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Help shape territory engagement plans and key opinion leader mapping in alignment with broader Medical Affairs priorities and objectives. * Contribute to Medical Affairs conference planning ...

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How much do key opinion leader jobs pay per hour?

As of Aug 13, 2026, the average hourly pay for key opinion leader in the United States is $25.73, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $15.38 and $24.04 per hour, depending on experience, location, and employer.

How do key opinion leaders balance their independent viewpoints with company collaboration requirements?

Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs) are valued for their independent expertise and credibility in their field. When collaborating with companies, KOLs are expected to maintain objectivity while providing informed insights or feedback on products, research, or strategies. Successful KOLs navigate this balance by being transparent about their professional opinions, clearly disclosing any affiliations, and ensuring that their contributions remain evidence-based and authentic. This approach not only upholds their reputation but also fosters trust with both their audience and the organizations they work with.

What skills and qualifications are needed to thrive as a key opinion leader?

To thrive as a Key Opinion Leader, you need deep subject matter expertise, a strong professional reputation, and a proven track record in your field, often supported by advanced degrees or extensive industry experience. Familiarity with data analysis tools, social media platforms, and industry-specific communication channels is crucial for disseminating insights and engaging with target audiences. Exceptional communication, networking, and credibility-building skills help you influence peers and stakeholders effectively. These skills and qualities are essential because Key Opinion Leaders drive thought leadership, inform industry standards, and shape decision-making within their sectors.

What is the difference between Key Opinion Leader vs Medical Writer?

AspectKey Opinion LeaderMedical Writer
CredentialsMedical degree, specialized expertise, often recognized in the fieldMedical or scientific degree, writing certifications often preferred
Work EnvironmentConferences, research collaborations, industry eventsOffices, research institutions, freelance or agency settings
Employer & Industry UsagePharmaceutical companies, healthcare organizations, research institutionsPublishing houses, pharmaceutical companies, medical communication agencies
Search & Comparison IntentUnderstanding industry influence, thought leadershipContent creation, scientific documentation, regulatory writing

Key Opinion Leaders are recognized experts influencing medical practice and industry trends, often involved in research and speaking engagements. Medical Writers focus on creating scientific content, reports, and regulatory documents. While both roles require medical or scientific backgrounds, KOLs are more engaged in thought leadership and industry influence, whereas Medical Writers specialize in documentation and communication.

What is a key opinion leader?

Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs) are experts or influential individuals within a specific industry or field who are widely respected for their knowledge, experience, and insights. They often help shape opinions, trends, and decisions among their peers, industry professionals, and the wider public. KOLs are frequently consulted by organizations for their perspectives on products, research, and strategies, especially in sectors like healthcare, pharmaceuticals, and technology. Their endorsement or criticism can have a significant impact on public perception and industry practices.
More about Key Opinion Leader jobs
What cities are hiring for Key Opinion Leader jobs? Cities with the most Key Opinion Leader job openings:
What states have the most Key Opinion Leader jobs? States with the most job openings for Key Opinion Leader jobs include:
Infographic showing various Key Opinion Leader job openings in the United States as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 85% Full Time, 12% Part Time, and 3% Contract. Highlights an 91% Physical, 3% Hybrid, and 6% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $53,524 per year, or $25.7 per hour.

Director, Key Opinion Leader Marketing, Rare Disease

Ipsen

Cambridge, MA โ€ข On-site, Remote

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, Retirement, PTO

Posted 9 days ago


Job description

Title:

Director, Key Opinion Leader Marketing, Rare Disease

Company:

Ipsen Biopharmaceuticals Inc.


About Ipsen:

Ipsen is a mid-sized global biopharmaceutical company with a focus on transformative medicines in three therapeutic areas: Oncology, Rare Disease and Neuroscience. Supported by nearly 100 years of development experience, with global hubs in the U.S., France and the U.K, we tackle areas of high unmet medical need through research and innovation.

Our passionate teams in more than 40 countries are focused on what matters and endeavor every day to bring medicines to patients in 88 countries. We build a workplace that champions human-centric leadership and fosters a culture of collaboration, excellence and impact. At Ipsen, every individual is empowered to be their true selves, grow and thrive alongside the company's success. Join us on our journey towards sustainable growth, creating real impact on patients and society!

For more information, visit us at https://www.ipsen.com/and follow our latest news on LinkedIn and Instagram.

Job Description:

Ipsen's Rare Disease franchise has been expanding through both organic growth and acquisitions. From a marketing standpoint, there is a critical need for excellence in strategic planning and excellence in execution to clearly define how we will best drive education of appropriate healthcare providers, deliver successful launches, and innovate for patients in complex and competitive therapeutic areas.

The Director, Key Opinion Leader Marketing, Rare Disease is a strategic leader within the U.S. Rare Liver Marketing team, responsible for defining and advancing the peer-to-peer engagement strategy across the portfolio. This role serves as the architect of Ipsen's external expert engagement ecosystem, shaping how scientific leaders, advocates, and peer influencers are engaged to advance disease-state education, support earlier diagnosis, inform brand strategy, and drive adoption across existing and future portfolio assets. This role requires deep expertise in external expert engagement, peer-to-peer education, and congress strategy, as well as the scientific acumen, executive presence, and cross-functional leadership necessary to influence senior stakeholders and drive portfolio-wide impact.

This role owns the strategic direction and governance of speaker bureau excellence, KOL engagement, peer to peer education, and congress activation across the U.S. rare disease portfolio. This individual ensures a coordinated and highly credible external engagement approach that elevates Ipsen's scientific leadership and commercial impact.

