Summary of Job:
The North America Head of Scientific Communications is a senior leadership role within NA Medical Affairs responsible for setting the strategic direction, oversight, and governance of scientific communications across the regional portfolio. This role ensures the delivery of high-quality, compliant, and impactful scientific communications that support evidence dissemination, medical education, and scientific exchange throughout the product lifecycle.
The role provides leadership for regional publication strategy and execution, field medical resources, medical education content, digital scientific communications, congress activities, and regional medical review processes. The role leads and develops a high-performing scientific communications team and serves as a key strategic partner to Medical Affairs therapeutic area leaders, commercial team and cross-functional stakeholders.
As a catalyst for innovation, the NA Head of Scientific Communications continuously evaluates emerging digital channels, data-driven insights, and evolving stakeholder engagement preferences to ensure Medical Affairs remains at the forefront of scientific exchange. This includes leveraging modern communication platforms and formats—including social media, podcasts, and other digital channels—to meet the evolving information needs of healthcare professionals, scientific experts, and key opinion leaders.
Essential Functions:
Future Pipeline Expansion & Capability Building
- Proactively prepare NA Scientific Communications to support future pipeline expansion, including new therapeutic areas, indications, modalities, and lifecycle stages.
- Anticipate scientific communications needs associated with pipeline progress and evolving portfolio complexity, including early asset planning, launch readiness, and post-launch evidence dissemination.
- Design scalable scientific communications approaches, processes, and resourcing models that can flex with portfolio expansion.
- Partner with Global Medical Affairs and Clinical Development to ensure early alignment of scientific narratives, data generation plans, and publication strategy for pipeline assets.
- Identify capability gaps and lead continuous improvement initiatives across scientific communications, including talent development, vendor partnerships, and operational excellence.
Strategic Leadership & Governance
- Develop and own the regional scientific communications strategy across multiple products, aligned with global medical strategy, portfolio priorities, and North America Medical Affairs objectives.
- Establish and maintain regional governance frameworks, standards, and best practices for scientific communications across channels and formats.
- Serve as a senior scientific communications advisor to North America Medical Affairs leadership and therapeutic area leads.
- Ensure compliance with internal SOPs, Good Publication Practice (GPP), ICMJE guidelines, and all applicable regulatory, legal, and compliance requirements.
Publications & Evidence Dissemination
- Oversee regional publication planning and execution, including abstracts, manuscripts, posters, oral presentations, and plain language summaries.
- Ensure timely, high-quality execution of regional publication plans in collaboration with global partners, investigators, and external authors.
- Provide strategic oversight of publication vendors and agencies, including scope, budgeting, and performance management.
Scientific Content & Medical Materials
- Lead development and lifecycle management of regional scientific narratives, lexicons, and key data-driven messages.
- Oversee creation, approval, and maintenance of regional field medical materials, including slide decks, FAQs, disease education materials, and data summaries.
- Ensure all materials are scientifically accurate, strategically aligned, audience-appropriate, and tailored to regional needs.
Medical Education & Congress
- Oversee scientific content for regional medical education, insight generation initiatives, advisory boards, and peer-to-peer scientific exchange.
- Provide scientific communications leadership for regional congress strategy and execution, including content development, scientific booth materials, and symposia support.
- Partner closely with Field Medical and Medical Education teams to align content with scientific objectives and stakeholder insights.
Digital Scientific Communications
- Provide strategic oversight of regional digital scientific assets, including modular and omnichannel-ready content, congress digital materials, and online educational resources.
- Partner with digital and omnichannel teams to ensure scientific rigor, consistency, and effective data visualization across platforms.
Medical Review & Compliance Oversight
- Lead and oversee regional medical review processes to ensure efficient, compliant, and high-quality review of scientific communications materials.
- Serve as a senior medical/scientific reviewer and escalation point for complex scientific, regulatory, or compliance-related issues.
- Drive continuous improvement of review workflows and cross-functional collaboration.
People Leadership & Talent Development
- Lead, coach, and develop a team of scientific communications professionals, fostering a culture of scientific excellence, accountability, and collaboration.
- Set clear objectives, provide ongoing performance feedback, and support professional development for direct reports.
- Build and sustain a high-performing scientific communications function capable of supporting a growing and evolving portfolio.
