Global Medical Affairs Leader - ADC, GI

AstraZeneca • Gaithersburg, MD

1d • Hybrid

About The Position

The Global Medical Affairs Lead (GMAL) is a pivotal strategic leader, driving the scientific and medical agenda behind some of AstraZeneca’s most important oncology launches. This role sits at the centre of our ambition to transform cancer care worldwide, shaping how breakthrough science becomes real-world impact for patients. As the accountable medical leader for assigned indication(s) and asset(s), the GMAL owns the Global Medical Strategy, connects R&D with Commercial, and steers global launch readiness to deliver evidence, confidence and clarity at scale.

Requirements

• MD, PhD, PharmD, or equivalent scientific degree required.
• Experience in Medical Affairs (3+yrs) within the pharmaceutical or biotech industry, ideally at the country, Region and global level.
• Demonstrated success in leading evidence generation strategies, Medical Plans, publications, or scientific communication programs.
• Proven ability to influence senior stakeholders across Commercial, R&D, and Medical Affairs.
• Experience engaging external experts and scientific communities.

Nice To Haves

• Significant (7+ yrs) global Medical Affairs leadership experience in oncology.
• Experience leading cross functional teams in highly complex, multi indication environments.
• Experience navigating launch environments, new MoAs, new CDx, complex biomarker landscapes, or challenging safety profiles (aligning to GMAL complexity criteria).

Responsibilities

• Owner of the Global Medical Plan and the primary driver of launch strategy for assigned oncology indication(s)/asset(s).
• Leading the development, evolution and delivery of the Global Medical Plan, setting strategic direction, prioritising initiatives and making evidence-based trade-offs to maximise patient and business impact.
• Continually adjusts medical strategy in response to external dynamics, insights and performance against launch KPIs, defining and tracking these KPIs to measure impact, identify progress and diagnose blockers to launch success.
• Represents Global Medical on critical forums such as the Integrated Business Team, shaping commercial strategy, and the Global Product Team, informing R&D development, evidence requirements and lifecycle planning.
• Leads Medical Integrated Teams to align global, regional and country teams around launch strategy and execution.
• Serves as a medical decision maker and ambassador in market engagements to address insight needs, resolve misalignment and reinforce global priorities.
• Represents Global Medical in Launch Readiness Reviews and Strategic Brand Reviews, ensuring Medical input shapes clinical development plans and commercialisation strategies.
• Strengthens global medical capabilities through effective delegation, coaching, empowerment and mentorship.
• Ensures transformative evidence is available to enable strong scientific leadership and confident market uptake.
• Leads global and regional gap analyses to identify critical clinical, real-world and mechanistic evidence needs, and develops cross-functional integrated evidence plans spanning clinical, diagnostic, digital and real-world sources.
• Shapes the scientific and strategic design of AZ-sponsored interventional Medical Affairs studies, conceptualises real-world evidence studies with O2R, oversees study governance, milestones and resource allocation, and ensures delivery to the highest scientific, ethical and compliance standards.
• Develops and owns the Global Publications Plan from Phase 3 ID onwards in partnership with the publications team.
• Prepares and delivers compelling scientific communications.
• Reviews and approves selected local/regional medical studies and Externally Sponsored Research.
• Embeds the MARS vision across evidence activities through innovative study design, cancer networks and data-driven insights.
• Owns and leads the scientific narrative from four months prior to Phase 3 ID, ensuring consistency across evidence, publications, congresses and education.
• Builds accountability for the Integrated Confidence Plan while Centres of Excellence deliver execution.
• Defines educational priorities, provides subject matter expertise aligned to the scientific narrative, identifies priority audiences, learning objectives and delivery formats, and ensures scientific rigour in global medical education delivered by MedEx and other partners.
• Leads the external engagement strategy for indication(s)/asset(s), including KEEs, societies, health systems and global organisations.
• Leverages partnerships to gather insights and shape scientific and clinical practice.
• Influences external experts to advance health outcomes and accelerate guideline adoption.
• Leads congress strategy across pre-congress preparation and post-congress insight synthesis, dissemination and follow-up.

Benefits

• Eligibility for various incentives—an opportunity to receive short-term incentive bonuses, equity-based awards for salaried roles and commissions for sales roles.
• Qualified retirement programs
• Paid time off (i.e., vacation, holiday, and leaves)
• Health, dental, and vision coverage

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Number of Employees: 5,001-10,000 employees