Associate Director, Scientific Innovation

Department: Scientific Innovation (SI)

Associate Director, Scientific Innovation

Reports to: Vice President, Scientific Innovation

The Associate Director, Scientific Innovation(SI) is critical to the overall organizational client experience, as they are the scientific lead for internal and client teams. Their ability to plan, develop, and strategically create scientific content in a compelling manner consistent with the end audience, is key to their success. This position is responsible for collaborating with internal team leads and supporting and mentoring members of the SI team. They must be able to proactively assist clients with new strategy direction and lead business development from a scientific perspective. 

Candidate must have experience in a medical communications agency and expertise in oncology to be considered for the position.

Essential Functions:

• Create and support scientifically sound, clinically relevant, and strategically positioned content to meet client needs 
• Strategically evaluate and provide insight on drugs, disease states, and the market.
• Lead multiple projects with groups of SI teammates to produce quality deliverables
• Oversee and mentor work performed by other SI team members, including research into targeted disease states and products, and production of scientific on message content
• Maintain medical, legal, and regulatory expertise and support others in achieving it
• Initiate, maintain, and expand client relationships and business opportunities based on scientific knowledge, strategic expertise, and company experience 
• Support, lead, and mentor internal client focused cross-functional teams scientifically and strategically 
• Develop relationships with external experts and strategic partner organizations as needed to support business vision 
• Master relationships with faculty advisors through collaborations on publications, advisory boards and speaker training initiatives
• Support business development efforts through leveraging strategic understanding of client products and disease states

• Support other team members in literature reviews and searches, fact checking and writing reports and summaries from notes, when needed

• Support FORCE as a content and strategy expert to influence and reinforce the corporate vision and direction

Competencies

To be successful in a career position, an individual must not only be able to perform the essential functions of the job, but also excel at them in a competent manner. The following are essential to success:

• Exemplification of FORCE attributes: These attributes include passion for success, dedication, accountability, inquisitiveness, adaptability, professionalism, approachability, sound judgment, ethical work with integrity, helpful team approach, and ability to build strong working relationships and a positive work environment
• Exceptional Operational Excellence: These skills include the ability to multitask, to be organized, to manage your time and meet deadlines, understand and follow process, produce high quality deliverables, and align with the direction of the client and organization.
• Superior communication skills: These skills include speaking and writing clearly and effectively, balancing both listening and talking in conversations and meetings, being resilient in difficult situations, and giving and receiving feedback for continuous improvement
• Expert interpersonal and teaming skills: These skills include being collaborative, promoting the project objectives, working through conflicts by encouraging open communication, respecting all clients and colleagues, understanding one’s role on the team, and exceeding expectations
• Outstanding client focus: This focus includes anticipation of client needs, a sense of urgency, and a focus on results to ensure the highest quality of services
• Advanced Business Acumen: This competency focuses on understanding the business environment in which we operate, specifically having pharma industry knowledge and adhering to the laws, rules and regulations that apply.
• Excellent Leadership: The ability to lead people toward meeting goals and objectives is a key component of this competency. Inherent for this role is the mentoring/coaching of team members and appropriately delegating to balance work flow and development

Education and/or Experience:

Advanced degree (PhD) in science or clinical degree (MD, RN, RPh, PharmD) or significant relevant experience to compensate for lack of doctorate. Must have experience in medical writing in an agency setting and have oncology experience. Client interaction and customer service is a mandatory part of this role. Experience in business development, mentoring other writers, leading client focused teams, and client partnering is a must. FDA and other regulatory guidelines expertise is required.