- Anticipate future portfolio and pipeline needs to inform thoughtful expansion of the scientific communications team over time.
- Define future role profiles and succession plans to ensure the organization scales effectively as new assets and therapeutic areas are added to the portfolio.
Decision-Making Authority
- Accountable for regional scientific communications strategy, priorities, and execution across the North America portfolio.
- Final scientific approval authority for regional scientific communications materials within established governance and SOPs.
- Authority to manage external vendors and agency partners.
- Escalation authority for complex scientific, compliance, or reputational risk issues related to scientific communications.
Strategic Partnerships & Cross-Functional Leadership
- Serve as a strategic partner to North America Medical Affairs Leadership, Therapeutic Area Heads, Field Medical, Global Medical Affairs, and Global Scientific Communications to ensure alignment of scientific communication strategies and execution.
- Collaborate closely with Clinical Development, HEOR, Regulatory Affairs, Legal, Compliance, Commercial, Digital, Omnichannel, and Alliance partners to develop and deliver impactful, compliant scientific communications and medical education initiatives.
- Represent North America Scientific Communications on cross-functional governance committees, leadership forums, and strategic initiatives, providing scientific communications expertise and influencing organizational priorities.
- Foster strong alignment between regional and global scientific communications strategies, ensuring consistency, operational excellence, and effective dissemination of scientific evidence across the product lifecycle.
- Build and maintain productive relationships with external stakeholders, including investigators, scientific authors, vendors, and agency partners, to support high-quality scientific communication deliverables.
Job Requirements:
Education
- Advanced Scientific or Clinical Degree: An earned Ph.D., Pharm.D., or M.D. in a relevant life sciences, biomedical, or clinical discipline is strictly required.
Experience
- Minimum 12+ years of experience in Medical Affairs, or related roles within pharmaceutical or biotechnology organizations, at least 6 years in Scientific/Medical Communication.
- Senior leadership experience managing scientific communications teams and leading complex, cross-functional, matrixed initiatives at regional or global scale.
- Extensive oversight of end-to-end scientific communications activities, including publications, medical education, field medical materials, congress strategy, and digital scientific content.
- Strong understanding of publication planning standards, medical governance, and regulatory and compliance requirements within a highly regulated environment.
- Experience serving as a strategic partner to Medical Affairs leadership, with ability to influence cross-functional stakeholders and align scientific communication strategies with enterprise objectives.
- Background contributing to transformation initiatives in Medical Affairs, including modernization of scientific communications and evolution toward digital and omnichannel engagement models.
- History of building, leading, and developing high-performing, multidisciplinary teams, including mentorship of managers and senior scientific communications professionals.
- Experience operating within global or regional matrix organizations, ensuring alignment between regional execution and global scientific communications strategy.
Technical Skills & Competencies
- Deep understanding of Medical Affairs operating models, governance structures, and the role of Medical Affairs across the product lifecycle, including its interface with Clinical Development, Regulatory, and Commercial functions.
- Strong expertise in strategic planning, portfolio prioritization, and resource allocation within complex, global matrix organizations.
- Comprehensive knowledge of Medical Affairs planning and execution, including scientific communications, publication planning, medical education, field medical strategy, evidence generation, and investigator-sponsored research activities.
- Solid understanding of clinical development processes, regulatory requirements, compliance standards, and industry guidelines governing Medical Affairs operations.
- Experience establishing and optimizing governance frameworks, operational processes, and performance metrics that enhance effectiveness, consistency, and scalability of Medical Affairs activities.
- Ability to influence and align senior stakeholders across global and regional organizations without direct authority, driving consensus in highly matrixed environments.
- Strong strategic acumen and business orientation, with the ability to translate enterprise priorities into actionable plans, clear governance structures, and measurable outcomes.
- Advanced communication and executive presentation skills, with the ability to engage senior leadership and support informed, cross-functional decision-making.
- Strong analytical capability, leveraging data, insights, and performance indicators to support prioritization, resource decisions, and continuous improvement.
- Proficiency in business planning, portfolio tracking, and collaboration tools, with strong command of Microsoft Office applications (PowerPoint, Excel, and related tools).
Non-Technical Skills
Ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment while managing ambiguity effectively. Strong work ethics are required. Passion for personal learning and professional development. Cultural sensitivity and adaptability within multinational organizations.
