Director, Scientific Training & Development

Alkermes; Boston (MA); Hybrid; USD 220,000 - 250,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid workplace

Annual bonus

Competitive benefits package

Job summary

Alkermes seeks a Director of Scientific Training & Development to design and lead the Medical Affairs training strategy for field teams in a hybrid Waltham, MA setting. You will develop onboarding, advanced education, and certification curricula, aligning with scientific evidence and congress activity.

You will build competency frameworks, measure training impact, and collaborate with clinical, regulatory, and commercial colleagues to ensure compliant, effective learner programs.

Qualifications

• Adult learning and scientific training experience required.
• Strong background in pharmaceutical/biotech Medical Affairs training is preferred.
• Ability to translate scientific data into actionable training materials.
• Experience in curriculum development and assessment design.

Responsibilities

• Lead the scientific training strategy and curriculum in collaboration with Medical Affairs leadership.
• Design onboarding, continuous development, and certification curricula with measurable outcomes.
• Create training materials using current evidence and congress data; maintain materials and assessments.
• Establish a behavior-based MSL competency framework aligned with goals and standards.
• Evaluate training effectiveness and implement improvements based on feedback and KPIs.
• Coordinate cross-functional training efforts across departments and senior leaders.

Skills

Adult learning

Scientific training experience

Communication skills

Facilitation and presentation

Project leadership

Cross-functional collaboration

Data-to-training translation

Education

Advanced scientific or clinical degree (PharmD/MD/PhD)

Master's or Bachelor's with relevant experience considered

Job description

The Director, Scientific Training & Development is a director-level role responsible for leading scientific and clinical training strategy for designated Medical Affairs field teams. The position develops, governs, and delivers phase-appropriate curricula that build and sustain MSL scientific competency, communication effectiveness, and field readiness. Working in close partnership with Field Medical Affairs leadership and cross-functional stakeholders, the Director translates business priorities, emerging evidence, and field observations into measurable learning programs and targeted development support.

Scientific Training Strategy and Curriculum

• Lead the strategic direction, development, implementation, and continuous improvement of the Medical Affairs training and education strategy in partnership with Medical Affairs leadership.
• Design and maintain curricula for new-hire onboarding, ongoing development, advanced therapeutic education, case-based learning, competency assessments, and certification.
• Create, maintain, and update scientific training materials, slide decks, FAQs, mechanism-of-action resources, disease-state summaries, and assessments using current evidence, prescribing information, publications, and congress data.
• Establish and maintain a measurable, behavior-based MSL competency framework aligned with organizational goals and field standards.
• Assess training effectiveness using defined performance indicators and learner feedback; identify gaps and implement improvement or remediation plans.
• Maintain training processes and documentation, including the training matrix, with appropriate version control and audit readiness.

MSL Onboarding, Field Development, and Coaching

• Lead new-hire MSL onboarding, including presentation training, recurring check-ins, curriculum completion support, and final certification.
• Partner with MSL Regional Directors to identify scientific training needs and convert field-ride observations into targeted upskilling, coaching, and remediation activities.
• Conduct ad hoc field work as requested by the applicable MSL Regional Director.
• Coach MSLs on scientific insight capture, synthesis, and communication, while reinforcing consistent expectations for engagement planning, documentation, and follow-up.
• Support scientific training at regional and franchise-level meetings and provide timely education tied to data readouts, publications, pipeline milestones, and competitor developments.
• Coordinate onboarding support for other Medical Affairs personnel, as appropriate.

Congress and Cross-Functional Support

• Lead scientific readiness activities before and after major congresses, including review of relevant data, development of scientific summaries and internal materials, and coordination of Medical Affairs attendee information.
• Collaborate with the Thought Leader Engagement team and Field Medical Affairs leadership to build scientific readiness for congress activities, thought-leader interactions, and insight capture.
• Attend selected congresses to provide real-time scientific interpretation, support Medical Affairs activities, and observe field scientific communication during MSL engagements.
• Plan and execute educational seminars with internal and external subject-matter experts for Medical Affairs and, as needed, other Alkermes stakeholders.
• Liaise with Commercial Training, Marketing, Sales Leadership, R&D, Corporate Affairs, Legal, Regulatory, and Compliance to coordinate appropriate, compliant Medical Affairs contributions and training support.
• Ensure training content is accurate, fair balanced, and developed in accordance with applicable legal, regulatory, compliance, and review requirements.
• Evaluate internal and external training programs, consultants, and vendors, and recommend solutions that address identified learning needs.

