Job description: Scientific Director
Reports into: SSD or Director
Core responsibilities
* Oversee the scientific output of multiple account teams, ensuring high-quality, accurate content aligned with client objectives, budgets, and timelines.
* Act as the primary client contact and therapeutic area expert, maintaining up-to-date knowledge and advising on communication strategy.
* Consult with clients to develop and lead strategic plans, gaining buy-in from key stakeholders.
* Build and nurture strong relationships with KOLs and work collaboratively with clients to direct strategically aligned projects.
* Identify opportunities for NexGen to act as a strategic partner across accounts and support other teams through shared expertise or secondments.
* Coach, mentor, and line manage writers, ensuring efficiency, professional growth, and promotion of a positive agency image.
* Foster strong collaboration with Client Services to create a unified "one team" environment and deliver successful outcomes.
* Lead expansion of existing accounts, adapt successful approaches, and support new business proposals and pitches.
* Research, write, and review scientific materials across all formats and audiences to the highest standards.
* Lead and supervise scientific content development, ensuring adherence to processes, compliance, and client requirements.
* Attend congresses and client meetings, gathering insights, building relationships, and ensuring NexGen's activities align with client programmes.
* Support recruitment, process improvement, and the professional development of junior staff, contributing to the agency's continued growth and excellence.
Main duties
* Research, write and review copy to the highest scientific and grammatical standards across all med ed and communication materials and audiences.
* Lead on resolving complex client comments and make recommendations to improve workflow and delivery.
* Train and mentor staff to accurately interpret and incorporate amendments from clients, KOLs and stakeholders.
* Collaborate with regulatory and medical departments to minimise costly amendments and ensure compliance.
* Lead discussions with patients and KOLs to build expert knowledge of therapy areas, markets, audiences and key messages.
* Provide insight to clients and account teams on market trends, product strategy and tactical direction.
* Maintain clear communication with account and resourcing teams regarding project status and resource needs.
* Brief, review and feedback on freelance writers' work, ensuring quality, efficiency and integration within teams.
* Act as senior scientific contact for accounts, leading client and KOL meetings and providing scientific direction throughout projects.
* Attend and lead at congresses or client meetings, gather insights, and ensure NexGen activities align with client programmes.
* Support new business initiatives, identify opportunities to add client value and contribute to recruitment and process improvement.
* Coach and develop junior writers, review and QC projects to ensure consistent quality and adherence to standards.
Key result areas
* Delivery of high-quality medical education and communication projects that meet specifications, deadlines, and budgets.
* Work with Client Services to plan resource requirements in advance and secure additional support as needed.
* Drive clear, proactive communication across teams on projects, goals, and agency initiatives.
* Encourage collaboration and information sharing across teams.
* Educate teams and ensure adherence to healthcare compliance laws, guidelines, and agency/client SOPs.
* Oversee quality assurance of content produced by scientific staff.
* Ensure consistent and efficient working practices across account teams.
* Coach and develop junior staff (including line management where applicable).
* Promote innovation and continuous improvement in team processes and client offerings.
* Strengthen client relationships through novel solutions to challenges.
* Identify and lead new business opportunities and nurture potential leads.
Skills and knowledge required
* Degree or higher in a biomedical science.
* Extensive med comms agency experience with proven teamwork and leadership.
* Evidence of new business acquisition.
* Experience in strategically focused projects driving measurable HCP behaviour or opinion change.
* Excellent attention to detail, grammar, and syntax.
* Strong project management, organisational, and commercial awareness skills.
* Excellent interpersonal and communication skills; able to work under pressure.
* Solid understanding of drug development processes and related US/EU regulations.
* Strong knowledge of medical publication processes and guidelines (e.g. ICMJE).
* Good understanding of brand planning and medical strategy.
* Highest-quality scientific writing and literature appraisal skills, adaptable to varied audiences.
* Commitment to coaching junior writers and maintaining scientific accuracy and quality.
* Willingness to travel (UK and internationally) for meetings and congresses.
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