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 have a severe impact on 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; developing and leading implementation of Italy Medical Affairs plans; engaging with scientific leaders; and sharing best practices across regions.

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 strategies.
• Plan and deliver effective medical communications, congresses, and educational initiatives.
• Manage budgets and timelines effectively.
• Support local patient advocacy engagement and market access projects.
• Contribute to HQ-led projects and ensure compliance with SOPs and codes of practice.
• 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, particularly in product launches and lifecycle management.
• In-depth knowledge of regulatory and compliance requirements in Italy.
• Experience in rare diseases, R&D, or clinical work preferred.
• Experience in neuromuscular diseases or related areas preferred.
• Leadership experience with team management responsibilities.
• Willingness to travel up to 50% as required.

Required Competencies & Skills

• Ability to build and maintain relationships with key opinion leaders and stakeholders.
• Excellent planning and organizational skills.
• Strong strategic vision with a business focus.
• Ability to balance detailed analytical work with strategic thinking.
• Proactive, results-oriented, and capable of driving initiatives.
• Native Italian speaker with outstanding communication skills.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a dynamic environment.
• Resilient, adaptable, and solutions-oriented.

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 at.

Note for agencies :

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

J-18808-Ljbffr