Medical Affairs Jobs

Working in medical affairs entails supporting and planning the research, development and launch of medical products and ensuring that the company makes a profit and markets items in an ethical way. Working in this particular field of pharmaceuticals offers an exciting opportunity to join a fast-growing industry and be part of a variety of brand teams including: marketing; medical; and business intelligence.  As well as these teams, a career in medical affairs means that candidates can dive into a matrix of major responsibilities, including bridging research, clinical development, scientific publications, health outcomes, biostatistics, medical education and a diverse array of other medical services.   

Providing physicians, key opinion leaders, regulatory agencies, professional groups, and healthcare professionals with medical and scientific information and education, the medical affairs function enhances a company’s scientific reputation and compliments the work of research & development to communicate the value and advise on the proper use of a company’s products, therapies, devices, technology and diagnostics.      

Candidates have to be meticulous and organised as they are expected to juggle priorities and workload to keep up with demand and responsibilities that come with the job.  This hard work pays off, though, with ProClinical candidates reporting positively on the variety offered by and satisfaction gained from the job.  One day a candidate might be expected to take part in the production of a scientific publication and the next, he or she might be assisting in producing creative solutions to improve a company’s business and services.  Medical affairs professionals are often required to travel internationally for 20-30 per cent of their time, and sometimes up to 50 per cent. One of the other benefits of this position is the speed at which a candidate can progress in this field.  Medical Affairs candidates may pursue a career in management or alternatively be offered the opportunity to transfer the skills they acquire to alternate areas and move into other medical roles, including for example regulatory, pharmacovigilance, medical liaison scientist roles and much more.  

A scientific degree is of course also necessary and many candidates require additional qualifications in order to progress, including an MSc, PhD or MBA. With an additional Medical Doctor qualification, medical affairs professionals can progress to become physicians within the industry.