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Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for a Medical Manager

💰 $150,000 - $220,000

Medical AffairsPharmaceuticalBiotechnologyHealthcare

🎯 Role Definition

The Medical Manager serves as the primary medical and scientific authority for a designated therapeutic area or product portfolio within the organization. This pivotal role bridges the gap between clinical development and commercial strategy, ensuring all activities are grounded in robust scientific evidence and address unmet medical needs. Acting as a key scientific expert, the Medical Manager translates complex clinical data into meaningful insights for both internal and external stakeholders, shapes the medical strategy, and upholds the highest standards of ethical and regulatory compliance. This position is fundamental to establishing the company's scientific credibility and driving the successful lifecycle management of its products.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • Medical Science Liaison (MSL)
  • Clinical Research Associate / Scientist
  • Medical Advisor
  • Physician or Pharmacist with relevant clinical/academic experience

Advancement To:

  • Senior Medical Manager / Associate Medical Director
  • Medical Director
  • Head of Medical Affairs (Therapeutic Area)
  • Country Medical Director

Lateral Moves:

  • Clinical Development Manager
  • Health Economics and Outcomes Research (HEOR) Manager
  • Regulatory Affairs Manager

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Develop and execute the local or regional Medical Affairs plan for a specific therapeutic area or product, ensuring tight alignment with global strategy and local business objectives.
  • Strategically identify, develop, and maintain strong, collaborative relationships with key opinion leaders (KOLs), medical experts, and academic institutions to gain insights and support medical-scientific initiatives.
  • Act as the leading internal scientific expert, providing in-depth medical and clinical knowledge regarding the therapeutic area, product data, and competitor landscape to cross-functional teams including Marketing, Sales, and Market Access.
  • Lead the design, implementation, and oversight of local post-marketing clinical studies, investigator-initiated studies (IIS), and non-interventional studies to generate relevant local data.
  • Provide rigorous medical and scientific review and approval of promotional and non-promotional materials to ensure accuracy, fairness, balance, and compliance with company policies and local regulatory codes.
  • Develop and deliver high-quality scientific and medical training programs for internal teams, particularly for the sales force and MSL teams, to enhance their product knowledge and scientific communication skills.
  • Organize and lead medical and scientific events such as advisory boards, expert meetings, and symposia to gather expert input, disseminate key data, and foster scientific exchange.
  • Respond to and manage unsolicited medical information requests from healthcare professionals in a timely, accurate, and scientifically balanced manner.
  • Collaborate with the Health Economics and Outcomes Research (HEOR) team to develop and communicate the product's value proposition to payers and reimbursement bodies.
  • Maintain a comprehensive and current understanding of the clinical literature, treatment guidelines, and emerging scientific trends within the assigned therapeutic area.
  • Serve as the medical representative in cross-functional brand teams, contributing scientific and clinical expertise to the development and execution of the integrated brand strategy.
  • Support regulatory and pharmacovigilance activities by providing medical input on safety signals, risk management plans, and interactions with health authorities.

Secondary Functions

  • Contribute to the development of publication plans and provide scientific review of manuscripts, abstracts, and poster presentations.
  • Support market access colleagues by providing clinical input for reimbursement dossiers and participating in meetings with HTA bodies and payers.
  • Manage the budget for medical affairs activities, ensuring efficient allocation of resources and tracking of expenditures against the approved plan.
  • Act as a key liaison with global medical affairs teams to ensure bi-directional communication and alignment on strategy, data generation, and communication efforts.
  • Evaluate and provide medical/scientific due diligence for potential new products or business development opportunities within the therapeutic area.
  • Foster a culture of compliance and scientific excellence within the organization, serving as a role model for ethical conduct.
  • Develop and manage relationships with professional medical societies and patient advocacy groups to understand their needs and collaborate on shared goals.
  • Support crisis management situations (e.g., product recalls, significant safety issues) by providing clear, evidence-based medical guidance and communication.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • Medical/Scientific Expertise: Deep knowledge of a specific therapeutic area, clinical medicine, and pharmacology.
  • Clinical Trial Interpretation: Strong ability to critically evaluate and interpret complex clinical trial data and scientific literature.
  • Medical Writing & Communication: Proficiency in creating and reviewing scientific materials, publications, and presentations.
  • Regulatory & Compliance Knowledge: Thorough understanding of local and international regulations, codes of practice (e.g., PhRMA, EFPIA), and SOPs governing medical affairs and promotional activities.
  • Pharmacovigilance Principles: Solid understanding of drug safety, risk management, and adverse event reporting processes.
  • Data Generation Methodologies: Knowledge of study design, statistics, and methodologies for clinical trials and real-world evidence (RWE) generation.

Soft Skills

  • Strategic Thinking: Ability to integrate scientific knowledge with business acumen to develop and execute effective medical strategies.
  • Communication & Presentation Skills: Excellent ability to articulate complex scientific concepts clearly and persuasively to a variety of audiences, from KOLs to commercial teams.
  • Cross-Functional Collaboration: Proven track record of working effectively in a matrix environment with teams like marketing, sales, regulatory, and legal.
  • Influence & Negotiation: Ability to influence without direct authority and build consensus among diverse stakeholders.
  • Leadership & Project Management: Strong leadership qualities with the ability to manage multiple projects, prioritize tasks, and meet deadlines.
  • Interpersonal & Networking Skills: Adept at building and maintaining professional relationships with internal and external stakeholders.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

Advanced scientific or medical degree (e.g., MD, PharmD, PhD in a relevant life science).

Preferred Education:

Medical Doctor (MD) is often highly preferred, particularly for roles with significant clinical development and external-facing responsibilities.

Relevant Fields of Study:

  • Medicine
  • Pharmacy / Pharmacology
  • Biomedical Sciences
  • Life Sciences

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

3-7 years of relevant experience in the pharmaceutical or biotechnology industry, or a strong clinical/academic background in the pertinent therapeutic area.

Preferred:

At least 2-3 years of experience within a Medical Affairs function (e.g., as a Medical Science Liaison or Medical Advisor) is highly desirable. Experience with a product launch is a significant asset.

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