Strategic Medical Writing & Scientific Communications Lead

Viking Therapeutics; San Diego (CA); On-site; USD 170,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Viking Therapeutics, Inc. is seeking an Associate Director, Medical Writing & Scientific Communications to shape strategic medical communications across publications, congress activities, and advisory boards.

You will lead high-quality manuscripts, abstracts, posters, and educational resources to support clinical development and launch readiness. The ideal candidate has a strong track record in medical writing within biotechnology/pharma, cross-functional collaboration, and the ability to

Qualifications

• Pharm.D., Ph.D., M.D., D.O., or other advanced scientific degree preferred.
• Minimum of 5 years of progressive experience in medical writing, scientific communications, medical affairs, or related roles within a biotechnology or pharmaceutical organization.
• Demonstrated experience developing peer-reviewed publications, scientific congress materials, and clinical communication deliverables.
• Current experience supporting Medical Affairs, Scientific Affairs, Clinical Development, or related functions within the biotechnology or pharmaceutical industry.
• Proven scientific expertise in obesity, cardiometabolic disease, metabolic disorders, or related therapeutic areas preferred.
• Strong understanding of clinical trial design, interpretation of clinical data, and evidence-based scientific communication.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute strategic medical writing and scientific communication plans aligned with Medical Affairs objectives and company priorities.
• Lead the development of scientific communication deliverables, including peer-reviewed manuscripts, abstracts, posters, oral presentations, scientific slide decks, advisory board materials, and medical education resources.
• Partner with Medical Affairs leadership and cross-functional stakeholders to establish scientific narratives, evidence communication strategies, and disease-state education platforms.
• Support publication planning activities, including development and execution of publication plans in collaboration with internal stakeholders, external authors, and medical writing agencies.
• Ensure scientific communications are accurate, balanced, compliant, and aligned with applicable guidelines, including GPP and ICMJE recommendations.
• Translate complex clinical trial data, scientific literature, and healthcare trends into clear and compelling communications for healthcare professionals, investigators, and internal stakeholders.
• Support medical affairs activities including: Medical Science Liaison training and scientific preparation; Investigator meetings; Advisory boards; Congress planning and execution; Medical information resources; Internal scientific communications.
• Collaborate closely with Clinical Development, Regulatory Affairs, Biostatistics, Commercial, Market Access, and other internal partners to ensure consistency of scientific messaging.
• Manage external medical writing agencies, consultants, and scientific communication vendors.
• Establish scalable medical writing processes, templates, and best practices to support a growing Medical Affairs organization.
• Lead and/or contribute to cross-functional project teams supporting scientific communications strategy and execution.
• Maintain and continuously enhance scientific expertise through ongoing review of clinical data, scientific literature, healthcare trends, and competitive intelligence.

Skills

Scientific writing

Medical communications

Publication planning

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Advanced scientific degree

Tools

MS Office

Job description

Viking Therapeutics, Inc. is seeking an Associate Director, Medical Writing & Scientific Communications to shape strategic medical communications across publications, congress activities, and advisory boards.

You will lead high-quality manuscripts, abstracts, posters, and educational resources to support clinical development and launch readiness. The ideal candidate has a strong track record in medical writing within biotechnology/pharma, cross-functional collaboration, and the ability to