Scientific Director (12-month Fixed Term – Maternity Cover) Location: London, Hybrid
We are a global medical communications agency blending deep scientific expertise with creative brilliance to inspire change. Behaviour change starts with inspiration. By infusing vibrant creativity into our work, we produce engaging medical communications that have the power to captivate and spark action.
Our absolute commitment to scientific precision across diverse therapy areas, including the complex fields of rare disease, oncology and advanced therapies, ensures we can make change a reality. For over 10 years, our team of exceptional PhD and advanced degree medical writers, strategists and world-class creatives have generated award-winning innovation across medical affairs and commercial disciplines.
We are driven by a desire to create inspiring work that changes lives for the better, always guided by our core values; INTEGRITY, IMAGINATION, AGILITY, COLLABORATION and EMPOWERMENT that underpin who we are and the positive culture of our team.
Role The Scientific Director will lead and oversee all elements of the Medical Team for several accounts within the business and is responsible for the overall quality of our work for our clients, plus playing an active role in organically growing our key growth accounts. They may lead the scientific strategy in pitches for new work and our key existing accounts and will be the most senior client contact in relation to scientific strategy, ensuring that all services and projects are appropriate strategically and in terms of content. The role involves development and management of a team of medical writers, including resourcing and training.
This role is offered on a fixed-term basis to cover a period of maternity leave. The contract is expected to last for 12 months but will be dependent on the return of the substantive post-holder and may end earlier or later depending on their return date. The role will require in-office working for a minimum of 2 days per week.
Key Responsibilities Lead a team of in-house medical writers and freelancers (where needed) to deliver the company’s projects from a scientific content perspective.
Provide scientific / medical expertise across assigned accounts, offering clients strategic advice for their communications needs and programmes and ensuring that what we deliver is in line with this strategic advice.
Support assigned accounts to develop and grow its scientific services and enable the winning of more strategic and content focused accounts
Attend client meetings (virtually and face-to-face when required), providing senior medical oversight and guidance.
Manage client relationships from a medical perspective, acting as the senior point of medical contact, resolving issues when required and supporting the team internally.
Work on new business proposals and pitches, leading the scientific elements, ensuring that proposals are in line with scientific strategy for the product and overseeing proposal development to ensure quality.
Work with the Client Services and medical leadership teams in the planning, budgeting and allocation of medical writing resource to ensure accurate budgeting in proposals and appropriate resourcing for live projects.
Ensure that the processes and systems in operation within your teams are fit for purpose and regularly reviewed to ensure quality output and efficient working.
On occasion, undertake some medical or scientific writing on specific proposals or projects, either where resource is an issue or where the project is specifically suited to a senior level / strategic writer.
Keep up to date with the pharmaceutical and life sciences industries in terms of news and changes to guidelines and regulations nationally, regionally, and internationally, that affect service companies and scientific communications. To be responsible for compliance within the agency with those guidelines, policies and regulations that apply to the agency’s work.
Support development of team members appraising performance where appropriate, guiding professional development and addressing employee relation issues as required.
Required Knowledge, Skills and Abilities An MSc in a relevant subject is essential.
Extensive experience of working in a medical/scientific capacity within a medical communications agency or of working with medical communications agencies within biopharma in a medical affairs, medical, marketing or clinical capacity.
Experience of developing global communications programmes at a strategic level is essential.
Expertise in medical writing within both medical and marketing contexts.
Ability to motivate and inspire, creating an environment for success, providing growth opportunities to team members.
Expertise in communication, collaboration and negotiation.
Knowledge and understanding of the healthcare / pharmaceutical industry, trends and processes.
Our Rewards 25 days annual leave (plus bank holidays)
Birthday Day off & 3 days off between Christmas and New Year
Enhanced Maternity and Paternity policies
Life assurance
Private medical insurance
Pension – up to 7% matching employee/employer contribution
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