Senior Scientific Writer – Publications Delivery

Alexion Pharmaceuticals; Bengaluru; On-site; INR 1,500,000 - 2,100,000; Full time

Job summary

Alexion Pharmaceuticals in Bengaluru is seeking a Senior Scientific Writer- Publications Delivery to lead end-to-end development, submission, and resubmission of priority manuscripts and congress materials. The role involves mentoring colleagues, ensuring quality reviews, and advancing publication standards across programmes.

You will collaborate with cross-functional teams including clinical development, biostatistics, and HEOR, while applying Good Publication Practice and ICMJE guidelines and

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in life sciences or related field
• 5–7 years of medical or scientific writing experience
• Strong understanding of publication ethics and guidelines
• Experience leading complex manuscripts and congress disclosures
• Familiarity with AI tools in scientific communications
• Proficiency in MS Office and reference management tools (e.g., EndNote)
• Ability to mentor colleagues and manage multiple priorities

Responsibilities

• Publication leadership: manage end-to-end development, submission, and resubmission of priority manuscripts and congress materials.
• Scientific writing, editing, and review of manuscripts, abstracts, posters, and presentations.
• Complex publications management including disclosures and evidence flow.
• Data interpretation with clinical, safety, and biostatistics teams.
• Literature review and evidence synthesis to support planning and disclosures.
• Journal and congress submissions coordination with editors and secretariats.
• Figures and data visualization support across publications.
• Ensure compliance with Good Publication Practice and ICMJE recommendations.
• Project delivery including schedules, resources, and audit-ready records.

Job description

Senior Scientific Writer- Publications Delivery, Alexion, AstraZeneca Rare Disease, AstraZeneca GBS

Grade: C3

Shift: 2 pm to 11 pm IST

Location: Manyata Tech Park, Bengaluru, India

Introduction to the Role

As a Senior Medical Writer in Alexion, AstraZeneca Rare Disease, AstraZeneca GBS Publication and scientific communications Delivery team, you will lead the development and delivery of complex, high-impact scientific publications that communicate clinical and real-world evidence accurately, clearly, and responsibly. You will independently manage priority manuscripts and congress deliverables from planning through submission, guide author teams, and provide expert advice on publication strategy and execution. Working in accordance with Good Publication Practice, ICMJE recommendations, AstraZeneca policies, and product strategy, you will mentor colleagues, conduct quality reviews, and strengthen publication standards, capabilities, and processes across programmes.

Key Responsibilities

Publication leadership: Lead complex, high-impact publication deliverables and independently manage the end-to-end development, submission, and resubmission of priority manuscripts and congress materials, and timeline management. Provide coaching and quality oversight to peers and junior writers.

Scientific writing, editing, and review: Write and critically review manuscripts, abstracts, posters, and presentations covering complex clinical trials, pooled analyses, health economics and outcomes research, and integrated evidence. Ensure scientific accuracy, clarity, logical flow, and compliance with target journal and congress requirements. Resolve competing feedback, build consensus, and maintain delivery against agreed timelines. Advise teams on publication scope, outlet selection, and narrative positioning.

Complex publications management: Lead disclosures involving integrated datasets, post-hoc analyses, network meta-analyses, conventional meta-analyses, and HEOR or epidemiology components. Define the document strategy, outlines, figure and table shells, and evidence flow. Manage publication systems, document versions, comment resolution and integration, dependencies, and collaborator alignment across programmes.

Data interpretation: Partner with biostatistics, clinical, safety, and medical teams to evaluate datasets, clarify analytical methods, and communicate findings appropriately. Reconcile inconsistencies across outputs and source documents, ensuring alignment with protocols, clinical study reports, product information, and public disclosures.

Literature review and evidence synthesis: Oversee systematic literature searches, evidence synthesis, and gap analyses that support publication planning and future disclosures. Maintain methodological rigour, transparent documentation, reference libraries, and citation integrity across programmes.

