The opportunity
We are seeking an experienced Associate Director, Field Medical Affairs to lead our medical affairs field team across the UK and Ireland. This senior role will manage a team of Medical Science Liaisons in the UK and Ireland while maintaining direct engagement with Key Opinion Leaders (KOL) at nationally important medical centres. The successful candidate will bridge scientific excellence with strategic business execution, working closely with therapeutic area teams and field sales team to develop and implement field medical strategies.
Success in this role will be measured by:
1. Team performance and development outcomes
2. KOL engagement quality and satisfaction scores
3. Strategic initiative completion and impact
4. Territory coverage and engagement metrics
5. Scientific collaboration outputs
6. Compliance and regulatory adherence
7. Cross-functional partnership effectiveness
A day in the life of an Associate Director, Field Medical Affairs...
8. Team Leadership & Management
Lead, manage, and develop a team of MSLs across UK and Ireland
Provide coaching, mentoring, and performance management to ensure team excellence
Conduct regular field visits and joint HCP interactions to support MSL development
Oversee recruitment, onboarding, and training of MSL team members
Foster a collaborative and high-performance team culture
Develop ongoing MSL training plan
9. Key Opinion Leader (KOL) Relationship Management
Establish and maintain strategic relationships with nationally important KOLs
Lead engagement with key medical centres and academic institutions at the highest level
Support and enhance MSL interactions with regional and local KOLs
Develop and execute national KOL engagement strategies
Represent the company at major scientific meetings and congresses
10. Strategic Planning & Execution
Collaborate with therapeutic area and field sales teams to develop comprehensive field medical strategies
Translate corporate medical strategies into actionable field execution plans
Ensure alignment between field medical objectives and business priorities
Monitor and evaluate strategy effectiveness, adapting approaches as needed
Provide strategic insights and market intelligence to therapeutic area teams
11. Scientific Excellence
Maintain deep therapeutic area expertise and stay current with medical literature
Provide scientific leadership and credibility in interactions with healthcare professionals
Support medical information requests and scientific discussions
Contribute to medical publications, research collaborations, and scientific initiatives
Ensure compliance with all medical and regulatory requirements
12. Cross-functional Collaboration
Partner with medical affairs, commercial, regulatory, and clinical teams
Support product launch preparations and lifecycle management activities
Contribute to medical education programs and advisory board planning
Collaborate with global and EU medical teams on key initiatives
Liaise with MSL managers from other countries to share best practices
13. Strategic Partnership & Representation
Deputise for Senior Medical and Technical Director as appropriate
Partner with Senior Medical and Technical Director on high-priority strategic initiatives
Collaborate with project coordinator on key strategic project implementation
Represent Medical Affairs at UK, Ireland, EU, and global meetings
Your experience and qualifications
Do you have...?
14. Advanced degree in life sciences (MD, PHD, Pharmacy, or equivalent) is a must. Desirable: post-graduate qualification in neurology, psychiatry, gastroenterology or immunology
15. Extensive pharmaceutical industry experience in medical affairs or MSL roles, including experience of managing MSLs
16. Proven leadership experience managing high-performing teams
17. Previous experience managing geographically dispersed teams preferred
18. Experience of launching new products, especially in neurology, psychiatry or gastroenterology
19. Experience of engaging with key stakeholders in neurology, psychiatry or Gastroenterology
20. Knowledge of treatment landscapes in neurology, psychiatry or Gastroenterology
21. Strong understanding of pharmaceutical regulations and compliance requirements
22. Experience with clinical trial management, especially Phase II/ III/ IV
23. Knowledge of UK and Irish regulatory landscapes
24. Experience of pre-launch medical planning for a new product launch
25. Experience in supporting formulary inclusion of new products
26. Experience in working with Market Access Teams
27. Experience of working in the NHS
28. Proficiency in CRM systems and medical affairs databases
29. Experience with scientific literature databases and analysis tools
30. Advanced presentation and facilitation skills
31. Project management capabilities
Are you...?
32. An strategic thinker
33. Proactive
34. Good communicator
35. Happy with the below travel requirements:
Extensive travel required (60-70%) across UK and Ireland
This role requires 'time on territory' of 3 to 4 days per week.
International travel for meetings and conferences
Overnight stays required for field visits, MSL coaching and meetings
Enjoy a more rewarding choice
We support our people through every stage of their journey with us. Our flexible reward platform puts you in control, empowering you to tailor your benefits to fit your lifestyle, priorities, and what matters most to you. With 25 days of annual leave that grows with your service, the flexibility to purchase additional days, and two dedicated volunteering days each year, your time off is truly yours to enjoy, recharge, and give back. We prioritise your health with private medical insurance, life assurance, critical illness cover, and income protection.
Whether you're growing your family or pursuing new adventures, our enhanced maternity and paternity leave, sabbaticals, and hybrid working policies are here to support you through life’s most meaningful moments. Financial wellbeing matters too, which is why we offer an enhanced pension scheme, access to a discount store, and free financial coaching through Bippit.
To help you grow with confidence, we offer a structured training and development programme tailored to your role and department, equipping you with the tools, knowledge, and support you need to thrive.