Medical Science Liaison - V&I

Role Overview

Medical Science Liaison – Vaccine & Immune Therapy at AstraZeneca, based in Saudi Arabia. This is a field-based Medical Affairs role requiring travel across assigned territories to engage with healthcare professionals, external experts, institutions, and vaccination-related stakeholders.

Company Overview

AstraZeneca is a global, science-led, patient-focused biopharmaceutical company that focuses on the discovery, development, and commercialisation of prescription medicines for some of the world's most serious diseases. AstraZeneca is experiencing significant transformation in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, driven by a commitment to advancing healthcare, innovation, and sustainable growth. The organization is investing in talent, digital solutions, and new ways of working to enhance impact on patient outcomes and reinforce leadership in therapeutic areas.

Role Purpose

The Medical Science Liaison possesses extensive scientific expertise in the respective therapeutic area and engages in scientific discussions and presentations with Key External Experts about the disease area and clinical data in a non-promotional context. The role is accountable for generating actionable insights from Key External Experts and communicating these to the brand team to shape Medical and Brand strategy. The role works extensively with external stakeholders to forge strong relations and foster scientific and strategic partnerships within major hospitals, institutions, authorities, and non-traditional stakeholders across the assigned territory in Saudi Arabia.

Key Responsibilities

Stakeholder Engagement & Advocacy

• Identify, prioritize, and expand Key External Experts to include non-traditional stakeholders such as policy and decision makers, payer groups, government, and researchers based on scientific and clinical expertise and practice change influence within specific hospitals, institutions, and authorities.
• Engage in robust scientific discussions and medical advancements in a balanced, objective, and accurate way with Key External Experts.
• Identify and prioritize accounts based on patient care pathway and map the multidisciplinary team and maturity.
• Provide AstraZeneca with an understanding of the local medical community, clinical practice trends, healthcare provider insights, and real or perceived gaps in current scientific knowledge, patient journey, and disease management.
• Foster scientific partnerships with Key External Experts to help advance disease understanding and achieve evidence-based changes in medical practice consistent with Medical Affairs strategy and objectives.

Scientific Program Development & Delivery

• Interact in the field with the medical community in the context of various medical projects such as clinical trials, Non-Interventional Studies, and Investigator Sponsored Studies.
• Identify potential speakers and train speakers as appropriate for local events.
• Provide recommendations for advisory board and round table discussion participants and serve as faculty or facilitators for advisory board meetings.
• Present scientific data to healthcare providers in both group settings through medically-led meetings and one-on-one interactions.
• Facilitate continuing medical education events for healthcare providers.
• Support evidence generation in the region aligned with the medical strategy of disease area and product.
• Collect and share actionable insights that enhance the value and appropriate use of AstraZeneca products and disease management to internal stakeholders.
• Build and implement scientific programs to address unmet medical needs in priority disease areas.

Strategic Planning & Healthcare System Engagement

• Engage in strategic planning meetings and medical-scientific presentations with medication access stakeholders, institutional decision makers, and other external stakeholders to drive better clinical decisions and enhance medication accessibility within assigned hospitals or institutions.
• Organize and facilitate scientific events at healthcare institutions and their multidisciplinary teams related to the therapeutic area to ensure a holistic approach to patient care.
• Embed comprehensive healthcare system and patient experience understanding in prioritized hospitals and institutions to transform care and improve patient outcomes.

Internal Knowledge & Training

• Demonstrate expertise and knowledge of AstraZeneca products, emerging therapies, competitors, patient and treatment trends, clinical trials, and scientific activities within the disease area.
• Continuously update expertise and knowledge of the therapeutic area.
• Provide AstraZeneca internal stakeholders with an understanding of the local medical community, clinical practice, trends, and real or perceived gaps in current scientific knowledge and medical treatment options and guidelines through periodic therapeutic area and product trainings.
• Provide scientific support at AstraZeneca-sponsored educational events.
• Act as scientific expert in priority disease area for internal stakeholders.

Medical Information & Launch Support

• Respond to unsolicited requests for information about unapproved AstraZeneca products or unapproved uses of approved products, presenting such information in an objective, well-balanced, substantiated manner that is scientific in tone and content, free of promotional messages, truthful, and not misleading.
• Demonstrate appropriate response and document the provision of accurate, scientific data in response to unsolicited scientific questions posed by healthcare providers in accordance with Company Policies and applicable laws, regulations, and ethical standards.
• Plan and execute regional medical activities during product launch processes.

Qualifications & Experience

• Minimum 2 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry.
• Bachelor's degree in Medicine, Pharmacy, Pharmacology, or Biomedical Sciences.
• Experience with the healthcare environment, including opinion leaders, the medical community, and related dynamics in Saudi Arabia is required.
• An established track record of driving clinical practice shaping and impactful stakeholder mobilization.
• A postgraduate degree would be an advantage.
• Established track record of basic or clinical research is desirable.

Skills & Competencies

• Demonstrated agility to learn, acquire scientific narratives, and manage ambiguity.
• Demonstrated expertise in efficiently communicating scientific data at a peer level with healthcare providers.
• Advanced communication skills, both oral and written, necessary to deliver comprehensive presentations and facilitate discussions with small and large groups of healthcare providers and internal stakeholders in English.
• Ability to work in matrix multicultural organizations and collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams.
• Excellent problem-solving ability in addition to solid negotiation skills.
• Ability to demonstrate good business judgment.
• High sense of urgency and commitment to excellence in achieving objectives.
• Excellent planning and organizational skills to demonstrate leadership and ability to work in a self-directed manner.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications including Excel, Word, and PowerPoint.
• Demonstrated business acumen and track record of end-to-end project management is desirable.
• Experience in immunology therapy area, including stakeholder engagement and disease-area strategy, is desirable.
• Full understanding of the medical role in driving innovative value strategies and supporting patient access to evidence-based treatment is desirable.

Additional Information

• This is a field-based role requiring travel across assigned territories in Saudi Arabia.
• Only applications from candidates based in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will be considered.
• AstraZeneca embraces diversity and equality of opportunity and is committed to building an inclusive and diverse team representing all backgrounds with a wide range of perspectives.
• The company welcomes and considers applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of their characteristics, and complies with all applicable laws and regulations on non-discrimination in employment and recruitment, as well as work authorization and employment eligibility verification requirements.