Associate Director, Medical Strategic Operations (Sponsorships)

Sumitomo Pharma•Marlborough, MA

1d•$175,900 - $219,900•Remote

About The Position

This individual-contributor role is part of Medical Affairs and focuses on medical sponsorships and operations. Reporting to the Senior Director, Medical Strategic Operations, the Associate Director is responsible for developing, planning, and executing the Medical Sponsorship strategy and engaging external partners to communicate areas of asset interest and advance Medical objectives. The role coordinates sponsorship requests from intake through closeout, supports Medical Affairs congress planning and execution, tracks budgets and vendor operations, and improves operational processes. It is primarily remote, with periodic office meetings and an estimated 25% travel as needed, including domestic and international travel. The position has no direct reports or formal people-management responsibilities.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in science, healthcare, or business required.
At least 8 years of industry-based experience in Medical Excellence, as a Field MSL, and/or in Medical Affairs operations related to biopharmaceutical functions.
Ability to collaborate across Medical Affairs and enabling functions in a matrix organization.
Knowledge of the pharmaceutical industry and healthcare environment.
Professional judgment, accountability, and clear written and verbal communication with internal and external stakeholders.
Familiarity with operational planning, budget tracking, contracting workflows, and documentation requirements.
Ability to translate medical team priorities into practical work plans, timelines, and defined deliverables.
Ability to manage concurrent sponsorships, congress activities, and operational requests accurately and with timely follow-through.
Strong networking and collaborative skills across functions and geographies.
Demonstrated analytical and problem-solving skills.
Strong writing, presentation, and influencing skills.
Ability to prioritize competing demands, adapt to changing timelines, and meet deadlines.
Strong project-management, time-management, and organizational skills.
Discretion and trustworthiness in managing confidential information.
Ability to maintain reliable tracking systems, identify process gaps, and work with others to resolve operational issues.
Proficiency in Microsoft applications.
Strong attention to detail and a practical, service-oriented approach.
Organizational awareness, including the ability to recognize dependencies, anticipate operational needs, and involve appropriate stakeholders.
Ability to travel as needed, approximately 25% of the time, including domestically and internationally.
Ability to work in a fast-paced environment handling multiple demands and to exercise appropriate judgment.
High initiative and independence; excellent written and oral communication skills.
Ability to use a personal computer for extended periods.

Nice To Haves

Advanced degree preferred, such as PharmD, PhD, or MS.
Experience in science-based roles is preferred.

Responsibilities

Coordinate the medical sponsorship process from request intake and documentation through internal review, contracting, payment tracking, and closeout.
Partner with Medical Affairs stakeholders to define sponsorship objectives, scope, deliverables, timelines, and budget requirements for review and approval.
Coordinate information gathering and reviews with external organizations and internal Legal, Compliance, Finance, and Procurement partners.
Maintain a centralized sponsorship tracker and supporting records, including request status, approvals, agreements, financial commitments, and outstanding actions.
Track fulfillment of approved sponsorship deliverables, collect completion documentation, and flag missing information or potential delays.
Support Medical Affairs congress planning by maintaining integrated timelines, planning calendars, readiness checklists, and ownership of deliverables.
Coordinate congress logistics, including registrations, medical exhibit arrangements, meeting space, materials, and vendor support, as applicable.
Facilitate congress planning meetings; document decisions and action items; and communicate deadlines, dependencies, and readiness updates.
Coordinate required congress reviews and approvals with medical leads and enabling functions, while leaving scientific content and medical decisions to subject matter experts.
Support on-site or virtual congress execution as needed, and coordinate post-congress reconciliation, documentation, debriefs, and follow-up actions.
Track sponsorship, congress, and operational budgets, commitments, and actual spending; provide monthly updates to senior leadership and flag variances.
Collaborate with Finance on forecasts, accruals, invoice reconciliation, and financial reporting.
Support vendor onboarding, contract and purchase order requests, invoice processing, and payment follow-up with the appropriate internal functions.
Apply project-management best practices and develop templates, checklists, and standard workflows for consistent execution.
Gather stakeholder feedback and lessons learned to identify ways to simplify processes, reduce bottlenecks, and improve coordination.
Maintain compliance with applicable regulatory, legal, and operational requirements and uphold high ethical standards.