Robert Tensen

Senior Director Clinical Development | Medical Affairs Leadership | Vaccines, Infectious Diseases & Immunology

Amsterdam, North Holland, Netherlands

About

Senior Medical Affairs leader with long-standing experience across vaccines, infectious diseases, immunology and biologics. I focus on clear medical strategy, scientific accuracy and cross-functional alignment in development-driven organisations. My career spans local, regional and global roles in both mid-sized biotech and international pharma, always with a strong emphasis on medical governance and evidence-based decision-making. Following CureVac’s 2024 reorganisation, I moved into Clinical Development while continuing to apply my Medical Affairs perspective. This expanded my interface role, working closely with Regulatory, PV, CMC, Preclinical and Program Management, particularly in guiding early programmes toward first-in-human readiness and overseeing scientific publications. My professional focus remains Medical Affairs: translating data into clear strategy, providing medically grounded guidance to cross-functional teams, ensuring a consistent scientific narrative, and building credible relationships with external experts. I am most motivated in environments where clarity, scientific substance and long-term thinking drive decisions.

Experience

  • Senior Medical Director Clinical Development — Infectious Diseases & Publications at CureVac Netherlands
    Aug 2024 - Jan 2026 · 1 yr 6 mos

    Led clinical development activities for CureVac’s infectious diseases programmes, driving first-in-human readiness. Ensured scientific accuracy and cross-functional alignment across programme documents. Worked closely with Regulatory, PV, CMC, Preclinical and Programme Management on core documents, including IB updates and clinical protocol components. Oversaw scientific publications and ensured a consistent scientific narrative following the organisational integration of Medical Affairs responsibilities into Clinical Development.

  • Vice President Medical Affairs at CureVac
    Mar 2021 - Jul 2024 · 3 yrs 5 mos

    Led the Medical Affairs organisation across vaccines and infectious diseases, with responsibility for medical strategy, evidence generation, scientific communications and medical governance. Oversaw KOL engagement, medical review, external scientific alignment and cross-functional collaboration with Clinical Development, Regulatory and Commercial. Ensured accuracy and consistency of scientific narratives across programmes and supported teams in decision-making. Built a clear, science-driven Medical Affairs foundation during a period of organisational transition.

  • Medical Manager Vaccines Germany at Sanofi Pasteur
    Apr 2019 - Feb 2021 · 1 yr 11 mos

  • Interim Medical Affairs Professional at Robert Tensen Medical Affairs
    Jun 2017 - Mar 2019 · 1 yr 10 mos

  • Medical Director Influenza at Novartis Vaccines & Diagnostics / Seqirus
    Dec 2013 - Jun 2017 · 3 yrs 7 mos