Senior Scientific Director

Lucid Group•Philadelphia, PA

About The Position

The Senior Scientific Director is a senior leader within the Medical team, responsible for driving scientific excellence, strategic insight, and peer-level client partnership across a portfolio of accounts. Our core clients are Medical Affairs professionals, and this role is expected to engage them as a credible peer and strategic thought partner, bringing both scientific depth and practical understanding of how Medical Affairs operates within complex organizations. This role combines hands-on leadership of key accounts with broader strategic influence. You will lead scientific strategy and content across multiple programs, partner closely with Client Services and Medical Strategy to drive organic growth and contribute meaningfully to new business efforts. You will also play a critical role in mentoring teams, elevating scientific thinking, and ensuring delivery of precision, insight-driven medical communications that translate complex data into meaningful clinical and behavioral impact.

Requirements

Advanced degree (PhD, PharmD, MD, or equivalent) in a scientific or medical field
Significant experience in a healthcare communications agency or Medical Affairs–aligned environment
Demonstrated ability to engage Medical Affairs clients as a peer and strategic partner
Deep expertise in scientific writing and insight-driven content development across formats
Proven ability to lead scientific strategy and oversee complex deliverables
Strong track record of building senior-level client relationships
Experience mentoring and developing high-performing teams
Ability to operate effectively in a fast-paced, multi-account environment

Nice To Haves

Experience supporting or directly working within Medical Affairs organizations
Strong understanding of behavioral science, insight generation, and omnichannel engagement
Experience contributing to new business strategy and proposals
Financial and operational acumen
Ability to identify and unlock growth opportunities within accounts
Experience across multiple therapeutic areas and modalities

Responsibilities

Lead the development of scientific strategy grounded in precision insights, ensuring all communications are anchored in clinical relevance, audience need, and behavioral impact
Drive delivery of highly targeted, insight-driven medical and scientific communications, aligning data, narrative, and channel strategy to maximize influence
Partner with Medical Strategy to formulate clear, differentiated, and actionable recommendations for current and prospective clients
Translate complex scientific and clinical data into focused, decision-relevant insights that shape communication strategies and drive adoption
Provide senior-level scientific oversight across deliverables, ensuring accuracy, depth, and strategic alignment
Continuously integrate therapeutic area evolution, competitive intelligence, and emerging evidence into strategic recommendations
Build and maintain trusted, peer-to-peer relationships with Medical Affairs leaders, positioning yourself as a strategic scientific partner rather than a vendor
Serve as a senior scientific advisor, shaping client thinking across scientific narrative, evidence translation, and engagement strategy
Demonstrate a deep understanding of Medical Affairs priorities (e.g., evidence generation, scientific exchange, field impact, payer relevance) and align solutions accordingly
Partner with Client Services to identify and drive organic growth opportunities rooted in unmet client needs
Contribute to new business efforts with strategically differentiated scientific input
Mentor and elevate team members in both scientific rigor and strategic thinking, with an emphasis on insight generation and application
Provide high-quality, actionable feedback that strengthens both content and underlying strategic rationale
Build team capabilities in precision communication moving beyond information delivery to influence clinical behavior
Foster a culture of curiosity, accountability, and excellence
Partner cross-functionally with Client Services, Strategy, Data Analytics, Creative, and Project Management to deliver integrated, insight-driven solutions
Ensure all work meets high scientific standards while also achieving strategic and business objectives
Support financial planning, forecasting, and resource allocation across accounts
Collaborate with US Marketing to ensure alignment between medical communications and promotional strategy, while maintaining scientific integrity