Journal and congress submissions: Own complex submission packages, cover letters, and responses to reviewers. Coordinate authorship confirmations, disclosures, and compliance checks, and work with editorial offices and congress secretariats to resolve queries and support successful outcomes.

Figures and data visualisation: Define appropriate visualisation approaches and guide design partners in developing complex figures and layouts. Ensure the accuracy, readability, accessibility, and brand consistency of visualisations, including forest plots, Kaplan-Meier curves, and heat maps.

Compliance and publication ethics: Champion adherence to Good Publication Practice, ICMJE recommendations, AstraZeneca policies, and therapeutic area guidance. Ensure appropriate authorship, acknowledgements, disclosures, transparency, and data integrity and privacy, proactively identifying and addressing potential ethical or compliance risks.

Project delivery and documentation: Plan schedules, resources, and documentation for multiple concurrent deliverables. Maintain complete, audit-ready records in publication management systems and identify opportunities to improve quality, consistency, and efficiency. Provide annotated source material supporting statements in publications.

Cross-functional collaboration: Partner with clinical development, medical affairs, biostatistics, HEOR, safety, regulatory, external authors, and other publication collaborators. Represent Publication Delivery in relevant cross-functional forums as required by the Alexion, AstraZeneca Rare Disease, AstraZeneca publication team.

Digital innovation: Apply a strong understanding of artificial intelligence and automation tools to publication development and delivery. Proactively pilot, implement, and scale fit-for-purpose solutions that improve quality, speed, and ways of working.

Quality and consistency: Establish and apply robust quality-control checks, conduct peer reviews, and provide clear, actionable feedback. Ensure consistency across documents and alignment with product information while driving continuous improvement in writing standards.

Capability building: Develop strong subject-matter expertise in assigned therapeutic areas, contribute to training and guidance materials, share best practices, and mentor colleagues across the wider team.

Essential Qualifications and Experience

• Master’s degree in life sciences, pharmacy, biochemistry, biotechnology, pharmacology, public health, or a related discipline.
• Five to seven years of experience in medical or scientific writing, including demonstrated leadership of complex manuscripts and congress disclosures.
• Advanced understanding of clinical research methods, biostatistics, scientific communication, and publication ethics, including Good Publication Practice and ICMJE recommendations.
• Demonstrated ability to interpret complex analyses and translate scientific evidence into accurate, clear, and audience-appropriate publications.
• Excellent written and verbal communication, collaborator management, facilitation, and organisational skills, with the ability to lead multiple high-priority projects.
• Knowledge of AI applications in scientific communications, with practical exposure to and experience in leveraging AI tools to support literature synthesis, scientific writing and quality control. Familiarity with generative AI tools, including effective prompting and critical review of outputs, with a focus on scientific accuracy, data confidentiality and responsible use.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office, reference management tools, and publication management platforms such as iEnvision, together with familiarity with data visualisation standards.

Desirable Qualifications and Experience

• Advanced degree such as PhD, MD, MPH, or PharmD, complemented by equivalent experience
• A recognised qualification in medical writing or communications.
• A CMPP certification will be an added advantage.
• Experience leading integrated disclosures involving pooled analyses, meta-analyses, HEOR, or epidemiology, and coordinating multi-author manuscripts through acceptance.
• Experience in one or more of the following therapeutic areas: Cardiovascular, Hematology, Nephrology and Metabolism; Respiratory and Immunology; Vaccines and Immune Therapies including Rare Diseases.
• Experience collaborating with investigators, external experts, and cross-functional teams, including engagement with journal editors and congress secretariats.
• Strong working knowledge of authorship criteria, data transparency and privacy, data-sharing expectations, and journal and congress submission systems.

Key Capabilities

• Scientific rigour, integrity, and sound judgement in complex publication scenarios.
• Clear and persuasive scientific writing and editing, with the ability to structure complex narratives and evidence.
• Strong collaborator leadership, facilitation, conflict resolution, and consensus-building skills.
• Advanced planning, prioritisation, and time