Global Medical Affairs, Executive Director, Medical Capabilities, Training & MSL Excellence

AstraZeneca • Gaithersburg, MD

2d • Hybrid

About The Position

Are you ready to lead a team that builds world-class medical capabilities and elevates MSL excellence? As the Executive Director, you will report to the Vice President of Medical Excellence, Strategy & Operations. Your mission is to deliver scientific training and operationalize impact metrics for portfolio and Field Medical engagement. Collaborate with Global, Regional, and Country Medical teams, as well as R&D, Commercial, Compliance, and Digital, to ensure scientific credibility and high-quality external engagement. Your work will have a measurable impact on patient and healthcare system outcomes.

Requirements

• Sophisticated Graduate Business or Medical Degree (MBA, MBBS, PharmD, PhD, or MD)
• A minimum of 10 years in Medical Affairs with dynamic leadership across global and regional roles; direct experience building medical capabilities and MSL organizations; proven track record in scientific training design and delivery; experience establishing and scaling impact metrics and dashboards.
• Deep understanding of scientific exchange principles, external partner engagement, and compliance frameworks across major geographies.
• Comfortable with digital/omni-channel medical and analytics.
• Demonstrates critical thinking, enterprise approach, change leadership, partner influence at senior levels, people development, and matrix leadership across geographies and cultures.
• Experienced with CRM and insights systems, LMS/LXP platforms, content management, critical metric dashboarding/BI tools; ability to interpret data and translate into actions.

Nice To Haves

• Visionary leadership with enterprise perspective and ability to balance global standards with local needs.
• Scientific rigor paired with digital proficiency and pragmatic execution.
• Change leadership and adoption excellence across matrixed, multicultural environments.
• Strong analytical mindset with focus on measurable impact and continuous improvement.
• High ethical standards and dedication to compliance, patient-centricity, and quality.

Responsibilities

• Scientific Training Strategy & Delivery: Own the global scientific learning strategy across the portfolio, including disease, product, and evidence curricula. Oversee onboarding, core academies, and continuing education using modern learning approaches to ensure proficiency and retention.
• Field Medical Excellence: Set global standards for Field Medical roles, external engagement, scientific exchange, insight generation, and cross‑functional collaboration, ensuring high quality and compliant interactions.
• Medical Capabilities & Ways of Working: Build and evolve core global medical capabilities (e.g., digital engagement, medical strategy, insights to action, launch excellence, scientific narratives, and evidence literacy). Partner with regions to drive capability adoption and mentor.
• Impact Measurement & Analytics: Define critical metrics linking medical strategy to outcomes across the asset lifecycle. Partner with Data & Analytics to deliver standardized metrics, dashboards, and actionable insights.
• Medical Insights & Evidence Translation: Enable high‑quality insight collection and translation from local to global teams to advise strategy, evidence generation, and decision‑making.
• Governance, Quality & Compliance: Ensure training, materials, and Field Medical practices align with global and local regulations and internal standards. Support governance forums and maintain audit readiness.
• Leadership & Talent Development: Lead a distributed team and matrixed network, setting vision, developing leaders, handling budgets and vendors, and building succession pipelines.
• Organizational Change & Technology Enablement: Drive adoption of new capabilities, processes, and tools, including learning platforms, Field Medical systems, content management, and analytics solutions.
• Budget & Vendor Management: Own budget planning and optimization and lead strategic partners to support high‑quality delivery.

Benefits

• short-term incentive bonus opportunity
• eligibility to participate in our equity-based long-term incentive program (salaried roles)
• to receive a retirement contribution (hourly roles)
• commission payment eligibility (sales roles)
• qualified retirement program [401(k) plan]
• paid vacation and holidays
• paid leaves
• health benefits including medical, prescription drug, dental, and vision coverage in accordance with the terms and conditions of the applicable plans

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Executive
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree
• Number of Employees: 5,001-10,000 employees