Medical Affairs Director

Abbott • Madison, WI

5d • $149,300 - $298,700 • Onsite

About The Position

The Medical Affairs Director, Rare Disease owns and leads the Medical Affairs strategy for the rare disease genetics portfolio, including scientific content development, evidence generation, external scientific engagement, and KOL partnerships. This role is accountable for shaping the scientific narrative, setting evidence-generation priorities, establishing Medical Affairs infrastructure and governance, and advancing the organization’s scientific leadership in rare disease. The Director serves as the primary Medical Affairs leader for rare disease, partnering with R&D, commercial, data/IT, and enterprise Medical Affairs teams to influence key business decisions and accelerate portfolio growth through scientific excellence.

Requirements

• Masters Degree in Genetic Counsling, Genetics, or related scientific/medical field
• 8+ years experience in Medical Affairs, clinical, scientific, or related roles within genetics, rare disease, diagnostics, biotechnology, academia, or other life sciences settings, including experience leading cross-functional initiatives and scientific strategy. Direct Medical Affairs experience strongly preferred.
• Strong background in rare disease and/or genetics, with the scientific expertise and credibility to influence internal stakeholders, engage external experts, and represent the organization within the broader scientific community.
• Demonstrated publication and literature review experience, including authorship or oversight of abstracts, posters, and peer-reviewed manuscripts; comfort translating complex genetic and clinical data into clear scientific narratives.
• Demonstrated ability to influence cross-functional stakeholders, drive organizational initiatives, and achieve results in a matrixed environment.
• Ability to manage cross-functional projects across R&D, commercial, regulatory, and quality stakeholders in a matrixed environment, and to train non-scientific audiences (e.g., sales teams) on complex medical and scientific content.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to effectively engage stakeholders at all levels of the organization. Demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities and deliver results in a fast-paced, evolving environment.
• Experience developing and leading KOL engagement strategies, advisory boards, and scientific external engagement activities; demonstrated ability to represent the organization with credibility at scientific conferences and professional meetings.
• Authorization to work in the United States without sponsorship.
• Experience developing or executing an evidence generation and dissemination strategy, including identifying evidence gaps and aligning scientific output to commercial and organizational priorities.
• Demonstrated ability to perform the Essential Duties of the position with or without accommodation.

Nice To Haves

• Board certification/eligibility as a genetic counselor (e.g., ABGC/ABMGG) preferred for candidates from a genetic counseling background. No specific license required for candidates entering from a PhD or equivalent scientific background.

Responsibilities

• Own the rare disease Medical Affairs roadmap, objectives, and performance metrics, ensuring alignment with organizational priorities and measurable impact.
• Represent the rare disease portfolio in executive, cross-functional, and governance forums, providing scientific leadership and influencing strategic decision-making.
• Identify and champion new scientific, clinical, and business opportunities informed by emerging evidence, market dynamics, and unmet stakeholder needs to support long-term portfolio growth.
• Provide strategic leadership for enterprise scientific and data initiatives, representing rare disease priorities and influencing future-state capabilities.
• Act as the strategic Medical Affairs leader and primary partner to Commercial and cross-functional leadership, leveraging insights from KOL engagement, scientific conferences, publications, and emerging clinical trends to influence portfolio strategy, evidence priorities, and compliant scientific communication.
• Own the rare disease evidence generation strategy, identifying evidence gaps, prioritizing research initiatives, and leading execution of studies aligned with business and scientific objectives.
• Lead the development of Medical Affairs infrastructure, governance frameworks, operating procedures, and evidence generation standards to support scalable growth and scientific excellence within rare disease.
• Own and lead scientific content strategy for the rare disease portfolio, establishing priorities and directing the development of webinars, publications, educational materials, and thought leadership content that advance organizational objectives.
• Monitor and synthesize emerging clinical evidence, scientific literature, guidelines, and market trends to inform Medical Affairs strategy, evidence generation priorities, and scientific communications.
• Provide Medical Affairs leadership and final scientific oversight for concept, functional, and MLR reviews, ensuring scientific rigor, compliance, and alignment with business objectives.
• Lead cross-functional scientific content development efforts, directing internal subject matter experts and external partners to deliver high-impact scientific and educational materials.
• Lead publication and scientific communication strategy, driving abstracts, manuscripts, presentations, and other scientific outputs that enhance organizational credibility and scientific impact.
• Own the organization’s scientific engagement strategy at major conferences, maximizing visibility, thought leadership, and stakeholder relationships.
• Build and lead a comprehensive KOL, advisory board, and external engagement strategy, generating actionable insights that inform scientific priorities and portfolio strategy.
• Lead the development of scientific education programs and training strategies, ensuring internal teams are equipped with accurate, impactful, and compliant scientific knowledge.
• Direct the creation of scientific education resources and claims strategies that strengthen customer engagement and support portfolio growth.
• Ensure compliance with applicable regulations, Company policies, operating procedures, and ethical standards while fostering effective collaboration with employees, KOLs, and external partners.

Benefits

• Employees can qualify for free medical coverage in our Health Investment Plan (HIP) PPO medical plan in the next calendar year.
• An excellent retirement savings plan with a high employer contribution.
• Tuition reimbursement, the Freedom 2 Save student debt program, and FreeU education benefit - an affordable and convenient path to getting a bachelor’s degree.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director