Medical Director

Job Description

Under the direction of the Senior Vice President, Editorial & Medical Services, and working closely with the Account Services, Creative Services, Editorial Services, and Project Management departments, the Medical Director will provide scientific direction and support for all tactical medical communications activities for assigned therapeutic areas and products to create world-class education and marketing communications content. The Medical Director will also participate as a department representative at internal functions requiring scientific input, participate in 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, key clinical experts, and patients in support of education and promotional initiatives.

Medical Services

• Provide scientific direction, support, and leadership for all strategic and tactical communications activities for assigned therapeutic areas and products
• Develop clinical content for disease state and branded symposia, advisory boards, and speaker development programs, as well as content for healthcare professional and patient educational material/brochures, sales training materials, webcasts, satellite broadcasts, videos, websites, and other multimedia initiatives
• Ensure scientific integrity, accuracy, and clinical relevance of educational and promotional materials for healthcare professionals, patients, and pharmaceutical sales representatives
• Support projects toward development of educational/commercial 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 materials to client review committees for approval and apply resulting comments while maintaining the integrity and purpose of the material
• Maintain 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 medical communications strategy while maintaining scientific integrity

• Direct and support medical writers on assigned projects
• Work in conjunction with Account Services and Project Management departments to develop logical and attainable timelines for project completion
• Follow all internal processes and procedures with regard to workflow and development of deliverables
• Clearly communicate medical scientific concepts in a condensed, audience-appropriate way
• Assume final responsibility for content of assigned projects, including relevance, technical accuracy, audience appropriateness, strategy, and consistency with communications plan
• Attend professional meetings and congresses to maintain relationships with clients, opinion leaders, and to remain abreast of the most up-to-date therapeutic area and competitive landscape information
• Assist Account Services in conducting healthcare professional and patient advisory boards and interviews as part of market research and augment dialogue by delving into medical issues to more clearly define healthcare professionals’ and patients’ attitudes and behaviors
• Perform hands-on writing and medical editing to ensure timely completion of projects
• Keep core teams and management informed of status of ongoing projects
• Perform other duties as requested

Internal and External Relationships

• Build effective working relationships with internal and external stakeholders
• Build strong client relationships; inspire client confidence
• Collaborate with management as well as internal and external personnel from all disciplines regarding medical education and communication strategies necessary for new-business opportunities and existing work
• Collaborate with other departments, internal groups, and individuals to ensure innovative solutions to client needs
• Communicate and collaborate with faculty and key opinion leaders 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 a strategic application for capabilities
• Represent Synchrony at capabilities presentations, pharmaceutical briefings, 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
• Support the execution of 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 healthcare professionals’ and patients’ attitudes and behaviors
• Help to identify potential speakers and participants for medical meetings

• 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
• 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
• Experience with at least 1 of the following key activities: medical education, medical communications campaigns, promotional medical/marketing initiatives, digital and interactive programs, advisory boards, key clinical expert identification and development
• Ability to travel as client needs require
• Specific industry or therapeutic area 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.