Regional Medical Affairs Excellence Lead in London

The Regional Medical Affairs Excellence Lead (Europe) provides strategic and operational leadership to shape and advance Medical Affairs excellence across the region. The role drives the evolution of Medical Affairs of the Future through an operational lens embedding agile, fit‑for‑purpose ways of working, strengthening governance and performance management, and ensuring the organisation is aligned to inline and pipeline priorities. Through close partnership with senior Medical and cross‑functional leaders, the role enables effective execution of regional priorities, accelerates delivery, and ensures sustained, compliant impact in support of the CPO vision and objectives.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic and operational support across Region Europe, enabling effective delivery of medical priorities, performance improvement, and transformation objectives.
• Provide thought‑leadership and partnership on “Medical Affairs of the Future” through an operational excellence lens, shaping and embedding fit‑for‑purpose ways of working, governance, and operating model improvements that increase medical impact.
• Maintain up‑to‑date knowledge of Europe inline and pipeline priorities and translate this into operational implications to enable effective regional delivery across the asset lifecycle.
• Embed agile principles to accelerate delivery of priorities enabling rapid prioritisation, iterative delivery, and continuous improvement across cross‑functional stakeholders while maintaining high‑quality, compliant execution.
• Lead and deliver strategically critical regional initiatives in partnership with the Regional Centralised Medical Operations Head focused on improving operational effectiveness, driving performance, and delivering meaningful value to stakeholders.
• Provide hands‑on operational and problem‑solving support to EMLT, enabling effective execution of regional priorities and resolution of complex operational challenges.
• Build and maintain strong partnerships across Region Europe—including LOC Medical and operations leads—and with cross‑functional teams (Digital & Technology, Capabilities, Commercial, and others) to enable aligned operational delivery and business success.
• Define, analyse, and interpret regional performance metrics to support data‑driven decision‑making, identify improvement opportunities, and continuously enhance Medical operational performance.
• Monitor emerging trends, external benchmarks, and best practices in Medical Affairs excellence to inform regional priorities and continuous improvement.

Basic Qualifications & Skills

• BSc degree / advanced degree in life sciences, business, or related field.
• Significant experience within Medical Affairs or closely related pharmaceutical functions, with exposure to regional or global operating models.
• Demonstrated track record of leading complex initiatives, driving change, and delivering results in a matrixed organisation.
• Strong project and programme management experience, including resource planning, budget oversight, and delivery against timelines.
• Solid understanding of medical governance, risk management, and compliance requirements within a regulated pharmaceutical environment.
• Proven experience defining and using performance metrics to inform decisions and drive continuous improvement.
• Hands‑on experience improving processes, systems, or ways of working, supported by formal or practical exposure to continuous improvement methodologies (e.g. ADP, Lean, Agile).

Preferred Qualifications & Skills

• PhD in a life sciences discipline / MBA qualification.
• Proven ability to lead and influence across complex matrix teams, engaging senior stakeholders across Medical, Digital & Technology, Capabilities, Commercial, and Operations.
• Strong business leadership mindset with the ability to orchestrate multiple initiatives, balance competing priorities, and act with pace and accountability.
• Excellent organisational and prioritisation skills, enabling consistent delivery of high‑impact work in a fast‑moving regional environment.
• Highly credible and trusted partner, operating with integrity, precision, and attention to detail.
• Strong analytical and problem‑solving capability, with the ability to leverage digital, data, and analytics insights to inform decision‑making, drive performance management, and enable continuous improvement.
• Experience managing external partners or vendors, including financial and contractual discussions.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to engage effectively at all levels, including senior leadership, regional teams, and external stakeholders.