Director, Scientific Strategy, Medical Affairs

Overview

Uniphar BESTMSLs is partnering with an innovative pharmaceutical company to identify a Director, Scientific Strategy, Medical Affairs. This individual will develop, build, and execute the company's medical strategy as it prepares for a future U.S. launch in smoking cessation and advances development efforts within nicotine dependence. Reporting to the Head of Medical Affairs, this is a hands-on leadership role designed for a leader who thrives in an entrepreneurial environment, is energized by building from scratch, and is comfortable operating across strategy, execution, and scientific engagement.

The Director, Scientific Strategy will architect the company's scientific platform and narrative, own the approach and sequencing of medical content, and ensure consistent, non-promotional scientific engagement with healthcare providers across all channels. This role will provide strategic direction and scientific oversight across advisory activities, medical education, scientific communications, field medical enablement, MLR governance, and dissemination partnerships, ensuring scientific accuracy and narrative consistency as the organization scales toward launch. All activities will be conducted with the highest standards of compliance, integrity, and ethical responsibility.

The ideal candidate brings an agency-side or pharma-side medical strategy background, with strong expertise in FDA scientific compliance, multichannel dissemination experience, relevant therapy area experience, and a demonstrated ability to align cross-functional stakeholders around a consistent, scientifically accurate narrative.

Responsibilities

Scientific Strategy & Advisory Leadership

• Serve as the scientific affairs expert for the product and therapy area, overseeing the scientific advisory council across primary care and adjacent indications and liaising directly with KOLs.
• Own the scientific platform and narrative, ensuring consistency across all internal and external workstreams.

Dissemination & HCP Engagement

• Own the strategy for how the company's scientific and educational content reaches healthcare providers across all channels, leading execution of dissemination partnerships and supporting conference engagement strategy.
• Ensure HCP-facing clinical tools and institutional materials are scientifically accurate and consistent with the broader narrative, partnering with the Medical Education Lead on tool development.

Medical Education & Content Development

• Define the strategic roadmap and prioritization for medical education materials, partnering with the Medical Education Lead to align education plans and execution with launch timelines, audience needs, and the broader scientific platform.
• Tailor scientific content according to roles, such as primary care providers (MD, NP, PA), and KOLs across adjacent therapeutic indications, including but not limited to oncology, cardiology, perioperative care, and pulmonology.
• Direct the conceptualization, strategic framework, and scientific review of core Medical Affairs materials, including scientific narrative documents, mechanistic visual concepts, and medical information response frameworks.
• Contribute to internal training content and support development of external field medical materials.

Compliance & Quality Review

• Review materials through MLR to ensure scientifically accurate, compliant content prior to release.
• Conduct all activities as non-promotional scientific engagement and support broader compliance initiatives as a leader, including SOP development.

Qualifications

• PharmD, MD, or PhD in a relevant scientific discipline preferred; candidates with a master's degree and substantial medical leadership experience will be considered.
• 7+ years in Medical Affairs within a pharmaceutical, biotechnology, or agency environment.
• Agency-side or pharma-side medical strategy background strongly preferred (e.g., medical communications agency, Medical Affairs, or scientific/commercial strategy role).
• Experience leading medical education content strategy or scientific communications.
• Strong expertise in FDA scientific compliance, with demonstrated experience ensuring content meets regulatory standards for accuracy and fair balance.
• Experience developing or directing multichannel scientific dissemination strategies, including work with external partners.
• Experience serving as a scientific reviewer or approver within an MLR process.
• Experience in smoking cessation, nicotine dependence, or an adjacent therapeutic area preferred.

Specific Skills and Competencies

• Strong scientific communication skills, with the ability to translate complex data into clear, accurate messaging.
• Strong sequencing and prioritization skills, able to match content development to launch timelines.
• Detail-focused, with no tolerance for scientific overclaiming or imprecision.
• Collaborative partner who works effectively across Medical Affairs leadership and cross-functionally.
• Organized and proactive, able to operate autonomously in a fast-moving, pre-launch environment with evolving priorities.
• A builder energized by ambiguity and early-stage environments, with the drive to shape something from the ground up.
• Comfortable setting priorities, establishing strategic guardrails, and providing scientific oversight across multiple workstreams while partnering with dedicated functional leads who own day-to-day execution.

EEO & EMPLOYMENT ELIGIBILITYOur client is an Equal Opportunity Employer and is committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.