Medical Director - OBU, Rare Diseases and Diagnostics

Brief Job Description

An Associate Director leads the delivery of specific areas of medical initiatives in support of Global Medical Affairs Team (GMAT) objectives. These could include, but are not necessarily restricted to, medical evidence planning, scientific communications, competitor intelligence, patient engagement and ensuring interface & alignment with payer, and regulatory initiatives. Will work with medical colleagues across the medical network including Medical Excellence, Patient Centricity (PaCe), Medical Evidence and Outcomes Research (MEOR), Regional and Country affiliates and other key functions to ensure effective implementation of GMAT strategy as defined in the integrated Medical Affairs Plan (iMAP).

Typical Accountabilities

• Leads the robust and effective delivery of specific GMAT deliverables within the iMAP as agreed with line manager and matrix team leader
• Identifies, prioritises and reviews opportunities to generate evidence to clinically differentiate AZ products and better understand overall disease state management based on external stakeholder perspectives and the needs of AZ regions and markets
• Acts as medical reviewer for company sponsored observational research and other Phase IV protocols
• Leads the path through the internal governance process for individual medical affairs evidence generation proposals
• Supports the MAL (GMAT Lead) and Externally Sponsored Research Organization (ESRO) therapeutic area (TA) Director with the generation of requested topics for research, along with the review and evaluation of Externally Sponsored Research (ESR) proposals and protocol submissions from the markets
• Delivers the appropriate interpretation and preserves the integrity of medical evidence
• Integrates, interprets and disseminates scientific evidence and content on AZ products and disease areas of focus to support generation of product value messages to internal and external stakeholders
• Maintains a good working knowledge of company standards on medicines promotion and supports the Nominated Signatories in ensuring compliance standards for external audiences
• Contributes to and signs off scientific publication contents
• Provides support to the country and regional medical affairs teams to develop, review and get the governance approvals for local study proposals.
• Sustains a “customer focus” in all design and interpretation activities (i.e. internal stakeholders, regulators, payers, prescribers, patients)
• Keeps own knowledge of best practices and relevant developments up to date
• Develops and refines key messages in support of the brand strategy
• Supports the Medical Excellence leads in the development of Medical Academy content (scientific training for medical affairs personnel) in addition to field medical strategy and content within allocated disease area
• Works with Global Medical Information to identify content needs, provide access to all relevant data, and identifies resource needs for creating and maintaining Global MI content
• Leads development of specific scientific communications activities eg conference symposia or specific scientific meetings sponsored by AZ, such as external physician or patient expert meetings
• Acts as the patient insight expert in the assigned disease and therapeutic area team by deeply understanding the unique needs, experiences, patient journey and relevant outcomes for patients
• Identifies opportunities to incorporate patient insight into key documents across development and medical launch i.e., iMAP, Target Product Profile (TPP), and Development plans
• Helps build patient insight capability by working closely with PaCe Partnership Director and PaCe Excellence Directors on research alliance initiatives, capability development programs, and tools/technology initiatives
• Facilitates patient insight knowledge sharing by raising awareness about patient insight strategies and activities with regions, countries and allied functions