Medical Affairs Director, Italy

Santhera Pharmaceuticals is a Swiss specialty pharmaceutical company focused on medical science and the development and commercialization of innovative pharmaceutical products for the treatment of rare neuromuscular diseases with high unmet medical need.

Come and join our team to contribute to providing treatment options for patients with rare diseases that severely impact the lives of affected children and adults. You can make a difference as:

Medical Affairs Director, Italy

Scope of Work

The Medical Affairs Director, Italy reports directly to the General Manager of Italy, with a dotted line to the Head of Medical Affairs EU & ROW. This role is part of the Italian management team and collaborates closely with all other functions based in Italy, as well as affiliated functions such as Clinical Development, Medical Affairs, Marketing, Commercial, Market Access, and others. The overall scope of the role includes:

• Providing effective strategic, scientific, and medical leadership
• Line management of the medical team (when in place)
• Developing and leading the implementation of effective and aligned Italy Medical Affairs plans
• Engaging with scientific leaders in relevant therapy areas to raise awareness, provide relevant information, and foster scientific exchanges
• Demonstrating effective collaboration and sharing best practices between Italy, other countries, and HQ

Key Responsibilities

Recruit, develop, and maintain a high-performing medical affairs team as needed. Identify strategic medical activities to support company goals. Align Italy Medical Affairs and publication plans with global plans. Plan and deliver effective and aligned medical communications, congress, and educational plans. Deliver tactics on budget and on time. Develop, oversee, and implement Italy scientific/clinical leaders and KOL development plans. Support local patient advocacy group engagement in coordination with the Patient Advocacy Group Programme Manager and HQ. Support market access projects related to local value and reimbursement dossiers and relevant medical practices. Contribute to and support HQ-led Medical Affairs projects such as product/therapy training platforms, local events, and congresses. Ensure adherence to Santhera SOPs and Italy compliance codes of practice, developing local SOPs as necessary. Act as Italian compliance champion, applying knowledge of country codes to optimize activities. Ensure effective collaboration between Santhera medical affairs and commercial teams. Collaborate on high-priority EU/global projects. Comply with all relevant SOPs. Deliver timely and compliant review and approval of marketing and medical materials. Act as the senior medical representative at global projects.

Required Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in a scientific field; licensed Doctor (MD), Pharmacist (PharmD), or equivalent advanced scientific degree
• Minimum of 10 years’ proven experience in medical affairs, especially in product launches and lifecycle management, with in-depth knowledge of regulatory and compliance requirements in Italy
• Experience in rare diseases, R&D, or clinical work within hospitals or patient associations preferred
• Experience in neuromuscular diseases or related therapeutic areas preferred, with familiarity with clinical trial methodologies
• Prior team leadership and management experience
• Willingness to travel up to 50% as required

Required Competencies & Skills

• Ability to build and maintain strong relationships with key opinion leaders, healthcare professionals, and internal stakeholders
• Excellent planning and organizational skills
• Strong strategic vision with a business focus; ability to switch between detailed analysis and strategic thinking
• Proactive, results-oriented, and capable of driving initiatives to success
• Native Italian speaker with excellent written and verbal communication and presentation skills
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a dynamic, fast-paced matrix environment
• Resilient, perseverant, and capable of navigating ambiguity and making sound decisions
• Adaptable, open-minded, solutions-oriented, and creative

If you are interested in a multicultural, challenging, and innovative working environment and your profile matches our requirements, we look forward to receiving your online application in English via LinkedIn or email.

Note for agencies: Recruitment agencies are kindly requested to refrain from sending unsolicited CVs to Santhera.

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