Senior Medical Director

Job Description

Under the direction of the EVP and working closely with the Account Services, Creative Services, Editorial Services, and Project Management departments, the Senior Medical Director will provide scientific and strategic direction and support for all functional departments and lead strategic and tactical medical marketing communications activities for assigned therapeutic areas and products to create world-class promotional content. The Senior Medical Director will also represent the department at all internal functions requiring expert input, lead strategy and scientific/medical components of new-business development activities, represent the company at client meetings at which scientific expertise is needed for the planning or acquisition of future projects, and interact with clients, faculty, clinical experts, and patients to lead strategic and scientific activities in support of all promotional initiatives.

Medical Services

• Lead strategic and tactical communication activities for assigned therapeutic areas and products
• Develop clinical content for disease state and branded presentations, advisory boards, speaker programs, webcasts, videos, print and email campaigns, websites, and other multimedia initiatives
• Ensure scientific integrity, accuracy, and clinical relevance of promotional materials for healthcare professionals, patients, and pharmaceutical sales representatives
• Support projects toward development of multimedia materials across multiple brands
• Review, analyze, and interpret current product literature and leverage information to support promotional claims
• Interpret and apply clinical data; use clinical expertise to benchmark client versus competitor products
• Present and appropriately defend promotional material content and strategy to client review committees for approval and apply resulting comments while maintaining the integrity and purpose of the material
• Maintain and communicate up-to-date knowledge of medical scientific information related to assigned therapeutic areas, products, and competitors
• Generate strategically sound project ideas and maintain a proactive approach on initiatives for existing and prospective clients
• Conceptualize innovative initiatives to support promotional strategy while maintaining scientific integrity
• Direct and support medical writers and Medical Directors on assigned projects
• Work in conjunction with Account Services and Project Management departments to develop logical and attainable timelines for project completion
• Ensure adherence to all internal processes and procedures with regard to workflow and development of deliverables
• Clearly communicate medical and scientific concepts in a condensed, audience-appropriate way
• Assume final responsibility for content of assigned projects, including relevance, technical accuracy, audience appropriateness, storytelling, and strategy
• Attend professional meetings and congresses to remain abreast of the most up-to-date therapeutic area and competitive landscape information
• Maintain relationships with clients and clinical experts
• Attend and facilitate advisory board meetings with clinical experts; note, synthesize, and interpret discussions for conversion into actionable strategy and tactics
• Assist Account Services in conducting healthcare professional and patient interviews as part of market research and augment dialogue by delving into medical issues to more clearly define attitudes and behaviors
• Perform hands-on medical writing and editing to ensure timely completion of projects
• Keep senior management informed of status of ongoing projects
• Perform other duties as requested

Internal and External Relationships

• Collaborate with senior management and internal and external personnel from all disciplines regarding promotional communication strategies for new business opportunities and existing work
• Build effective working relationships with internal and external stakeholders
• Build strong client relationships; inspire client confidence
• Work with team to ensure that it is meeting company goals and objectives and adhering to corporate values
• Foster and develop collaboration among departments, internal groups, and individuals to ensure innovative and collaborative solutions to client needs
• Be a positive force for enhancing the work culture, consensus-building, and internal communications
• Communicate and collaborate with clinical experts on programs to meet strategic objectives through relationship building, advocacy development, and use of scientific expertise

Business Development

• Support new business teams to ensure data are medically sound and teams are well informed about all medical aspects of the product
• Assist in the development of new business presentations by analyzing and synthesizing literature, pharmacologic attributes, clinical data, product profile and strategy, and market research into strategic application
• Represent Synchrony at capabilities presentations and other new business–related meetings as a full-time, permanent resource that has had extensive medical training and clinical expertise relevant to domestic and international markets
• Work with Account Services to conduct healthcare professional and patient interviews as part of qualitative research for new-business presentations and augment dialogue by delving into medical issues to more clearly define attitudes and behaviors
• Identify and recommend potential faculty and participants for medical meetings/presentations, speaker participation, and advisory roles based on strategic direction and therapeutic expertise

• Sound strategic and analytical thinking, planning, prioritization, and execution skills
• Ability to effectively communicate both verbally and in writing
• Solid medical editing and medical writing skills
• Exceptional organizational skills with adeptness at multitasking
• Flexibility and adaptability to change; ability to work under time constraints
• Effective attention to detail and high degree of scientific and medical accuracy
• Effective leadership skills
• Well-defined sense of diplomacy, including solid negotiation, conflict resolution, and people management skills
• Ability to manage outcomes to win-win resolution
• Ability to identify key issues and to creatively and strategically overcome challenges or obstacles
• High level of integrity, ethics, confidentially, and accountability
• Ability to interact effectively in a team environment
• Ability to master various content management systems
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications (Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Outlook)
• Strong presentation and persuasion skills
• Develops a clear point of view and tell a meaningful “story”
• Demonstrates effectiveness in a variety of settings and group sizes with clients, peers, subordinates, and management
• Confidently expresses both data/facts and more controversial topics
• Commands attention and can manage group dynamics

Qualifications

• PhD, PharmD, or MD
• Minimum of 7 years in medical communications with substantial experience leading at least 4 of the following activities: promotional education activities, disease education campaigns, promotional medical/marketing initiatives, digital and interactive programs, advisory boards, key clinical expert identification and development
• Ability to travel extensively as client needs require
• Specific industry or therapeutic expertise

• Travel required up to 25%
• Overtime as required

Additional Information

Synchrony places high value on the well-being of its employees; therefore, Synchrony team members are eligible for a comprehensive array of benefits, including competitive salaries, generous paid time off, excellent health insurance, family leave, and a 401(k) plan with employer matching.

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.

EOE. Synchrony is not able to provide visa sponsorship for this role.