Global MSL Excellence Director

AstraZeneca•Gaithersburg, MD

About The Position

The Oncology Global MSL Excellence Director defines the tumour-area-specific Field Medical strategy and oversees initiatives that strengthen MSL capabilities across AstraZeneca regions for the Oncology Business Unit. The role serves as the primary tumour-area contact and Field Medical subject-matter expert, providing consultation on MSL-related activities and leading the Field Medical Leadership Team to drive operational and engagement excellence, adoption of enterprise standards, Oncology-specific capability development, and the future of the Field Medical role in Oncology. The Director works with Global Medical Affairs, Global Clinical Operations, Global Medical Excellence, Strategy and Operations (MESO), in-market Field Medical leadership, Alliance stakeholders, and other partners. The role ensures that Field Medical strategy and MSL effort allocation align with global tumour-area priorities and local needs. It oversees strategic planning, tactical delivery, clinical-trial support, insights, impact reporting, digital adoption, compliance, team development, vendors, and the GMSLE budget.

Requirements

Advanced degree in a scientific discipline or health sciences field, such as PharmD, PhD, MD, MSc, or equivalent.
At least 5 years of experience in an MSL organisation, including leadership of Field Medical teams.
Experience working in a Global and/or Regional Medical Affairs role.
Oncology experience and deep understanding of medical strategy, clinical development, Medical Affairs, and Field Medical.
Track record leading above-country programmes that support operational excellence and capability development of high-performing Field Medical teams.
Strong strategic thinking, prioritisation, communication, and collaboration skills.
Ability to manage strategic relationships and lead and influence in a matrix.
Robust project and budget management skills.

Nice To Haves

Experience in MSL performance management and outcomes-based reporting.
Clear understanding of compliance requirements and governing bodies for MSL programmes.
Effective problem-solving using creative solutions and project management skills.

Responsibilities

Define and govern the tumour-area Field Medical strategy and 12–24 month roadmap across the portfolio, aligned with global medical strategy, scientific narratives, care gaps, evidence milestones, launches, and external-engagement needs.
Lead the Field Medical Leadership Team and drive the localisation and operationalisation of Field Medical strategy and MSL activities in line with tumour-area priorities and local needs.
Align and integrate plans across tumour-area Field Medical tactics, and oversee tracking and reporting of success criteria, budgets, and timelines.
Monitor delivery by Associate Directors and affiliates; adapt plans as priorities evolve, and escalate challenges, risks, and potential solutions to tumour-area or functional leadership.
Represent Field Medical as the primary GMSLE contact in global and regional cross-functional forums, collaborating with stakeholders to align strategy with tumour-area priorities and local needs.
Lead collaboration with Global Clinical Operations, Global Medical Affairs, and local markets on Field Medical support for the clinical development programme, including study-prioritisation governance, expectations for Field Medical support, and resolution of global and local challenges.
Align Field Medical insights priorities, external-engagement strategy, and quality standards with global medical strategy and market needs, and influence consistent adoption across regions.
Ensure timely global-to-local cross-functional discussion and leadership escalation of key insights and recommendations so they inform tumour-area strategy, evidence plans, and launch decisions, including beyond congress data readouts.
Communicate tumour-area Field Medical activity and impact regularly to senior medical leadership and cross-functional partners, and implement corrective actions to meet OBU KPIs and enterprise Field Medical expectations across markets.
Ensure markets understand the vision for Field Medical use of digital systems and tools, such as CRM, and represent Field Medical needs and barriers to enterprise product teams.
Provide compliant consultation, guidance, and influence as the Field Medical subject-matter expert and primary tumour-area contact for MSL-related activities.
Ensure the enterprise vision for Field Medical roles is understood and consistently adopted across global and local business teams.
Ensure GMSLE activities and market guidance adhere to global Field Medical compliance standards; anticipate cross-market risks and implement mitigation measures.
Develop capability and high-performance ways of working across Global MSL Excellence through peer coaching, mentoring Associate Directors, sharing best practices, and promoting cross-project learning.
Champion innovative, scalable Global MSL Excellence initiatives using business knowledge and a customer-focused approach.
Manage the overall GMSLE budget, align budget goals with company objectives, forecast spend, track actuals, and make tumour-area prioritisation recommendations as needed.
Ensure external vendors are used efficiently, effectively, and cost-effectively to support GMSLE tactics.