Operational Excellence

• Standardize field practices and ensure consistent access to current training resources across the field medical organization.
• Proactively communicate across teams to maintain alignment, clarify ownership, and support timely execution.
• Contribute to budget planning and manage assigned training activities within approved resources.

Qualifications

• Advanced scientific or clinical degree preferred (e.g. PharmD, MD, NP/CNS, PhD). A master's or bachelor's degree with relevant experience may be considered.
• Adult learning and scientific training experience required.
• Approximately 5 or more years of relevant pharmaceutical, biotechnology, Medical Affairs, research and development, pharmacology, clinical, or scientific education experience; depth of experience should be commensurate with a director-level role.
• Experience leading complex projects and working with cross-functional teams required.
• Psychiatry or neuroscience experience and/or previous experience as a professor, preceptor, or scientific educator considered.
• Experience reviewing scientific literature and clinical data required; experience presenting or publishing scientific data preferred.

Knowledge, Skills, And Abilities

• Demonstrated scientific, strategic, and creative thinking, with the ability to translate complex information into effective learning experiences.
• Strong written, verbal, facilitation, and presentation skills, including the ability to communicate with scientific rigor and appropriate fair balance.
• Ability to assess clinical and scientific information and present a highly professional scientific profile of products, disease states, pipeline assets, and relevant competitive developments.
• Strong organization, coordination, planning, and stakeholder-management skills.
• Ability to resolve emerging issues by mobilizing internal teams and external experts.
• Demonstrated ability to build collaborative relationships across levels and functions and to adapt communication style to the audience.
• Ability to remain supportive, solutions-oriented, and effective under pressure.

Work Environment

• This is a preferred hybrid position based in Waltham, Massachusetts.
• The role requires approximately 15% travel, including field work, internal meetings, training programs, and selected medical congresses.

Alkermes has recently adopted a hybrid working environment to support and meet the needs of employees and this role will operate in a flexible environment with 60% of time in the office and 40% from home. This position is eligible for the hybrid workplace model, requiring work to be completed onsite at our Waltham, MA office at least 3 days per week. This role is not eligible for fully remote work.

The annual base salary for this position ranges from $220,000 to $250,000. In addition, this position is eligible for an annual performance pay bonus. Exact compensation may vary based on skills, training, knowledge, and experience. Alkermes offers a competitive benefits package. Additional details can be found on our careers website: www.alkermes.com/careers#working-here

About Us

Alkermes applies its decades of deep neuroscience expertise to develop medicines designed to help people living with complex and difficult-to-treat psychiatric and neurological disorders. A global biopharmaceutical company, headquartered in Ireland with U.S. locations in Massachusetts and Ohio, we seek to make a meaningful difference in the way people manage their diseases. We have a portfolio of proprietary commercial products for the treatment of alcohol dependence, opioid dependence, schizophrenia, bipolar I disorder and narcolepsy, and a pipeline of clinical and preclinical candidates in development for various psychiatric and neurological disorders.

We are proud to have been recognized as an employer of choice by many national organizations. In 2024 and 2025, we were certified as a Great Place to Work in the U.S. and named one of Massachusetts’ Top Places to Work by the Boston Globe, a Best Place to Work in Greater Cincinnati by the Cincinnati Business Courier and recognized as a Best Place to Work in BioPharma by Fortune Magazine.

Why join Team Alkermes?

Alkermes, Inc. is an equal employment opportunity employer and does not discriminate against any qualified applicant or employee because of race, creed, color, age, national origin, ancestry, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender expression and identity, disability, genetic information, veteran status, military status, application for military service or any other characteristic protected by local, state or federal law. Alkermes also complies with all work authorization and employment eligibility verification requirements of the Immigration and Nationality Act and IRCA. Alkermes is an E-Verify employer.