Medical Head

At AstraZeneca, we pride ourselves on crafting a collaborative culture that champions knowledge-sharing, ambitious thinking and innovation - ultimately providing employees with the opportunity to work across teams, functions and even the globe.

Recognizing the importance of individualized flexibility, our ways of working allow employees to balance personal and work commitments while ensuring we continue to create a strong culture of collaboration and teamwork by engaging face-to-face in our offices 3 days a week. Our head office and BlueSky Hub in downtown Toronto are purposely designed with collaboration in mind, providing space where teams can come together to strategize, brainstorm and connect on key projects.

Our dedication to sustainability is also central to our culture and part of what makes AstraZeneca a great place to work. We know the health of people, the planet and our business are interconnected which is why we’re taking ambitious action to tackle some of the biggest challenges of our time, from climate change to access to healthcare and disease prevention.

Reporting to the Vice President Scientific Affairs, the Medical Head is responsible for the delivery of Therapy Area medical and scientific support and advice to AstraZeneca Canada, through leading medical/scientific strategies for the optimal development and commercialization of the products within a defined Therapeutic Area. As a member of SALT (Scientific Affairs Leadership Team), the role will collaborate to set the integrated strategic direction of Scientific Affairs, aligning resources to customers and business priorities, and will provide leadership and direction to execute business objectives. The Medical Head is responsible for the leadership of the AstraZeneca CVRM Medical Affairs team in Canada.

**1.Leadership, Team Management and People Development**
- Lead the AZ Canadian CVRM medical affairs team through therapeutic leadership and excellence to create and deliver the Medical Plan for Canada addressing; portfolio prioritization opportunities, development of skills, ensure talent management and manage team performance
- Active membership of AstraZeneca Canada’s Senior Leadership team, and SALT, with participation in the development of Corporate and Functional strategic/operational plans, and accountability for the leadership of the development and delivery of aligned Team plans
- Build relationships with US and Global medical science leadership colleagues to share new ways of working and create efficiencies
- Lead and empower the team, including recruitment and retention of high-quality staff through performance development and succession planning, the setting of clear expectations to drive performance and ensure engagement, and providing opportunities for growth and development

**2. Strategic & Operational Excellence**
- Defining and leading the Medical strategy, including both pipeline and promoted products. Activities include, but not exclusively, TA portfolio prioritization, Medical/Scientific contribution to the research and development program, and support to Commercial/Global/KOL customers for the TA portfolio
- Ensure scientific leadership and medical excellence, and build an image of AstraZeneca as leader in the Therapeutic areas by developing innovative and differentiating collaborations with key external stakeholders
- Collaborate with R&D to ensure attraction of appropriate research dollars into Canada to meet the needs of the business
- Provide personal medical/scientific support, when required, for compounds in development within Medical Affairs, including acting as a strategic and influential link between AstraZeneca Canada, AstraZeneca R&D, and the Canadian Academic community
- Provide leadership and direction to the Medical Science Liaison team through the MSL manager.
- Work collaboratively with Regulatory, Market Access and Re-Imbursement leadership teams to create refine processes where medical science interacts with these teams to support the business.
- Develop and manage Medical Science cost centre budgets according to financial timelines and achieve financial targets
- Ensure own and team’s compliance with AstraZeneca’s Code of Conduct and company policies and procedures

**Qualifications**:

- MD preferred and/or Ph.D, with Cardiovascular, Diabetes and Nephrology experience preferred
- At least 5+ years of effective Medical Affairs experience in the pharmaceutical industry, preferably including at least 5 years in oncology
- Demonstrated track record of leadership success and experience in managing a hard-working team with good examples of cross functional effectiveness and impact
- Strong communication skills and positive interpersonal skills with the ability to inspire, mentor, and develop others
- Clinical development experience and understanding of drug development
- Ability to work effectively with cross-functional teams including development, marketing, health outcomes and access team.