Therapeutic Area Director Oncology

Note : The title of this posting has been modified to reflect the role level and responsibilities while the internal title remains as Therapeutic Area Head Oncology.

Joining AbbVie means you will be part of a team of outstanding professionals dedicated to making a remarkable impact on patients lives. At AbbVie we conduct groundbreaking science on a global scale every day. AbbVie Canada is one of the Best Workplaces in Canada.

When choosing your career path choose to be remarkable.

AbbVies mission is to discover and deliver innovative medicines that solve serious health issues today and address the medical challenges of tomorrow. We strive to have a remarkable impact on peoples lives across several key therapeutic areas: immunology oncology neuroscience vision care virology womens health and gastroenterology in addition to products and services across its Allergan Aesthetics portfolio.

We have an opportunity for a Therapeutic Area Head Oncology to join our Medical Affairs team. In this role you will drive medical/ scientific strategic and operational input into medical affairs plans and activities representing the Affiliate in coordination with the Global team. Lead the development and execution of the designated therapeutic area Medical Affairs strategies and tactics while establishing the direction of a team of peer expert in Medical Advisor in people manager roles. This position is national in scope and preferably based in Montreal.  

Key responsibilities

• Establish vision strategy and goals for the team that are aligned with clinical gaps medical and brand team strategies.
• Optimize utilization of resources to lead develop and coach the team including overseeing the performance management process professional development and succession team plans.
• Maintain regulatory and compliance best practises. Allocate resources in a way that delivers results on clinical/ brand team strategies while protecting AbbVies reputation.
• Manage the budget of the relevant therapeutic area (including local clinical studies) as approved in the medical plan.
• Supervise the design of local clinical studies and the review approval and fulfillment of contract agreements of Investigator Initiated Studies.
• Maintain a continuous relationship with key clinical investigators and key external experts as to the relevant therapeutic area.
• Supervise the execution of Medical Affairs tactics such as satellite symposia advisory boards annual consultation plan publication plan warranting appropriate medical support to the Commercial Divisions and in agreement with local procedures.
• Ensure medicalscientific updates on products and competitors and provide medical training when requested/necessary.
• Provide medical support to the Pharmacovigilance Unit as to Adverse Events reported in clinical trials on the relevant products.
• Keep all interactions and materials audit ready and conduct regular management checks of the teams activities.
• Proactively develop in collaboration with the medical and brand teams and execute a plan for fieldbased scientific support for therapeutic areas on marketed products as well as a portfolio pipeline process. Ensure field scientific support across the lifecycle of a product and ongoing analysis of clinical trends to develop key supporting strategies to meet business objectives.
• Responsible for gathering and sharing competitive intelligence (insights) that can provide critical information that could impact our development programs as well as our marketed products.
• Interface with other Therapeutic Area Heads across all Affiliates to ensure standardization and consistency.
• Look for opportunities to align clinical resources nationally while minimizing costs and increasing efficiencies.  Responsible for an operating budget.
• Collaborate with crossfunctional teams on the execution of an established infield team stakeholder engagement plan.
• Maintain uptodate scientific knowledge of assigned therapeutic area(s) product(s) uses and key external data.

Qualifications :

Education / Experience required

• Doctorate or Medical degree is required.
• Relevant experience with solid knowledge of the biotech/pharmaceutical industry:
• General knowledge on drug development and clinical research in a relevant therapeutic area (minimum of five years)
• Relevant therapeutic area background and experience in oncology (minimum of three years).
• Relevant experience in AbbVies Therapeutic Area of interest: immunology neuroscience and specialty will be conidered a strong asset 
• Proven track record in medical leadership management coaching individuals & teams working on multiple brands across various teams (minimum of three years).
• Ability to build strong relationships with external experts and other relevant stakeholders.
• Ability to think and plan strategically (work plans activities timetables targeting) and translate strategies into actionable and realistic medical actions with execution excellence.
• Strong commitment to compliance scientific quality and integrity.
• Solid working knowledge of health care environment and evolving landscape.
• Demonstrated organizational and analytical skills to set priorities develop a field work schedule monitor progress towards goals and track data information and activities. Effectively manage budgets to deliver on fiscal commitments.

Essential skills and abilities

• Proficient with Microsoft Office Suite (Outlook PowerPoint Excel Word etc.).
• Must be at ease with technology (the use of various tools/systems to perform daytoday tasks).
• Travel required about 2030 % of the time.
• Valid drivers license and passport.

Key leadership competencies

• Indepth understanding and execution of meaningful strategies and databased business decisions to exceed business goals.
• Display sound business judgment (having an executive leadership mindset to assess local market and set direction). Ability to predict contingent outcomes from both a customer and competitive perspective.
• Possess knowledge of AbbVies therapeutic areas and products to coach team members who engage in scientific interactions with key stakeholders external experts and medical associations.
• Effectively communicate and collaborate with other members/managers to ensure alignment on plans. Clearly understands ways of working and ensure optimal and compliant interactions. Manages conflict in coordination with other members/managers.

AbbVie strives to provide a French working environment for its employees in Quebec. Although as part of its francization program has taken all reasonable steps to avoid imposing the following requirement advanced amount of knowledge of English / Fluency in English is an essential requirement for the position of TA Lead including but not limited to for the following reasons:

1. English speaking employees outside the province of Quebec.
2. English speaking clients outside the province of Quebec.
3. Anglophone region outside the province of Quebec.

AbbVie is an equal opportunity employer and encourages women Aboriginal people persons with disabilities and members of visible minorities to apply.

Additional Information :

AbbVie is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to operating with integrity driving innovation transforming lives serving our community and embracing diversity and inclusion.  It is AbbVies policy to employ qualified persons of the greatest ability without discrimination against any employee or applicant for employment because of race color religion national origin age sex (including pregnancy) physical or mental disability medical condition genetic information gender identity or expression sexual orientation marital status status as a protected veteran or any other legally protected group status.

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