Head of ICON, Medical Affairs

BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc.

About The Position

BioMarin is a leading rare disease biotechnology company focused on genetically defined conditions. Guided by our purpose to develop medicines that make a profound impact on people’s lives, our global teams have delivered a portfolio of therapies since our founding in 1997. Our revolutionary treatments for conditions like achondroplasia (the most common form of dwarfism), PKU (phenylketonuria), CLN2, a form of Batten disease, and a number of forms of MPS (mucopolysaccharidosis) offer new possibilities for patients and families who previously had few, if any, available options. More recently, with the close of the Amicus acquisition, our portfolio has expanded to include therapies for Fabry disease and Pompe disease, expanding our ability to reach more people living with rare genetic conditions. Our success comes from our unwavering commitment to excellence, our deep understanding of patient needs, our scientific expertise, and our world-class manufacturing capabilities. At the heart of BioMarin is a dedicated team of the brightest minds in the industry working together to deliver innovative therapies to patients and families around the world. From research and discovery to post-market clinical development, our R&D engine involves all bench and clinical research and the associated groups that support those endeavors. Our teams work on developing first-in-class and best-in-class therapeutics that provide meaningful advances to patients who live with rare diseases.

Requirements

Advanced scientific or clinical degree required; MD, PharmD, PhD, or equivalent strongly preferred.
Significant Medical Affairs leadership experience in the biopharmaceutical industry, ideally including regional or multi-country leadership.
Experience leading Medical Affairs across complex international markets, with exposure to APAC, MEA, Latin America, or other emerging/growth markets strongly preferred.
Demonstrated ability to translate global medical strategy into regional and country-level execution.
Strong cross-functional leadership experience, including partnership with Commercial, Market Access, Regulatory, Clinical Development, and other enterprise stakeholders.
Proven ability to lead geographically dispersed teams across diverse cultures, regulatory environments, and healthcare systems.
Experience with rare disease, specialty therapeutics, or highly scientific/complex therapeutic areas preferred.
Strong understanding of medical governance, compliance, scientific exchange, field medical operations, evidence generation, and external stakeholder engagement.
Demonstrated ability to influence senior leaders, represent regional perspectives in global forums, and make sound decisions in complex matrixed environments.
Strong enterprise mindset with the ability to balance global strategy, regional business needs, and local country realities.
Credible scientific and medical leader with strong external presence and sound judgment.
Highly collaborative partner who can work effectively with Commercial leadership while preserving the independence and integrity of Medical Affairs.
Inclusive and culturally fluent people leader with experience leading teams across multiple geographies.
Strategic, pragmatic, and execution-oriented; able to set direction while also driving operational clarity.
Strong communicator who can simplify complexity, align stakeholders, and bring regional insight into global decision-making.
Comfortable operating in ambiguity, building structure, and leading through growth, change, and transformation.

Nice To Haves

Possess a collaborative spirit, a relentless work ethic, a deep-rooted commitment to serving patients, and a passion for transforming the lives of patients with genetic diseases
Personal drive, energy and mission orientation are qualities that align well with BioMarin’s patient-centric culture
Embraces DAI (Decision-maker, Adviser, Informed) decision-making framework to accelerate decision-making by clarifying roles, reducing consensus-seeking, and eliminating ambiguity
Change leadership - ability to guide teams through uncertainty, foster adaptation, and inspire a shared vision.

Responsibilities

Lead the Medical Affairs organization across ICON markets, including Central/South America, MEA, and APAC, with accountability for regional strategy, execution, talent, and performance.
Develop and execute the regional Medical Affairs strategy in alignment with global medical plans, brand priorities, evidence generation needs, and local market requirements.
Serve as the senior Medical Affairs leader for the ICON region, representing regional needs, opportunities, and risks on the Global Medical Affairs Leadership Team.
Partner closely with the Head of Global Medical Affairs to ensure the region is fully integrated into global medical strategy, planning, and decision-making.
Serve as the Medical Affairs partner to the Commercial Head of ICON, ensuring strong cross-functional alignment while maintaining appropriate medical independence and scientific integrity.
Partner with regional and country Commercial, Market Access, Regulatory, Clinical Development, Patient Advocacy, and other cross-functional leaders to support integrated regional execution.
Provide medical leadership to support regional priorities, including launch readiness, lifecycle management, evidence generation, external engagement, and patient access.
Ensure Medical Affairs contributes meaningfully to enterprise decisions by bringing clear regional medical insights, stakeholder perspectives, and healthcare system understanding.
Lead, manage, and develop Medical Affairs leaders across all relevant countries in the ICON region.
Ensure country medical plans are aligned with global strategy while appropriately tailored to local market dynamics, regulatory environments, standards of care, and stakeholder needs.
Drive consistent medical excellence across the region, including field medical strategy, scientific exchange, insight generation, advisory boards, medical education, evidence planning, and external expert engagement.
Establish clear operating rhythms, priorities, and performance expectations across a geographically dispersed regional team.
Represent BioMarin externally as a senior medical leader in the region, building credibility with key external experts, healthcare organizations, patient communities, and other relevant stakeholders.
Ensure the region generates and communicates high-quality medical insights that inform global strategy, evidence generation, and cross-functional decision-making.
Support appropriate scientific exchange and education across the region, ensuring compliance with local regulations, company policies, and medical governance standards.
Build, lead, and develop a high-performing regional Medical Affairs organization across diverse countries and cultures.
Set a clear vision for the team, establish priorities, and create accountability for execution and impact.
Coach and develop country medical leaders, strengthen succession planning, and ensure the organization has the capabilities required to support current and future portfolio needs.
Foster a culture of scientific excellence, collaboration, enterprise thinking, inclusion, and patient-centered decision-making.
Ensure all Medical Affairs activities are conducted with the highest standards of ethics, compliance, and scientific integrity.
Partner with Legal, Compliance, Regulatory, and other enabling functions to ensure appropriate governance across all regional and country medical activities.
Manage regional medical planning, budget, resource allocation, and performance tracking in alignment with global and regional priorities.
Identify operational gaps, risks, and opportunities across the region and implement practical solutions that improve consistency, quality, and impact.