Senior Global Medical Affairs Lead, Cardiovascular & Renal (CVRM)

AstraZeneca • Gaithersburg, MA

7d • Hybrid

About The Position

Reporting to the Global Medical Head, the Senior Global Medical Affairs Lead, Cardiovascular & Renal is a highly experienced Medical Affairs leader with proven vision and impact. This individual develops and leads bold medical strategies within the CVRM (Cardiovascular, Renal & Metabolism) therapy area — spanning hypertension, chronic kidney disease (CKD) and heart failure — expertly guiding cross-functional and cross-regional teams to deliver and exceed ambitious goals. The Senior GMAL's influence is enterprise-wide—shaping global medical agendas through Global Medical Team, Global Product Team, and Disease Area Team leadership, and deep partnership with Medical and Commercial functions in markets and regions worldwide. This role demands a leader who champions innovative, disruptive thinking—identifies and shapes breakthrough opportunities, reimagines market dynamics, and accelerates high-impact evidence generation and medical change initiatives. The Senior GMAL navigates and transforms health systems, leverages digital, advanced analytics and emerging technologies, drives stakeholder engagement, and ensures AstraZeneca's science leads externally and internally through world-class medical evidence and strategic partnerships.

Requirements

• Advanced degree in a relevant discipline required (MD, PhD, PharmD)
• At least 5 years of relevant experience in the pharmaceutical industry (Medical, Marketing, R&D, Market Access) or leadership experience in health systems, academia, research, or other relevant healthcare settings.
• Demonstrated leadership in complex, global healthcare environments, including shaping strategy, driving performance, leading large and diverse cross-functional teams, and delivering major product, evidence, or healthcare transformation initiatives.
• Significant expertise and strategic insight into healthcare system pathways, regulatory landscapes, market-shaping, and external stakeholder engagement.
• Strong track record of internal and external network building, collaboration across geographies and matrix teams, and effective mentoring of junior colleagues or peers.
• Digital and AI proficiency, leveraging digital health tools, AI, and data platforms to advance evidence generation, communication, and healthcare transformation.
• Deep understanding of patient care pathways, evolving treatment protocols, scientific literature, and contemporary approaches to healthcare transformation.
• Proven ability to guide, influence, and align diverse stakeholders—including thought leaders, regulatory bodies, patient groups, and payer organisations.

Nice To Haves

• Recognized expertise in the relevant or related therapeutic area, evidenced by clinical practice, research leadership, or significant external engagement — ideally in cardiovascular or renal disease, including hypertension, chronic kidney disease, heart failure, or the broader cardiorenal / cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic (CKM) spectrum. Cardiologists, nephrologists, and cardiovascular-renal scientists are especially encouraged.
• Candidates from other therapy areas with strong transferable Medical Affairs leadership, launch, and evidence-generation experience who can rapidly build cardiovascular-renal expertise are also encouraged.
• Substantial pharmaceutical industry experience, particularly within Medical Affairs and global product or disease-area leadership.
• Advanced experience designing, leading, and interpreting clinical research programs, including pivotal clinical trials (Ph2–Ph4), practice-changing RWE studies, and innovative evidence-generation approaches.
• Broad experience beyond Medical Affairs, for example in Marketing, R&D, or Market Access.
• Established relationships with global KOLs, professional societies, regulators, digital health partners, and innovative healthcare organisations or a demonstrated ability to build such networks rapidly.
• Track record of launching new products or indications across diverse markets (e.g., US, China, EU), and successfully developing and executing global medical strategies.

Responsibilities

• Designs and leads the implementation of product and disease area strategies, as well as ambitious practice change initiatives, at a global level.
• Shapes and drives groundbreaking clinical trials, registries, and RWE studies aligned with brand, access, and practice-changing objectives.
• Guides the optimisation, communication, and strategic roll-out of data across scientific platforms, ensuring AstraZeneca delivers differentiated evidence that supports the needs of regulatory, payer, and healthcare providers.
• Leverages digital health, AI, advanced analytics, and data platforms to transform evidence communication, personalize stakeholder engagement, and enhance patient outcomes.
• Builds and sustains powerful relationships across the healthcare ecosystem—including global and regional KOLs, professional societies, regulators, payers, patient organizations, technology innovators, and health systems.
• Ensures clinical trial and evidence generation initiatives are designed for both scientific and regulatory success.
• Anticipates evolving regulatory and payer requirements for evidence, ensuring high quality, compliant data generation and communication at every stage.

Benefits

• qualified retirement program [401(k) plan]
• paid vacation and holidays
• paid leaves
• health benefits including medical, prescription drug, dental, and vision coverage

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree