Medical Affairs Associate Director, CEEMEA

Baxter; United Arab Emirates; On-site; AED 200,000 - 300,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading healthcare company in the United Arab Emirates seeks a Senior Medical Affairs leader to define and execute regional strategy. The role demands over 15 years of experience, including a strong focus on medical governance and cross-functional partnerships. Candidates should possess an MD with specialty training, excellent leadership skills, and fluency in English. This position offers a unique opportunity to make a significant impact across multiple markets within a highly regarded organization.

Qualifications

• 15+ years total professional experience, including minimum 10 years clinical, regulatory, or scientific experience.
• 8+ years Medical Affairs experience in pharma/biotech/medical devices.
• Fluent English is mandatory.

Responsibilities

• Owns and drives the regional Medical Affairs strategy aligned with Global Business Units.
• Provides medical leadership and strategic direction across multiple countries.
• Ensures highest standards of medical governance, ethics, and compliance.

Skills

Leadership & Collaboration

Communication & Strategy Delivery

Business, Analytical & Scientific Expertise

Operational Excellence & Compliance

Education

MD with specialty training

Job description

Overview

This is whereyour work makes a difference.

At Baxter, we believe every person—regardless of who they are or where they are from—deserves a chance to live a healthy life. It was our founding belief in 1931 and continues to be our guiding principle. We are redefining healthcare delivery to make a greater impact today, tomorrow, and beyond.

Our Baxter colleagues are united by our Mission to Save and Sustain Lives. Together, our community is driven by a culture of courage, trust, and collaboration. Every individual is empowered to take ownership and make a meaningful impact. We strive for efficient and effective operations, and we hold each other accountable for delivering exceptional results.

Here, you will find more than just a job—you will find purpose and pride.

Summary

The role is responsible for defining, shaping, and executing Medical Affairs strategy across the assigned cluster (CEEMEA).

The role ensures optimal clinical value, scientific credibility, and medical governance of Baxter’s current and future portfolio by driving strategic medical planning, external scientific leadership, cross-functional alignment, and people development, while ensuring full compliance with global and local regulations.

This position represents the senior medical authority at regional level, acting as a strategic partner to Commercial, Market Access, Regulatory, PV.

Essential duties and responsibilities

Strategic Medical Leadership

• Owns and drives the regional Medical Affairs strategy aligned with Global Business Units (GBUs) and Regional leadership priorities.
• Provides medical leadership and strategic direction across multiple countries, therapeutic areas, and business units.
• Acts as the senior medical decision-maker for regional medical initiatives, investments, and prioritization.

Portfolio & Evidence Strategy

• Leads regional evidence generation strategy, including clinical, real-world, HEOR, and non-clinical projects to support access, differentiation, and lifecycle management.
• Oversees the scientific positioning of Baxter’s portfolio, ensuring consistency, credibility, and competitive differentiation across markets.
• Provides expert medical input into pipeline, launch readiness, and post-marketing strategies.

External Scientific Leadership

• Establishes and maintains high-level relationships with regional and international KOLs, scientific societies, advisory boards, and key institutions.
• Represents Baxter as a recognized scientific and medical leader in regional congresses, advisory boards, and external forums.
• Oversees advisory boards, investigator meetings, and key scientific engagements at regional level.

Cross-Functional Partnership

• Serves as a strategic medical partner to Commercial, Market Access, Regulatory Affairs, Pharmacovigilance, and Market Companies.
• Ensures medical input into strategic brand planning, medico-marketing activities, and market access initiatives, while safeguarding compliance.
• Acts as the regional medical interface with Global Medical Affairs and cross-regional teams.

Governance, Compliance & Risk Management

• Ensures highest standards of medical governance, ethics, and compliance across all regional Medical Affairs activities.
• Provides final medical sign-off on promotional and non-promotional materials, medical initiatives, and scientific communications.
• Ensures compliance with local regulations, global SOPs, codes of practice, and data protection requirements.

People Leadership & Capability Building

• Leads, mentors, and develops Medical Managers and Medical Advisors across the region.
• Builds a high-performing Medical Affairs organization, fostering scientific excellence, accountability, and continuous development.
• Supports succession planning and talent development within Medical Affairs.

Budget & Operational Responsibility

• Owns and manages the regional Medical Affairs budget, ensuring efficient allocation of resources and ROI-driven planning.
• Oversees regional medical operations, prioritization of initiatives, and performance tracking.

Education/Experience

• MD required with specialty training in functional area.
• 15+ years total professional experience, including:

- Minimum 10 years clinical, regulatory, or scientific experience

- 8+ years Medical Affairs experience in pharma/biotech/medical devices

- Demonstrated regional or global leadership experience strongly preferred

- Proven experience in strategic Medical Affairs leadership across multiple markets

• Fluent English is mandatory
• Leadership & Collaboration: Proven people management, strategic operational oversight, and a strong team-player mindset—coaching, sharing knowledge, and building effective business relationships.
• Communication & Strategy Delivery: Clear, concise written and verbal communication; ability to define and deliver service strategies with accuracy, professionalism, and customer focus.
• Business, Analytical & Scientific Expertise: Strong business acumen, analytical thinking, and scientific insight to evaluate diverse clinical/biomedical information, apply sound judgment, manage risk, and interpret commercially sensitive data.
• Operational Excellence & Compliance: Organized, methodical approach to problem-solving, project scoping, and priority management, combined with adherence to Codes of Practice, internal policies, ethical standards, copyright law, and data protection regulations.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Baxter is an equal opportunity employer. Baxter evaluates qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, protected veteran status, disability/handicap status or any other legally protected characteristic.

Reasonable Accommodations

Baxter is committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities globally. If, because of a medical condition or disability, you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or interview process, please click on the link here and let us know the nature of your request along with your contact information.

Recruitment Fraud Notice

Baxter has discovered incidents of employment scams, where fraudulent parties pose as Baxter employees, recruiters, or other agents, and engage with online job seekers in an attempt to steal personal and/or financial information. To learn how you can protect yourself, review our Recruitment Fraud Notice.