Senior Director, Global Medical Affairs

Global Medical Affairs Lead/Sr. MAL – Renal

At COMPANY we turn ideas into life changing medicines. Working here means being entrepreneurial, thinking big and working together to make the impossible a reality. COMPANY is a science-led, global biopharmaceutical company, with a focused portfolio in core therapies. We are committed to improving the health and lives of people across the globe, through our broad research and development platform, and a growing late-stage pipeline. Working in over 100 countries, we have strength in emerging markets, and our medicines are used by millions of patients and clinicians worldwide.

Mission & Objective Description

Global Medical Affairs (GMA) ensures the best patient outcomes by providing healthcare decision-makers around the world with the evidence and confidence they need on COMPANY (AZ) therapies and supports our internal stakeholders with medical insight and expertise. GMA provides medical leadership with market participation and connectivity while also impacting the life cycle planning and execution of all our products. GMA aims to lead AZ in achieving scientific leadership, being a great place to work, and keeping patients at the core of everything we do.

In order to accomplish our goals and enable the best patient outcomes, we look for AZ medical network leaders to have five (5) core capabilities and act as role models to our AZ values. These capabilities include:

• Track record of building and maintaining a deep and continued connection to Medical Practice/healthcare delivery
• Collaborative/matrix management skills with a focus on leading diverse groups (e.g., cultural, geographical, functional) to achieve excellent results in shared goals
• Well-developed communication and influencing skills with the ability to distil complexity down to what matters to our stakeholders
• Strong financial/budget and project management skills
• Business acumen.

Reporting directly to the Medical Head of this specific renal product, the Senior Medical Affairs Leader (MAL) will be charged with delivering ambitious medical strategies for a product within our renal therapy area. In so doing, the MAL will play an important role in defining the product strategy. The MAL will execute the medical strategy globally through membership of the Global Medical Team, comprised of Medical Directors from the priority markets and relevant Global Medical Affairs functions. The role entails leveraging high impact evidence activities and medical materials as well as demonstrating world-class scientific engagement with external experts and other key customers.

Typical Accountabilities:

• Designs and manages the implementation of the GMA product strategy globally and regionally
• Working with the Medical Head to create and develop the strategic direction, business/resource planning, and team leadership on a global level for the product
• Pro-active member of the Global Medical Team (GMT) to ensure global strategy is effectively communicated and executed at regional and country levels and that regional/country needs are appropriately accommodated in global deliverables and drive customer insights and market needs from all countries into Global Product Team for review
• Cross-functional collaboration with GMA functions (eg Global Medical Excellence & Medical Evidence)
• Closely follows medical developments within Therapeutic area and disseminates new information to transform clinical trends and emerging data into new plans
• Liaises with the internal and external medical community
• Delivers medical advocacy plan that drives successful launch of innovative and differentiated new medicines within the TA
• Supports team leader at TA Global Product Team and Global Brand Team
• Accountable for engaging and cultivating relationships with leading global KEEs to gain: contribution/ participation in advisory boards, greater understanding of the therapeutic area and insights into unmet patient needs
• Represents AZ at scientific and medical forums, including medical education forums, scientific roundtables, congresses, and symposia
• Responsible for the co-ordination of Medical Affairs activities including Science Advisory boards
• Ensuring the alignment of the publication and medical evidence plans to the Medical Strategy and Medical plan
• Responsible for leading the initial development and ensuring the accuracy of medical promotional materials and communications prior to submission to GMQA (Global Medical Quality Assurance) for the final approval.
• Delegate for Sr MALs/MALs as required
• Manages other specific renal/medical projects as required

Reporting Relationships

• Direct GMA reports: none
• Budget responsibility
• Ensures effective management of TA GMA budget for defined activities within the assigned target

Essential Requirements:

• Board certified Nephrologist 
• Expertise in the relevant or related TA required (renal preferred)
• Experienced in Global Medical Affairs or similar function and working cross-functionally across a product team
• Pharmaceutical or Biotech industry experience of relevance
• Demonstration of strategic and medical leadership prowess at therapeutic area and/or cross-functional meetings
• Demonstrated track record in delivering new initiatives, capabilities and leading impactful medical initiatives desired
• Demonstrated success in building and executing multi-year strategic roadmaps desired
• Experience leading teams with a track record of delivering results in a complex environment desired
• Strong working relationships with Global leaders in renal medicine, including KEEs, professional societies, pharmaceutical companies desired
• Highly desired: Experience launching new products (within renal TAs preferred)

Skills and Capabilities

• Proven ability to create bespoke strategy and mobilize an organization to execute
• Ability to work collaboratively with global executive teams and leadership
• Persuasive oral and written communication skills, including the ability to develop and deliver medical presentations
• Proven ability to collaborate with internal and external colleagues in various geographies, cultures, roles, and hierarchic levels – enterprise leadership mindset
• Understanding of the complex and evolving Medical Affairs space with insights about trends, opportunities, risks, and an understanding of external stakeholders (payers, patients, physicians)
• Ability to manage overall business and medical priorities while also being able to actively engage in more detailed execution discussions
• Ability to fluidly flex between high level strategy and detailed tactics as required
• Strong analytical mind-set and ability to quickly assess large amounts of information and distil into key messages and actions
• Integrity and high ethical standards