Medical Science Liaison, CNS - AR, LA, OK

Otsuka•New Orleans, LA

About The Position

Otsuka America Pharmaceutical, Inc. is using an ecosystem-based customer engagement model to coordinate support across account management, medical, patient access, marketing, and market access. The model aims to better serve patients, caregivers, and healthcare providers through locally coordinated, digitally enabled support focused on improving patient care. The Medical Science Liaison (Sr Manager) is an integral member of an ecosystem team and contributes to its strategic business plan. This field-based role provides clinical, scientific, and health-economic information about CNS disease states and appropriate use of approved Otsuka products. The MSL engages key influencers, local practice leaders, healthcare providers, and patient groups; collaborates with ecosystem partners to adapt regional business strategies to local needs; and supports customers’ medical and educational requirements. The role may cover multiple CNS products and includes broad clinical and scientific discussions that inform patient care and generate customer insights. The MSL works with external stakeholders and internal matrix partners to support local medical strategies, improve patient outcomes, communicate evidence-based information, support clinical research, and share medical insights. The role also contributes to training, mentoring, safety-related work, and medical education across the organization.

Requirements

MD, DO, PharmD, or PhD in life sciences; alternatively, a master’s degree with equivalent psychiatry or CNS clinical experience.
At least 2 years of pharmaceutical medical affairs or relevant work experience.
Understanding of healthcare-system interconnectivity and patient-care delivery, with experience working with healthcare professionals and other decision makers.
Strong business acumen, including understanding of the industry, Otsuka’s business model and value proposition, competitors, and marketplace dynamics.
Ability to identify solutions with the goal of improving patient outcomes.
Excellent communication and collaboration skills, with professional maturity, confidence, and competence.
Strong conflict-resolution skills and ability to resolve issues effectively with affected parties while working cross-functionally.
Ability to strategically lead others and project teams.
Ability to summarize and communicate complex information and business objectives concisely and effectively in presentations and other interactions.
Strong understanding of the industry’s legal, regulatory, and compliance landscape.
Ability to work in an ambiguous environment undergoing transformation.
Behaviors aligned with Otsuka’s corporate brand: Perseverance, Unconventional Thinking, and Humility.
Ability to travel by air or car for up to 70% of the time, depending on territory size.

Nice To Haves

Preferred living location is a key city in the territory.

Responsibilities

Contribute a clinical and scientific perspective to local ecosystem execution plans and coordinate field activities addressing customer challenges, issues, and opportunities.
Build and maintain relationships with key scientific and medical customers and organizations, including key influencers, local practice leaders, key decision makers, and patient advocacy groups.
Develop a thorough understanding of the ecosystem, healthcare trends, disease states, Otsuka products, systems, and services, aligning work with Otsuka’s patient-centric strategy and priorities.
Provide evidence-based clinical, economic, and humanistic information about Otsuka and its products, and work with providers and other stakeholders on practical solutions to improve patient outcomes.
Contribute to business objectives with impact beyond the assigned territory and across Medical Affairs.
Build internal working relationships across the matrix team to support an enterprise approach to customer engagement.
Be accountable to regional Field Medical leadership for shaping and executing local medical strategies within planned timelines.
Disseminate disease-state and healthcare-landscape information to customers according to priorities.
Provide clinical- and data-focused training for promotional and disease-state speakers; potentially serve in Otsuka’s speaker bureau.
Collect and submit medical insights to inform decision-making, evidence-generation priorities, and healthcare solutions, including sharing insights at the local ecosystem level.
Support Otsuka clinical trials, including registrational, post-marketing, and investigator-sponsored trials, as well as health-economic outcomes research and other medical collaborations.
Provide clinical expertise and operational feedback for clinical trials to support optimal site selection and performance.
Mentor peers and support functional and therapeutic development, including onboarding new hires.
Support Safety & Pharmacovigilance investigations, Sales Training medical education, and the Field Medical Center of Excellence through mentoring and sharing best practices.