Director of Medical Affairs, Vaccines & Public Health

Job Description

We’re looking for a senior medical affairs leader to head our UK Vaccines & Public Medical Affairs team – shaping national vaccination strategy, partnering with key healthcare and policy stakeholders, and ensuring patients benefit from world class prevention and treatment sooner. If you’re passionate about vaccines, public health and leading high performing teams, this role gives you the platform, remit and support to make a visible impact across the UK and Ireland.

• Lead an industry leading vaccines medical affairs team, working in close alignment with EMEAC Regional Medical Affairs and Global Vaccines teams.
• Own and deliver the Medical Affairs strategy and plans for our Vaccines & Public Health portfolio – from early pipeline through to late lifecycle, ensuring everything we do is grounded in science and patient benefit.
• Shape the external environment for vaccines and public health by building strong, trusted relationships with clinical and scientific leaders, policy makers, NHS stakeholders, payers and key advocacy groups.
• Act as the senior vaccines medical voice in the UK, representing our portfolio and perspectives at key scientific, clinical and policy meetings, and in engagement with stakeholders such as JCVI, NHSE, HSA and professional bodies.
• Operate 100% in a non-promotional capacity, ensuring the highest standards of ethics, compliance and governance in everything you and your team do.

• Lead the Vaccines & Public Health Medical Affairs team within the UK Medical Affairs Leadership Team.
• Develop and execute Medical Affairs Plans (MAPs) for each key therapy area in Vaccines & Public Health, in partnership with cross functional teams (e.g. Market Access, Commercial, Regulatory, Quality, Legal).
• Align UK medical priorities with regional (EMEAC) and global strategies, while identifying and acting on UK specific opportunities and needs.
• Map and anticipate emerging trends in UK life sciences and public health, and connect these to our strategy and MAPs.
• Maintain deep understanding of our early and late stage pipeline and partner with discovery, development, and search & evaluation teams to give UK insights early in the development cycle.
• Lead UK advice seeking activities for pipeline assets and help define their potential patient impact early.
• In close collaboration with Health Technology Assessment and Outcomes Research, oversee UK Phase 3b / 4 and real world data projects, including study operations, budgets, data generation and publication planning; influencing access & implementation.
• Partner with Market Access and Commercial colleagues to deliver horizon scanning, input to tender submissions and, where appropriate, support access programmes to enable earlier patient access.
• Bring together insights from NHS clinical practice, National Immunisation Programmes, health economics and policy to shape how vaccines and anti infectives are implemented in real world settings.
• Lead, coach & develop a high performing team.
• Set a clear vision and direction for the Vaccines Medical Affairs Directorate and inspire the team to deliver to a high standard of medical excellence.
• Build capabilities, identify and nurture talent, and address underperformance where needed.
• Champion cross functional collaboration, break down silos and foster a culture of continuous improvement.
• Ensure the team is always “audit ready” and fully aligned to UK regulatory and governance frameworks (e.g. MHRA, ABPI, GCP, PV).

• Medical degree preferred; alternatively, a Pharmacy degree or higher science degree (e.g. PhD) with significant relevant industry experience.
• Extensive experience in the pharmaceutical industry or equivalent, with significant and recent experience in Vaccines (essential).
• Strong scientific background in medical or biological sciences with a robust understanding of NHS clinical practice and the UK vaccines / public health landscape.
• Deep understanding of the UK National Health Service, National Immunisation Programmes, the UK academic and life sciences environment, and how these systems interact.
• Demonstrated ability to discuss…