Regional Senior Director, Scientific Communications Lead

Kyowa Kirin is a fast-growing global specialty pharmaceutical company that applies state‑of‑the‑art biotechnologies to discover and deliver novel medicines in four disease areas: bone and mineral; intractable hematologic; hematology oncology; and rare disease. A Japan‑based company, our goal is to translate science into smiles by delivering therapies where no adequate treatments currently exist, working from drug discovery to product development and commercialization. In North America, we are headquartered in Princeton, NJ, with offices in California, North Carolina, and Mississauga, Ontario.

Overview

The Regional Senior Director, Scientific Communications Lead is a senior leadership role within North America Medical Affairs responsible for setting the strategic direction, oversight, and governance of scientific communications across the regional portfolio. The role ensures the delivery of high‑quality, compliant, and impactful scientific communications that support evidence dissemination, medical education, and scientific exchange throughout the product lifecycle.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop a high‑performing scientific communications team and serve as a strategic partner to Medical Affairs therapeutic area leaders, commercial team, and cross‑functional stakeholders.

• Provide leadership for regional publication strategy and execution, field medical resources, medical education content, digital scientific communications, congress activities, and regional medical review processes.

• Continuously evaluate emerging digital channels, data‑driven insights, and evolving stakeholder engagement preferences to ensure Medical Affairs remains at the forefront of scientific exchange.

• Design scalable scientific communications approaches, processes, and resourcing models that can flex with portfolio expansion.

• Partner with Global Medical Affairs and Clinical Development to align scientific narratives, data generation plans, and publication strategy for pipeline assets.

• Develop and own the regional scientific communications strategy across multiple products, aligned with global medical strategy, portfolio priorities, and North America Medical Affairs objectives.

• Establish and maintain governance frameworks, standards, and best practices for scientific communications across channels and formats.

• Oversee regional publication planning and execution, including abstracts, manuscripts, posters, oral presentations, and plain‑language summaries.

• Provide strategic oversight of publication vendors and agencies, managing scope, budgeting, and performance.

• Lead development and lifecycle management of regional scientific narratives, lexicons, and key data‑driven messages.

• Oversee creation, approval, and maintenance of regional field medical materials, including slide decks, FAQs, disease education materials, and data summaries.

• Oversee scientific content for regional medical education, insight generation initiatives, advisory boards, and peer‑to‑peer scientific exchange.

• Provide scientific communications leadership for regional congress strategy and execution, including content development, booth materials, and symposia support.

• Provide strategic oversight of regional digital scientific assets, including modular and omnichannel‑ready content, congress digital materials, and online educational resources.

• Lead and oversee regional medical review processes, ensuring efficient, compliant, and high‑quality review of scientific communications materials.

• Serve as senior medical/scientific reviewer and escalation point for complex scientific, regulatory, or compliance issues.

• Drive continuous improvement of review workflows and cross‑functional collaboration.

• Set clear objectives, provide ongoing performance feedback, and support professional development for direct reports.

• Anticipate future portfolio and pipeline needs to inform thoughtful expansion of the scientific communications team over time.

• Define future role profiles and succession plans to ensure the organization scales effectively as new assets and therapeutic areas are added to the portfolio.

• Accountable for regional scientific communications strategy, priorities, and execution across the North America portfolio.

• Final scientific approval authority for regional scientific communications materials within established governance and SOPs.

• Authority to manage external vendors and agency partners.

• Escalation authority for complex scientific, compliance, or reputational risk issues related to scientific communications.

• Serve as a strategic partner to North America Medical Affairs Leadership, Therapeutic Area Heads, Field Medical, Global Medical Affairs, and Global Scientific Communications to ensure alignment of strategies and execution.

• Collaborate closely with Clinical Development, HEOR, Regulatory Affairs, Legal, Compliance, Commercial, Digital, Omnichannel, and Alliance partners to develop and deliver impactful, compliant scientific communications and medical education initiatives.

Qualifications

Education

Advanced Scientific or Clinical Degree: Ph.D., Pharm.D., or M.D. in a relevant life sciences, biomedical, or clinical discipline.

Experience

• Minimum 12+ years of experience in Medical Affairs or related roles within pharmaceutical or biotechnology organizations, at least 6 years in Scientific/Medical Communication.

• Senior leadership experience managing scientific communications teams and leading cross‑functional initiatives at regional or global scale.

• Extensive oversight of end‑to‑end scientific communications activities, including publications, medical education, field medical materials, congress strategy, and digital content.

• Strong understanding of publication planning standards, medical governance, and regulatory and compliance requirements.

• Experience serving as a strategic partner to Medical Affairs leadership and influencing cross‑functional stakeholders.

• Background contributing to transformation initiatives in Medical Affairs, including modernization of scientific communications and evolution toward digital and omnichannel engagement models.

• History of building, leading, and developing high‑performing multidisciplinary teams, including mentorship of managers and senior professionals.

• Experience operating within global or regional matrix organizations.

• Deep understanding of Medical Affairs operating models, governance structures, and interface with Clinical Development, Regulatory, and Commercial functions.

• Strong expertise in strategic planning, portfolio prioritization, and resource allocation within complex organizations.

• Comprehensive knowledge of Medical Affairs planning and execution, including scientific communications, publication planning, medical education, field medical strategy, evidence generation, and investigator‑sponsored research activities.

• Solid understanding of clinical development processes, regulatory requirements, compliance standards, and industry guidelines governing Medical Affairs operations.

• Ability to influence and align senior stakeholders across global and regional organizations without direct authority.

• Strong strategic acumen and business orientation, translating enterprise priorities into actionable plans.

• Advanced communication and executive presentation skills; executive level communication with senior leaders.

• Strong analytical capabilities, leveraging data, insights, and performance indicators.

• Proficiency in business planning, portfolio tracking, and collaboration tools, with strong command of Microsoft Office applications.

Non‑Technical Skills

• Ability to thrive in a fast‑paced environment while managing ambiguity effectively.

• Strong work ethics and passion for personal learning and professional development.

• Cultural sensitivity and adaptability within multinational organizations.

Salary and Benefits

Anticipated salary: $250,000 to $286,000. Salary offered at commencement of employment may vary based on experience, qualifications, and other factors.

Benefits include:

• 401(k) with company match

• Annual bonus program

• Generous PTO and holiday schedule, including summer and winter shut‑downs, sick days, and volunteer days

• Health, dental, prescription drug, and vision benefits

• Well‑being and work/life programs

• Life and disability insurance

• Long‑term incentive program (subject to role and performance)

• Pet insurance

• Tuition assistance

• Employee referral awards

Equal Employment Opportunity

Kyowa Kirin North America, Inc. is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, creed, color, pregnancy, sex, age, national origin, disability, genetic trait, or any other characteristic protected by law.