Senior Director, US Medical Strategy - GI

OBJECTIVE:

The Senior Director (Sr. Director) is a critical role within the US Medical Affairs (USMA) organization that reports to the Therapeutic Area (TA) Head. The role has franchise level responsibility for one or more program(s) (product or indication) and is accountable for medical strategy, ensuring that TA and product-specific strategies are developed and executed in collaboration with the Medical Unit.

The role serves as a​ Subject Matter Expert (SME), representing the USMA at the Global level for a product/franchise, on relevant internal committees. The role is accountable for the product/franchise level budget, and partners closely with other medical strategy leads, as appropriate. Further, the Sr. Director drives overall medical unit insights, including ad boards, and communication with cross-functional partners.

This role is expected to continuously evolve medical strategy and operating models through the thoughtful adoption of digital, analytics, and AI‑enabled capabilities to enhance insight generation, decision‑making, execution efficiency, and patient impact.

RESPONSIBILITES & ACCOUNTABILITIES :

Overarching Responsibilities:

• Franchise level strategic responsibility for one or more program(s) (product or indication) dependent upon complexity.
• TA and/or product focus may evolve to support priorities of the organization (e.g. additional TA or product specific responsibilities may change based upon strategic direction of the organization).
• Enable and guide execution of medical strategies by the medical unit; partner with PM to track and optimize progress against strategic plans.
• Apply data‑driven and AI‑enabled approaches to monitor execution, identify gaps, and continuously improve medical plans.

Develop US Product Medical Strategy:

• Lead/co-develop/coordinate with the medical unit and provide medical input into the near-term and long-term strategic direction for assigned product/franchise
• Ensure strategies are informed by integrated data sources, real‑world evidence, and advanced analytics, in partnership with medical unit, US Medical and Global Medical matrix organizations and in alignment with the commercial brand strategy and global product teams
• Collaborate with Global Medical Evidence Generation team to develop evidence generation strategy
• Develop long-term lifecycle management strategy + tactics with a heavy focus on LCM research strategy
• Leverage digital and AI‑enabled analyses to improve scenario planning, prioritization, and lifecycle management strategy.
• Champion responsible adoption of digital and AI‑powered tools that improve efficiency, scalability, and consistency of medical strategy development and execution.
• Collaborate with PM (as applicable) to develop and maintain medical landscape and insights to inform strategy

Medical Expert:

• Serve as the in-house medical and scientific expert for therapies within the assigned TA and represent medical affairs at the Global level for a product/franchise.

Insights Generation:

• Generate Insights – Develop and execute ad board strategy, which may be done in partnership with the PM (as applicable), and insights from field medical / additional sources.
• Understand and Communicate Insights: Synthesize summarized insights + implications from relevant sources (e.g., ad boards, field medical) to medical unit and cross-functional stakeholders, and update medical landscape + medical strategy (as appropriate).

External Engagement:

• Develop external KOL relationships and insights through Advisory Boards, professional associations/meetings and conferences etc.; manage global interactions with US KOLs and vice-versa. Partner with USBU cross-functional partners on external partnership, as appropriate (e.g., KOL engagement brand leads, external affairs/government affairs).

Budget Management:

• Accountable for budget at the Franchise level, and ongoing budget management in partnership with the PM or delegated to Director/Associate Director, and in concert with TA Head.

Execution / Content Creation:

• Partner with the medical unit functional leads to ensure strategic alignment related to execution of the relevant franchise / product medical strategy and how it is pulled through into tactics (e.g. Grants, Medical Communications (e.g. SCP, ICP, Slide Decks), Publications, Research, Field Medical, Etc.).
• Support medical review of appropriate materials as part of medical and commercial review processes.

Internal Engagement:

• Lead / coordinate with the medical unit, including attending regular meetings, and representing on the SLT (assuming most medical units are product-level, but may be broader)
• Represent medical affairs (i.e., be the point of contact) on cross-functional / cross-division meetings (representation on global medical forums, commercial / product forums, NPP, etc.). (A/R)
• Primary point of contact: Ensure appropriate delegation for TA/product specific single point of contact for Medical Affairs; [e.g., ensure representation on GPT – R&D, GMA, Commercial Teams (e.g., IBD insights team)].
• Provide input into confidential new business development.

Leadership Behaviors:

• Demonstrates strategic enterprise thinking finding innovative ways to serve patients, and build trust, reputation and business
• Creates the environment that inspires and enables people to move the organization forward
• Focuses on a few priorities and delivers superior results
• Elevates the capabilities of the organization for now and the future, demonstrating a continuous improvement mindset, including modernization of ways of working through digital and AI‑enabled approaches.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate and influence up, down, cross-functionally with ability to influence internally, and externally
• Executive Presence & strategic storytelling
• Ability to oversee and delegate, and manage stakeholders
• Demonstrates strong partnerships and collaboration

EDUCATION, EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS:

Required:

• Advanced Doctoral Degree (e.g., MD, DO, PhD, PharmD) or other advanced degreed professionals considered depending on past relevant pharmaceutical industry experience, and/or clinical work, research, or academic endeavors.
• Deep knowledge and tenured experience with comprehensive research strategy (including clinical and payer-focused research), publication strategy, congress presentations, and public speaking are critically required.
• Experience in leading medical affairs teams and cross-functional strategic alignment is required.
• Demonstrated experience applying digital, analytics, or AI‑enabled approaches to improve medical strategy, insights, operational efficiency, or decision‑making.

Preferred:

• Advanced Doctoral Degree (e.g., MD, DO, PhD, PharmD), preferred with over 7 years of relevant clinical practice, research, academic and/or pharmaceutical industry experience.
• Terminal degrees in clinical practice and research are preferentially valued, particularly those with HEOR experience.
• Medical portfolio management and prioritization, as well as definition and execution of the US Medical multi-year strategic plan in a highly matrixed, data-rich organization.

LICENSES/CERTIFICATIONS:

• Maintain minimum standards of education/certification in individual professional discipline

TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS:

• Periodic travel required (up to 20%)