Director Medical Affairs (12-month contract)

When we put unexpected teams in the same room, we unleash bold thinking with the power to inspire life changing medicines. In-person working gives us the platform to connect, work at pace and challenge perceptions. That’s why we work, on average, a minimum of three days per week from the office. But that doesn’t mean we’re not flexible. We balance the expectation of being in the office while respecting individual flexibility. Join us in our unique and ambitious world. 

This is a 12-month contract

Role Purpose

Provide scientific and medical leadership for the Canadian Neurology portfolio and lead, coach and develop the Medical Affairs team. Translate the Global Medical Affairs Plan into locally relevant strategies that address patient needs, clinical practice, healthcare-system priorities and access. Working across functions, advance evidence-based care, support health-system transformation and improve patient outcomes throughout the product lifecycle—from development and launch to indication expansion, post-launch optimisation and loss-of-exclusivity planning.

Key Responsibilities

• Medical strategy: Develop and implement the annual Canadian medical plan, defining priorities, activities, timelines, resources and measures of impact. Incorporate unmet needs, treatment pathways, access considerations and collaborator insights; monitor results to improve planning and delivery.

• Scientific leadership: Maintain current expertise in Neurology epidemiology, standards of care, guidelines, emerging science and evidence gaps. Apply this knowledge to medical priorities and cross-functional decisions. Communicate complex information accurately and objectively to and at the appropriate level for a variety of audiences.

• Evidence generation: Identify Canadian evidence gaps and shape integrated research plans. Support or lead investigator-sponsored, real-world evidence, observational, health outcomes, post-authorisation and other interventional or non-interventional studies, ensuring scientific rigour, research ethics and compliance.

• Scientific engagement and education: Build credible relationships with healthcare professionals, researchers, scientific experts,  and physician organisations, and other collaborators. Oversee balanced, non-promotional education, scientific exchange and timely responses to unsolicited enquiries. Gather, document, analyse and share unsolicited insights.Use emerging trends to inform strategy, education and risk management.

• Cross-functional and global partnership: Provide objective medical leadership with Clinical Development, Regulatory Affairs, Market Access, Health Economics and Outcomes Research, Commercial, Patient Advocacy, Pharmacovigilance, Quality and Compliance. Maintain medical independence and clear separation of medical and promotional activities. Represent Canada in global and regional forums, sharing local insights and standard methodologies.

• Governance: Ensure activities, materials and research meet Canadian legislation, regulatory expectations, industry codes and company procedures, including privacy, transparency, research ethics, healthcare-professional interactions and documentation. Review or approve content within the governance framework for accuracy and fair balance.

• Patient safety: Recognise, manage and advance safety, quality, compliance and benefit–risk concerns, supporting adverse-event reporting, product-quality complaints and safety-signal identification.

• Team leadership: Coach and develop the team, fostering scientific integrity, inclusion, innovation, collaboration, accountability and continuous learning. Lead through influence in a matrix organisation.

• Operational leadership: Manage budgets and resources, track and document delivery against local and regional objectives, and improve effectiveness through appropriate technology, including artificial intelligence.

Qualifications and Experience

• An advanced degree in medicine, pharmacy, life sciences or a related discipline—MD, PharmD, PhD or equivalent—is strongly preferred; relevant postgraduate clinical or scientific training is desirable.

• 7 years of experience in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, healthcare or related industry, with a strong track record in Medical Affairs, medical communications or a comparable scientific function; at least 3 years coaching, mentoring or developing teams.

• Experience developing and implementing medical strategies, annual plans and evidence-generation priorities across the product lifecycle, and contributing to or leading medical research. Sound understanding of research ethics, scientific governance and data interpretation.

• Strong knowledge of Canadian healthcare, including federal and provincial collaborators, regional clinical practice, reimbursement and access, and the needs of rare disease patients, caregivers and healthcare professionals.

• Working knowledge of Health Canada expectations, the Innovative Medicines Canada Code of Ethical Practices, the PAAB Code of Advertising Acceptance, privacy and research-ethics requirements, and company policies. Understanding of pharmacovigilance, risk management and appropriate critical issue.

• Ability to build credible collaborator relationships, lead through influence and collaborate in a matrix environment.

• Excellent written, verbal and presentation skills, with sound judgement in prioritising demands, managing resources and translating scientific insights into practical priorities while maintaining medical independence.

• Demonstrated experience using artificial intelligence to improve efficiency, innovation and functional effectiveness.

• Willingness to travel within Canada and internationally for scientific exchange, internal meetings, congresses and collaborator engagements, as required.

Desirable Additional Experience

• Neurology expertise, particularly in generalized myasthenia gravis (gMG) and neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD).

• Experience in a Canadian affiliate or another regulated healthcare environment, including work with Canadian collaborators across regional differences in clinical practice, reimbursement and access.

• Experience supporting launches, indication expansions, post-launch optimisation and loss-of-exclusivity planning.

• Leadership of integrated evidence-generation plans; experience with investigator-sponsored research, publication planning, medical communications or medical review and cross-functional governance forums.

• French-language capability where needed for Canadian collaborator engagement.

Working at Alexion

Join a collaborative, diverse culture that values innovation and offers the opportunity to make a meaningful difference in rare disease patients’ lives. Our hybrid approach supports in-person collaboration, with an expectation of working from the office, on average, a minimum of three days per week, balanced with individual flexibility.

Ready to lead and inspire? Apply now to join Alexion, AstraZeneca Rare Disease.

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This advertisement relates to a current vacancy.