California?
You can find and apply to regional medical director jobs in California on Migrate Mate, which lists current California openings across health systems, managed care organizations, and physician groups. Find the roles that fit your specialty and experience level and apply directly to the ones that match.
See All 12 Regional Medical Director Jobs in California
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