Director, Scientific Services (Canada) Prime · Toronto, Canada Full-time · On-site — 4 hours ago

Emploive; Toronto; Hybrid; CAD 150,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

Prime is seeking a Director, Scientific Services in Toronto to provide senior scientific and strategic leadership across our business unit. You will lead high-performing scientific teams to deliver compliant, high-quality medical communications aligned with client objectives and Prime standards.

Working with the Client Services Director, you will share accountability for financial performance, forecasting, and resource optimization.

Qualifications

• Minimum 10 years in healthcare agency senior roles.
• Life sciences degree; higher degree preferred (Masters/PhD/MD).
• Proven track record leading scientific/editorial teams in medical communications.
• Extensive medical writing and scientific leadership across projects/therapeutic areas.
• Commercial and financial awareness; forecasting and resource planning experience.
• Strong leadership, motivation, and client relationship skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication; confident client presenter.
• Exceptional organizational skills; ability to manage multiple priorities and tight deadlines.
• Awareness of AI and omnichannel approaches in medical communications.

Responsibilities

• Act as strategic advisor to clients, shaping communication strategies and partnerships.
• Identify opportunities for growth; shape proposals and pitches; integrate AI/omnichannel approaches.
• Understand client strategy; lead planning discussions adding measurable value.
• Promote compliance; audit SOPs and industry regulations.
• Collaborate with client services to optimize resources, workflows, and quality.
• Provide scientific oversight of progress; escalate risks as needed.
• Provide senior review of scientific content, messaging, and data interpretation.
• Contribute scientific input to creative concepts and final materials.

Skills

Leadership

Strategic thinking

Client relations

Medical writing leadership

Forecasting

Resource planning

Communication

Team development

Education

Life sciences degree

Masters/PhD/MD preferred

Job description

Accelerating Life-Changing Solutions to Global Healthcare Challenges is the vision that unites us through a shared sense of purpose, whatever the role.

It speaks to the significant challenges that exist within global healthcare, and how we, as one team, can help to deliver better solutions and outcomes for our partners and for patients everywhere, sooner. Your job description outlines the important role and responsibilities that you own in achieving this vision.

Importantly too is how we go about living our vision. This is defined by the Prime mission:

Through a pioneering fusion of the finest expertise in science, strategy, evidence, technology and creativity we deliver the world-class outcomes that our global partners trust to achieve their goals.

It speaks to collaboration and to everyone’s responsibility to bring together the diverse expertise that exist across our team to deliver world-class outcomes.

On this foundation, we have defined four core values, these represent the shared principles that guide our behaviours every day, whatever your role:

Be Brave, Be Human, Be Passionate, Be Exceptional.

At Prime these values are integral to who we are. They are there to guide you in your role and support you on your personal journey to success. They shape our culture and support us in achieving our vision together, as one global team.

The role

Our Director, Scientific Services provides senior scientific and strategic leadership across the business unit, driving excellence in scientific delivery, operational performance, and business growth. They lead and develop high-performing scientific teams to deliver high-quality, compliant, and strategically aligned medical communications that exceed client objectives and uphold Prime's standards.

While working in close partnership with the Client Services Director (CSD) to align scientific excellence with business strategy, they share accountability for financial performance, forecasting, and resource optimization. This is a highly visible leadership role requiring strong scientific expertise, commercial acumen, and the ability to lead teams, influence stakeholders, and drive performance and growth across the business.

Key Responsibilities:

• - Acting as a strategic advisor to clients, shaping communication strategies, challenging thinking, and strengthening long-term partnerships.
• - Playing a key role in business growth and innovation, shaping proposals and pitches, identifying new opportunities, and integrating forward‑thinking approaches, including AI and omnichannel solutions, into client strategies.
• - Demonstrating in‑depth understanding of client strategy, challenge client thinking, and lead planning discussions that add measurable value.
• - Promoting compliance standards, performing audits to ensure Prime and client SOPs, as well as industry regulations, are consistently met.
• - Collaborating with client services leads to optimize resources, workflows, and processes, ensuring clear communication, seamless operations, and consistent quality standards.
• - Providing scientific oversight of project progress and risks and supporting account leads in identifying potential challenges, ensuring timely escalation where required.
• - Providing senior review and guidance on scientific content, messaging, and data interpretation.
• - Contributing scientific input to creative concepts and designs, approving final materials for production or submission.
• - Partnering with the CSD to support financial planning and forecasting for the business unit, providing scientific input to ensure accuracy across short-, medium- and long‑term forecasts in line with RAGP definition.
• - Supporting the CSD in delivering and driving sustained business in line with business unit goals, partnering with VP, and BD colleagues.
• - Championing team engagement, motivation, and a positive culture across the business unit.
• - Modelling effective people management, including regular 1:1s, mentoring, clear development, goal setting, and performance reviews.

Requirements

• - Minimum 10 years' healthcare agency experience in senior roles
• - A life sciences degree, ideally combined with a higher degree (science Masters, PhD, or MD).
• - Proven track record in leading and developing scientific/editorial teams within a medical communications agency.
• - Extensive medical writing and scientific leadership experience across a broad range of projects and therapeutic areas.
• - Demonstrated commercial and financial awareness, including experience contributing to forecasting, resource planning, and business performance.
• - Strong leadership and motivational skills.
• - Experience building and maintaining senior client relationships, including leading strategic discussions and identifying growth opportunities.
• - Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with confidence presenting to clients.
• - Strong organisational skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and deliver to tight deadlines.
• - Awareness of innovation in medical communications, including AI and omnichannel approaches.