Oncology Medical Head, SSA & FSA at AstraZeneca

WHAT YOU WILL DO
You will be a critical player in ensuring the success of the oncology therapeutic area by delivering on strategic medical imperatives, driving scientific leadership, and building mutually beneficial partnerships with oncology medical experts, diagnostic specialists, payors and PAGs. You will develop a deep scientific and medical understanding of the SSA and FSA disease landscape, diagnostics, and treatment access to identify the best solutions for improving the patient journey, promote earlier diagnosis and enhance quality of oncology care for our patients.

JOB DESCRIPTION

An internal and externally facing medical role that provides medical and clinical expertise in the oncology disease area and builds AstraZeneca scientific leadership in the SSA and FSA region. The Oncology Medical Head is an enterprise leader and manager of the medical affairs team and is responsible for developing and enabling the team to establish scientific leadership of AstraZeneca, as well as drive the organizational goals with the cross-functional team. Participates and contributes with medical and clinical expertise in design of LCM and Brand Strategy. Engages Opinion Leaders in ESRs, scientific exchange meetings and advisory board meetings. Defines and delivers training on medical background of the product or various functions in an organization. Takes leadership in implementation of Medical Plan/Activities in alignment with Brand strategy and has responsibility as a Nominated Signatory medical approver for activities and promotional materials.

Typical accountabilities will include:

Enhance Medical Affairs Organisational Effectiveness: Build and develop a medical affairs team with customer focused, performance-driven, cross-collaborating and people-centered function.

• Ensure objectives for the Medical Affairs team are aligned with the Medical Strategic plan and vision for AZ to become scientific leaders.
• Ensure the Medical Affairs team is adequately staffed with the right structure and right quality of people to deliver the ambition/objectives.
• Drive and monitor the performance of the medical team to meet the defined objectives and foster an enterprise mindset aligned with achieving organizational goals with the cross-functional team.
• Ensure adequate budget is available to deliver key priorities, track spend and make required adjustments to fulfill commitments.
• Lead effective succession planning and develop a talent pipeline for medical function.
• Identify development needs and provide coaching to team and individuals based on in-office and infield observations

To establish AstraZeneca as a scientific leader through proactive, updated, and effective Medical input

• Continuously acquire and update necessary scientific knowledge on therapeutic area and relevant compounds. 
• Develop and implement the local medical strategic plan to address unmet medical needs in priority disease areas and ensure alignment with the brand plan.
• Develop and implement pre-launch medical plan/activities for new products at least 2 years prior to the planned launch in the country to address key clinical and scientific challenges.
• Provide medical leadership on faculty and content development for medical programmes including national congresses, advisory boards, scientific exchange meetings, publications, and CMEs to meet identified needs.
• To ensure that the Medical Information provided both to external and internal customers is timely, relevant, accurate and scientifically balanced.
• Is a scientific partner providing local medical expertise to local area/regional brand teams and ensuring medical brand strategic objectives are met.
• Provide medical input to phase 1 to 4 study protocols, study feasibility and support clinical operations delivery.
• Provide Medical expertise to support PSP market research, PASS and ESRO.

To engage scientific leaders, professional bodies or societies to establish AZ as a scientific leader

• 30% of time in field is required for engagement with the highest priority HCPs and key external stakeholder engagement.
• Share emerging data with HCPs, discussing all aspects of the data in a scientific, objective, and balanced way.
• Disseminate results of studies completed to medical community by translating their clinical values and incorporating into business strategies.
• Attend relevant scientific congresses and HCP meetings to gather new knowledge on AZ compounds, competitor information and therapeutic area.
• Conduct professional scientific communication or presentation (become chairperson/presenter when necessary) with key opinion leaders (prominent
• Liaise with local investigators and the External Sponsored Research organization to support research initiatives.
• Internally communicate competitive intelligence

Generate the medical evidence to support the brand strategies in priority TAs to meet unmet medical needs

• Idea generation of the company sponsored clinical research.
• Oversight and accountability of the operation of the studies
• Initiate research discussions, for example NIS, with customers to develop studies that will fulfil global and local business strategies. (May as part of the review team conduct initial assessment of any ISS proposals) Participate as key member of brand team as strategic partner towards LCM actions including potential business development opportunities.
• Develop NIS or registry studies to address unmet medical needs.
• Developing partnerships with OLs to develop their capabilities of conducting medical studies.

Provide medical expertise to shape regulatory environment to achieve rapid and high-quality market access of AZ products including new registration, new product evaluation and life cycle

• Support to develop drug value pack and communicate it to Key Decision Makers
• Support market access activities that shape market understanding of disease, diagnosis, and treatment options
• Proactive cross-functional collaboration with regulatory and other teams in drug registration in earlier and broader accessibility aligned to the brand strategy.

Governance and ensuring overall adherence to processes and regulation {include but not limit to patient safety, clinical trials, promotional activities, etc}.

• Accountable for ensuring Promotional Compliance: Provide medical input to the creation, development and agreement of promotional material and ensure all material is in line with internal SOPs and meets appropriate industry codes.
• If appropriate to market, ensure that Pharmacovigilance activities meet internal SOP and local regulations.

Ensure clinical studies are carried out in accordance with AZ SOPs and GCP. Support the Clinical team to select appropriate investigators and sites optimising quality, delivery, and commercial benefit.

• Aligns with the values and vision of AZ.
• Actively participate/encourage the development of the AZ culture.
• Ensures compliance with AZ code of conduct, Corporate Governance, audit requirements, guidelines, codes, policies, and procedures.
• Ensures that company confidentiality is maintained (i.e., intellectual property, product, strategic and salary information)
• Discloses potential breach of codes or conducts

If this sounds appealing, please read on to understand the experience and skills we’re looking for…

ESSENTIAL SKILLS & EXPERIENCE REQUIRED?

• Qualified Medical Doctor / MSc/PhD  in a scientific discipline
• MSL, Medical Advisor Management experience and Medical Affairs Manager role - minimum 5 years in medical affairs role
• Medical/Scientific knowledge in the responsible disease area
• Interest in a long-term career in the pharmaceutical industry
• Coaching & Feedback – Leadership skills
• Excellent presentation and communication skills
• Ability to travel
• Fluency in English is required