US Medical Communications Lead

AstraZeneca•Boston, MA

3d•$116,710 - $175,064•Onsite

About The Position

The US Medical Communications Lead works with the NF1 Therapeutic Area-specific US Medical Affairs Field Team and TA Leadership Teams to establish a strategic communication plan for internal US Medical Affairs and external stakeholders. The office-based role interfaces primarily with US Medical Affairs teams (80%) and cross-functional teams (20%) at Alexion, AstraZeneca Rare Disease, ensuring communications support the Meta+, NF1 Strategic Initiatives and align with Scientific-Based Partnering Model (SPM) principles. The role supports departmental vision and purpose through alignment with global training strategies, centralized global content creation, new-hire onboarding and ongoing skills training. It also supports congress deliverables, participates on launch teams when applicable, serves on the USMA TA leadership team, and acts as the TA point of contact for medical review. The lead owns and oversees the end-to-end resource creation and review process. The position oversees scientific resource development, including inventory, availability, strategic alignment, utilization and gap analysis, resource creation and retirement, budget planning, medical review advocacy and vendor management. It coordinates new-hire training and MSL certification, develops scientific materials training, and collaborates with field, medical and global training teams to identify and address training gaps. It plans and coordinates US Medical Affairs congress activities, contributes to strategic launch planning, and supports medical excellence initiatives, performance indicators, annual kickoff planning and innovative learning approaches. Travel to congresses and internal meetings is required, approximately 10%.

Requirements

PharmD, MD, or PhD.
Strong analytical and oral and written communication skills.
Exceptional facilitation skills and ability to deliver training and coordinate outside resources.
Strong computer skills.
Strong teamwork and collaboration skills.
Ability to travel to congresses and internal meetings, approximately 10%.

Nice To Haves

Three or more years of relevant pharmaceutical or biotechnology industry experience.
Training- or teaching-related experience, including distance learning experience.
Experience in NF1.
Previous MSL experience.
Knowledge of adult learning principles.
Experience writing assessment questions.

Responsibilities

Establish a strategic communications plan with the NF1 US Medical Affairs Field Team and TA Leadership Teams for internal and external stakeholders.
Maintain an inventory of current scientific materials and ensure field availability through the content management system, coordinating with content specialists, medical review operations specialists, and print and warehousing partners.
Ensure materials align with the TA scientific platform, US strategic imperatives, global slide library, and TA medical director review.
Conduct periodic resource utilization and gap analyses with TA leadership; create new resources and retire resources no longer aligned with TA strategy.
Advocate for appropriate budget allocation during yearly tactical planning cycles.
Attend medical review meetings as project owner and advocate for resources that incorporate adult learning principles and support SPM.
Participate in medical review planning and prioritization to ensure TA medical projects are represented across medical and commercial review teams.
Lead end-to-end vendor management, maintain budgets, and track accruals with finance partners.
Review and update US new-hire training and assessment tools before new hires start, coordinate training schedules, manage MSL certification, and support Field Leadership in Level 2 training.
Coordinate training on scientific materials, including slide decks, infographics, tools, congress data, key publications, and SRLs, as appropriate with global medical training and medical information.
Work with field directors, medical directors, and the global training team to identify MSL training gaps and develop and execute training to address them.
Develop training in disease-state knowledge, new product data, competitor data, and pull-through skills.
Participate in planning for US priority Tier 1/2 congresses, communicate USMA needs and planned activities, and coordinate logistical support.
Identify and manage vendors to develop resources for national and regional conferences, including booth layouts, in-booth resources, and symposium or scientific theater materials.
Coordinate pre-congress USMA planning and training meetings with relevant partners and align with cross-TA MCLs on booth planning and medical activities.
Attend congresses when travel is approved to coordinate on-site activities.
Coordinate with cross-functional partners to ensure approval of post-congress proactive slide decks on or near embargo lift.
Participate in regional and functional launch planning calls, and develop and execute a strategic field medical plan aligned with launch timelines and milestones.
Support launch resource gap analysis and development, training, and congress planning.
Contribute to TA and Medical Excellence key performance indicator discussions, participate in project teams, and drive enhancements to global and USMA platforms.
Deliver on the annually defined Medical Excellence strategic project list.
Plan the Annual Kickoff Forum with TA Leads and align on training requests for MSLs.
Develop innovative learning approaches, including interactive, distance, and virtual learning such as podcasts, masterclasses, and competitor roadmaps.
Conduct all activities in accordance with Alexion, AstraZeneca Rare Disease policies.