Role Summary
High-level summary of the position with main purpose of the position and how it will be successfully accomplished:
AstraZeneca is pushing the boundaries of science to deliver live-saving breakthrough medicines that will improve patients’ lives. In that endeavour, Medical Affairs is a key strategic partner in shaping the healthcare environment in our priority areas to ensure access to AZ innovations. The Medical Affairs Lead has the full accountability of the delivery of the local medical affairs initiatives. These could include, but are not necessarily restricted to, scientific partnership building with key experts, medical evidence planning, scientific communications, competitor intelligence, transforming care, patient engagement, clinical trials support and ensuring alignment with commercial & value&access initiatives. The Medical Affairs Lead is heading the team of Medical Affairs Managers, Medical Advisors and Medical Science Liaisons and will ensure that the team effectively implements and executes the local medical strategy. These outputs are guaranteed through continuously building robust scientific and medical expertise on the therapeutic area, AstraZeneca products and its competitors in combination with a business acumen attitude and strong communication skills.
Job Responsibilities (to include key result areas, specific accountabilities, tasks, etc.)
- Integrates, interprets and translates scientific evidence and content on AZ products and disease areas of focus into value to support the brand strategy and to support disease/product value messages to internal and external stakeholders.
- Identifies, prioritises and reviews opportunities to generate evidence to and better understand overall disease state management and treatment gaps and clinically differentiate AZ products based on external stakeholder perspectives and the needs of AZ regions and markets
- Ensures early and pre-launch excellence to ensure Belgian patients have access to AZ innovation
- Drives transforming care initiatives to improve healthcare system delivery
- Leads development of specific scientific communications activities e.g. conference symposia or specific scientific meetings sponsored by AZ, such as external physician or patient expert meetings
- Coach and develop MSLs to be best in class (scientific expertise, communication skills, business acumen) and ensure development and execution of the MSL Action Plans
- Accountability for the Development and execution of the medical affairs plan according to budget and timelines
- Works in a strategic partnership with the Marketing and Value& Access Department, providing key input in the local operational brand strategy by ensuring input of KEE, customer insights and competitive intelligence
- Acts as important partner of SMM orgnisation to ensure strategic trial management and trial performance
- Acts as the patient insight expert in the assigned disease and therapeutic area team by deeply understanding the unique needs, experiences, patient journey and relevant outcomes for patients
- Facilitates patient insight knowledge sharing by raising awareness about patient insight strategies and activities
- Maintains a good working knowledge of company standards on medicines promotion and supports the Nominated Signatories in ensuring compliance standards for external audiences
- Sustains a “customer focus” in all design and interpretation activities (i.e. internal stakeholders, regulators, payers, prescribers, patients)
- Keeps own knowledge of best practices and relevant developments up to date
- Work together with External Service Provider for MI to meet the requirements set in the local MI procedure
Leadership and Functional Capabilities:
The following summarizes the capabilities (skills, knowledge, attitude) and competencies needed to be able to accomplish all job responsibilities for this specific job function:
- Exemplify the AstraZeneca Values and behaviours
- Excellent Scientific knowledge
- Strategic pipeline develoment
- People leadership
- Business acumen and strategic insight
- Ability to develop Strategic Partnerships
- Knownhow Belgian healthcare landscape
- Cross functional collaboration
- Excellent Communication Skills
- Be flexible, resilient and decision oriented
- Influencing skills
- Good Planning and Organisational Skills
- Ability to seek and critically assess a large amount of data, distil and synthesize information, put it into context and evaluate its impact on the business
- Work autonomously and make the right priorities in a complex work environment with a high number and variety of requests
- Project management skills
Education, Qualifications and Experience
Essential
- Master’s degree in a scientific discipline
- People management experience
- Business Acumen
- Strategic thinking
- Healthcare system understanding
- Experience with Evidence generation and clinical trial methodology
- Experience in relationship and stakeholder management (3P’S-Payer, Provider and Patients)
- Project and relationship management experience
- Financial Management foundation knowledge
- Matrix team functionality specialist
- Experience delivering country medical affairs plans
- Fluency in written and spoken English, Flemish and French
- Experience in oncology and / or hematology
Desirable
- Advanced scientific or medical degree
- Greater than 5 years’ experience of Medical Affairs within a pharmaceutical industry
- Understanding of the latest technical, regulatory, policy and real-world evidence generation dimensions
- Budget management experience
- Experience in malignant hematology and / or cell therapy
Key Relationships to reach solutions
Internal (to AZ or team)
- Regional and Country Medical Affairs teams
- Management within Global Medical Affairs
- Value& Access, Heath Economics and Outcomes Research (HEOR), PaCe and Compliance Teams
- GPPS, Sales and Marketing functions
External (to AZ)
- Healthcare professionals
- Scientific and Patient Experts
- Service Providers
- Regulatory bodies
- Payer/Health Technology Assessment organisations
- Patient Organisations
- Local or regional stakeholders including Policymakers,
Date Posted
08-mei-2026
Closing Date
08-mei-2026
AstraZeneca embraces diversity and equality of opportunity. We are committed to building an inclusive and diverse team representing all backgrounds, with as wide a range of perspectives as possible, and harnessing industry-leading skills. We believe that the more inclusive we are, the better our work will be. We welcome and consider applications to join our team from all qualified candidates, regardless of their characteristics. We comply with all applicable laws and regulations on non-discrimination in employment (and recruitment), as well as work authorization and employment eligibility verification requirements.