This is not a field or remote role, it's based in our Cambridge, MA HQ.

WHAT - Main Responsibilities

Peer Engagement Strategy

  • Own and evolve the enterprise peer-to-peer engagement strategy across the U.S. Rare Disease portfolio, ensuring alignment with portfolio growth objectives, competitive dynamics, and future launch priorities
  • Establish portfolio-level KOL, speaker, and advocate engagement frameworks, segmentation approaches, and investment priorities that maximize scientific influence and educational impact
  • Build a credible, science-driven peer to peer offering aligned to portfolio priorities including tools and resources for TLL team
  • Prioritize peer-to-peer programs and channels to expand reach and frequency across key stakeholders
  • Build and manage congress roadmap, capabilities, and continually improve associated processes
  • Ensure a single, cohesive peer to peer experience aligned to brand strategy and priorities
  • Shape how peer influence is leveraged across the customer journey to support disease-state awareness, diagnosis acceleration, treatment adoption, and launch readiness

Portfolio Leadership & Governance

  • Own and continuously evolve the portfolio speaker bureau strategy, governance, and operating model, ensuring alignment to business priorities and maximizing the impact of peer-to-peer engagement investments
  • Establish governance and oversight for speaker engagement, contracting, fair market value rates, utilization, and HCP transparency practices across the rare disease portfolio.
  • Define and lead the portfolio congress strategy, including prioritization of investments, scientific engagement plans, sponsorship opportunities, and cross-brand activation designed to maximize organizational impact
  • Direct the design and execution of integrated congress and peer-to-peer engagement plans that advance disease-state education, strengthen scientific leadership, and support portfolio growth objectives.
  • Lead strategic partnerships with agencies and external vendors, ensuring delivery of innovative, high-impact engagement programs while optimizing resource allocation and return on investment.
  • Partner with Medical, PRC, Legal, and Business Ethics to establish governance frameworks and ensure compliant execution of peer engagement activities across the portfolio.

Insights, Measurement & Leadership

  • Serve as the organization's center of excellence for peer engagement strategy, establishing standards, governance, and best practices across the rare disease portfolio
  • Define KPIs and measurement to optimize speaker and congress program performance and ROI
  • Own portfolio speaker bureau and congress budget planning and resource allocation
  • Ensuring on-time and on-budget delivery of congresses, and sponsorships
  • Synthesize insights from KOL interactions, congress engagement, speaker bureau activity, and competitive intelligence to inform portfolio strategy, launch planning, and business decision-making
  • Establish clear governance, decision-making, and prioritization across the team and partners
  • Drive alignment with Brand, Sales, TLL, Medical, PRC and Business ethics
  • Influence senior leadership through data-driven recommendations regarding market dynamics, emerging scientific trends, KOL sentiment, and external stakeholder priorities

HOW - Knowledge & Experience

Knowledge & Experience:

  • Significant experience (12+ years) of commercial pharma experience, including U.S. peer-to-peer, speaker, or HCP marketing roles in rare disease and/or specialty markets
  • Proven success managing a speaker bureau, delivering peer-to-peer programs and working with KOLs
  • Proven experience planning and executing local, regional, and national congresses
  • Experience building peer-to-peer and speaker programs in rare or ultra-rare diseases
  • Strong understanding of medical, legal, and regulatory (MLR) requirements governing peer to peer programs
  • Strong communication and interpersonal skills along with the ability to influence others
  • Demonstrated ability to lead cross-functionally and influence senior stakeholders
  • Strong scientific/medical aptitude and experience including knowledge of complex therapeutic areas and dynamic treatment landscapes
  • Mentally agile and solutions-oriented, with the ability to navigate ambiguity, adapt quickly, and drive practical solutions in a dynamic environment
  • Ability to work with multiple internal cross-functional teams and successfully manage multiple projects simultaneously
  • Knowledge of regulations associated with promotion and industry-supported scientific education activities.
  • Working within an environment of strict compliance to all appropriate regulatory guidelines
  • Demonstrated success in project, vendor, and experience managing large budgets

Education / Certifications:

  • Bachelor's degree (BA/BS) required; Advanced degree (MBA, PharmD, MSc) preferred

Language(s) (essential):

  • Fluent in English.

Compensation

The annual base salary range for this position is $190,500 - $265,000

This job is eligible to participate in our short-term incentives program. At Ipsen we are proud to offer a comprehensive employee benefits package, including 401(k) with company contributions, group medical, dental and vision coverage, life and disability insurance, short- and long-term disability insurance, as well as flexible spending accounts. Ipsen also provides parental leave, paid time off, a discretionary winter shutdown, well-being allowance, commuter benefits, and much more.

The pay range displayed above is the range of base pay compensation within which Ipsen expects to pay for this role at the time of this posting. Individual compensation within this range depends on a variety of factors, including, but not limited to, prior education and experience, job-related knowledge and demonstrated skills.

We are committed to creating a workplace where everyone feels heard, valued, and supported; where we embrace "The Real Us". The value we place on different perspectives and experiences drives our commitment to inclusion and equal opportunities. When we include diverse ways of thinking, we make more thoughtful decisions and discover more innovative solutions. Together we strive to better understand the communities we serve. This means we also want to help you perform at your best when applying for a role with us. If you require any adjustments or support during the application process, please let the recruitment team know. This information will be handled with care and will not affect the outcome of your application. Ipsen is an equal opportunity employer that strictly prohibits unlawful discrimination. We recruit, employ, train, compensate, and promote without regard to an individual's race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, national origin/ancestry, age, mental/physical disability, medical condition, marital status, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.