Medical Affairs Director

Lundbeck; Ryde; On-site; GBP 100,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

A global pharmaceutical company is seeking a Medical Director to lead the medical strategy and drive scientific innovation for rare and CNS portfolios. The ideal candidate will possess extensive experience in Medical Affairs, strong leadership skills, and a proven ability to engage with external stakeholders. This role involves strategic decision-making, cross-functional collaboration, and ensuring patient-centric approaches in a dynamic work environment. Join the team to make a significant impact on patients with high unmet needs.

Benefits

Inspiring workplace

Development opportunities

Focus on well-being

Qualifications

• Extensive experience (8+ years) in Medical Affairs with a strong record of strategic leadership.
• Proven experience engaging with external stakeholders.
• Ability to work collaboratively across diverse teams.

Responsibilities

• Shape and execute the medical strategy for rare and CNS portfolios.
• Build and maintain strategic relationships with key external experts.
• Lead the development and execution of evidence generation plans.

Skills

Strong leadership skills

Strategic thinking

Ethical judgment and integrity

Education

Medical degree (MD, MBBS) or advanced clinical/scientific degree (PhD, PharmD)

Job description

Your new role

The Medical Director is a key leader within Lundbeck Australia. This role shapes and executes the medical strategy, drives scientific leadership, evidence generation, and cross‑functional collaboration to support the launch and lifecycle management of innovative therapies for patients with high unmet needs. The role ensures that medical insights, governance, and patient‑centric thinking are embedded across the organisation, enabling sustainable business growth and improved outcomes for patients.

Key Responsibilities and Working Relationships

Portfolio Strategy & Leadership

• Set and execute the medical strategy for rare, neuro‑rare, and CNS portfolios, including schizophrenia, mood disorders, and migraine, ensuring alignment with global and local business goals.
• Identify and prioritise opportunities for portfolio expansion, lifecycle management, and new indications.
• Act as a key member of the local leadership team, contributing to broader business strategy and decision‑making.

External Engagement & Partnerships

• Build and maintain strategic relationships with key external experts, patient advocacy groups, and partners to shape the external environment and enable appropriate patient access.
• Represent Lundbeck in high‑level scientific, regulatory, and policy forums.

Evidence Generation & Innovation

• Lead the development and execution of evidence generation plans to support product value, differentiation, and market access.
• Drive innovation in real‑world evidence, scientific exchange, and medical insights.

Cross‑Functional Impact

• Partner closely with commercial, market access, and regulatory teams to ensure medical insights inform brand strategy, launch excellence, and sustained growth.
• Provide strategic medical input into business development, licensing, and partnership opportunities.

Medical Governance & Risk Management

• Ensure robust medical governance, compliance, and risk management across all medical activities.
• Anticipate and proactively address emerging risks and opportunities within the external environment.

Working Relationships

Internal

• Global Medical Affairs: Align local strategies with global medical direction and share regional insights.
• Commercial & Market Access: Collaborate closely to support local brand strategy, grounded in a strong understanding of the patient journey.
• Regulatory Affairs: Partner to ensure compliance with TGA and Medsafe requirements.
• Pharmacovigilance: Ensure robust safety monitoring and reporting processes.

External

• Regulatory Authorities: Build strong relationships with TGA (Australia) and Medsafe (New Zealand).
• Healthcare Professionals: Engage with physicians, specialists, and other HCPs to provide scientific insights and support patient care.
• Key Opinion Leaders / Key External Experts: Drive scientific leadership, advocacy, and awareness.
• Medical Associations: Support research, education, and policy development.
• Patient Advocacy Groups: Embed patient‑centricity by understanding unmet needs.
• Research Institutions: Collaborate on clinical studies and scientific advancement.

Your future team

Your future team will be a dynamic and innovative group of professionals dedicated to driving excellence in the pharmaceutical industry. As part of the Australian leadership team, you will collaborate with talented individuals who are committed to achieving commercial growth and market expansion. You will lead the Medical team who are highly skilled, multidisciplinary medical team united by a shared commitment to scientific excellence, ethical leadership, and patient‑centric impact. The team plays a critical role in shaping the medical narrative across Lundbeck's portfolio and fostering trusted relationships with the healthcare community. Based at our North Ryde office in Sydney, together you will shape the future of Lundbeck Australia, making a significant impact on the industry and driving success through strategic initiatives and ethical business practices.

What you bring to the team

To succeed in the role, you would need to have the following qualifications:

• Extensive understanding and knowledge of healthcare laws, regulations, medical protocols, public health and neurological disorders and treatments.
• Ability to assess complex situations to determine the importance, urgency and risks and make complex decisions that are in the best interests of the department and the organisation.
• Strong leadership skills, including team orientation and ability to inspire and foster a passionate work dynamic in the department.
• Medical degree (MD, MBBS) or advanced clinical/scientific degree (PhD, PharmD).
• Extensive experience (8+ years) in Medical Affairs with a strong record of strategic leadership in CNS, rare diseases, and/or rare epilepsies such as DEEs.
• Demonstrated ability to shape and execute medical strategy at a portfolio level.
• Proven experience engaging with external stakeholders and shaping the healthcare environment.
• Strong business acumen, strategic thinking, and cross‑functional leadership skills. Willingness to travel up to 10% of time (domestic and international).
• Strong ethical judgment and integrity.
• Ability to work collaboratively across diverse teams.
• Commitment to continuous learning and improvement.

Our promise to you

Lundbeck offers an inspiring workplace and innovative culture, where our curiosity, accountability and adaptability enable us to transform lives. We want to go faster and further on addressing the big unmet needs of people living with brain disorders. We offer rewarding careers with a mix of exciting tasks and development opportunities that are balanced with initiatives focused on your well‑being. We need every brain in the game, and at Lundbeck, we are committed to building a workforce that is as diverse as the people we serve. Read more about our commitment at www.lundbeck.com/global/about-us/our-commitment/diversity-and-inclusion.

Apply now

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About Lundbeck

At Lundbeck, our most important contribution is easing the burden of the millions of people living with brain disorders. Whether it is migraine, depression, or other brain disorders, patients, their carers, and society as a whole depend on us. Through cutting edge science and strong partnerships, we develop and market some of the world's leading treatments, expanding into neuro‑specialty and neuro‑rare from our strong legacy within psychiatry and neurology. The brain health challenge is real. Our commitment is real. Our impact is real.