Some opportunities happen only once in a lifetime - like a job where you have the chance to change lives. At Alexion, people living with rare and devastating diseases are our Guiding Star. We are driven to continuously innovate and create meaningful value in all we do to help patients and families fully live their best lives. We value the uniqueness and diversity of our employees and recognize that nurturing the diverse perspectives and strengths of our people translates into innovative breakthroughs for patients.

This is what you will do:

The Senior Medical Director provides global strategic and operational oversight of Alexion’s Safety Surveillance and Risk Management activities for assigned therapeutic area in fulfillment of global legislation and regulations. The jobholder defines the Safety Surveillance and Risk Management strategy and ensures its execution through leadership of a team of Medical Safety Directors and Safety Surveillance Scientists. This global team is accountable for the identification, analyses, assessment, communication and risk management of safety issues arising for the assigned product portfolio across their entire lifecycles. The jobholder provides medical and drug safety expertise to oversee and lead decision making based on complex risk/benefit evaluation, pharmacoepidemiological or clinical trial data interpretation, risk assessment and risk mitigation. In this capacity, the jobholder may represent the Global Drug Safety department as a subject matter expert on internal strategic or advisory committees. The jobholder has significant impact on cross-functional goals, including collaborating with the Clinical & Medical organization to enhance the safe and effective use of Alexion Rare Disease Unit products and with the Commercial Organization to increase the probability of regulatory success.

You will be responsible for:

Providing Global Drug Safety leadership and contributes to key Alexion governance processes. Accountable for the following:

• Leads a team of Medical Directors and Safety Surveillance Scientists, and is responsible for people management activities; coaches, counsels and develops direct reports
• Represents Global Drug Safety at internal strategic and/or advisory/governance committees
• Chairs or participates in internal Safety Review Boards where applicable
• May represent Alexion or act as an external technical resource at DSMB or Regulatory Authority meetings, or at external conferences

Leads, provides input and oversight of the ongoing safety surveillance, benefit risk assessment and risk management activities for assigned Alexion product portfolio for entire lifecycle (pre and post approval). Accountable for the following:

• Leads a team of Medical Directors, and Safety Surveillance Scientists in identifying, evaluating and facilitating resolution of safety signals, including effective communication of risk management plans
• Provides medical and pharmacovigilance expertise to oversee and lead decision making based on complex risk/benefit evaluation, pharmacoepidemiological or clinical trial data interpretation, risk assessment and risk mitigation
• Partners with internal leaders within Global Drug Safety as well as other Alexion functions and affiliates to deliver integrated pharmacovigilance and risk management support to the Alexion business
• Attends Product Safety Management Teams with Medical Directors on an ad hoc basis to support key decision-making, drive evidence–based conclusions and develop pivotal next steps
• Personally assumes and oversees work carried out on products and/or issues under highest scrutiny from a patient safety or regulatory perspective
• Ensures ongoing and adequate safety surveillance, and timely detection and communication of new safety issues by his/her team
• Ensures timely and adequate generation of aggregate reports, regulatory responses and risk management documentation by team, according to international requirements and internal standards.
• Responsible for ensuring adequate definition and implementation of risk minimization activities for assigned product portfolio
• Is responsible for people management activities; coaches, counsels and develops a proactive-solution oriented approach to safety signal detection, evaluation and resolution

You will need to have:

• MD or equivalent degree
• Sound problem solving skills including the ability to make decisions by developing innovative options and/or multiple solutions to highly complex problems
• The ability to manage multiple overlapping complex tasks to conclusion, sometimes to tight timelines, for several projects and sub-projects, including oversight of others working on those projects
• Knowledge and understanding of GDS deliverables, standards and processes
• Knowledge and understanding of US and EU safety regulations pre- and post- marketing
• The duties of this role are generally conducted in an office environment. As is typical of an office-based role, employees must be able, with or without an accommodation to: use a computer; engage in communications via phone, video, and electronic messaging; engage in problem solving and non-linear thought, analysis, and dialogue; collaborate with others; maintain general availability during standard business hours.

We would prefer for you to have:

• 8 years extensive relevant pharmaceutical industry experience, in the safety and risk management area, including in signal detection, validation and management Rare, Ultra-Rare or Orphan Disease Area experience
• Strong verbal and written communication skills including making recommended courses of action to management and/or senior leaders that impact the discipline, department or line, and influences their decisions
• Excellent, independent judgment based on knowledge and expertise
• Strong personal time-management and project-management skills
• Mastery of Microsoft Word, PowerPoint and Excel

#LI-Hybrid

Alexion is a global biopharmaceutical company focused on serving patients and families affected by rare diseases and devastating conditions through the discovery, development and commercialization of life-changing medicines. Headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, Alexion has offices around the globe and serves patients in more than 50 countries. Further information about Alexion can be found at: www.alexion.com.

Alexion is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action employer. We are committed to fostering a culture of belonging where every single person can belong because of their uniqueness. The Company will not make decisions about employment, training, compensation, promotion, and other terms and conditions of employment based on race, color, religion, creed or lack thereof, sex, sexual orientation, age, ancestry, national origin, ethnicity, citizenship status, marital status, pregnancy, (including childbirth, breastfeeding, or related medical conditions), parental status (including adoption or surrogacy), military status, protected veteran status, disability, medical condition, gender identity or expression, genetic information, mental illness or other characteristics protected by law. Alexion provides reasonable accommodations to meet the needs of candidates and employees. To begin an interactive dialogue with Alexion regarding an accommodation, please contact accommodations@Alexion.com. Alexion participates in E-Verify.

AstraZeneca completed its acquisition of Alexion, marking the creation of Alexion, AstraZeneca Rare Disease. If you're interested in career opportunities with AstraZeneca, click here.