Country Medical Director

Overview

The Country Medical Director for Canada: 

• Is responsible for leading the medical affairs function of the country, including medical support of licensed products, real world evidence generation, medically-led oversight of patient-related activities, new product approvals and support in the evaluation of product complaints that have clinical significance
• Is a member of the country management team and  serves as the primary liaison between local, regional, and global medical teams
• Is the medical counterpart of the Country Manager, located in the Greater Toronto Area
• Provides strategic leadership on governance, ensuring robust oversight, compliance with internal SOPs and external requirements, and high standards of accountability across all activities
• Shares medical/clinical expertise and strategically supports his/her counterparts in other functional areas such as Commercial, Market Access, Patient advocacy, Clinical Development, Finance, Compliance and Legal

The Country Medical Director reports to the Sr Medical Director for Midsize Markets North. This role requires strong leadership, scientific acumen, and the ability to operate in a dynamic, cross-functional environment. The role is hybrid, with an expectation to be in the office (Mississauga, Ontario) two days a week. Furthermore, approximately 30% of the role involves field-based external engagement.

Summary of Responsibilities

Medical Strategy & Leadership

• Develop and implement the Country Medical Affairs Plan, aligned with global and regional strategies
• Drive short- and long-term medical strategy to support product lifecycle, including pre-launch, launch, and post-marketing phases
• Manage the country medical budget and contribute to business planning activities
• Represent Medical Affairs on the Country Leadership Team and in cross-functional strategic forums

Team Leadership & Development

• Lead, mentor, and develop direct report(s) to build strong scientific and medical affairs capabilities
• Promote a culture of accountability, integrity, scientific excellence, and cross-functional collaboration
• Identify talent development opportunities and ensure succession planning

Scientific Engagement & Medical Excellence

• Build and maintain strong peer-to-peer relationships with key opinion leaders (KOLs), clinical investigators, and medical societies
• Identify and support high-impact medical education initiatives, advisory boards, symposia, and scientific publications
• Oversee medical input into brand planning and provide scientific guidance to internal stakeholders
• Drive accurate, fair-balanced medical communication and scientific exchange with both internal and external audiences

Medically-led patient-related activities across the treatment journey, including:

• Provision of scientific and clinical input into the design, implementation, and oversight of patient-focused initiatives (e.g., Patient Support Programs)
• Ensuring alignment with patient needs, as well as local regulatory, legal, and compliance requirements
• Cross-functional collaboration with internal teams and external partners to support patient access and optimize treatment experience
• Enabling the compliant collection and use of patient-reported outcomes and real-world data where applicable

Clinical Research & Evidence Generation

• Provide input into local and regional clinical development strategies
• Facilitate Phase IV and real-world evidence (RWE) studies, including registries, research collaborations and investigator-initiated studies (IIS)
• Ensure medical guidance on study feasibility, timelines, and alignment with global programs.

Compliance & Governance

• Ensure full compliance with internal policies, industry standards, and local regulatory requirements
  Champion medical governance and uphold ethical conduct in all activities

Qualifications

• M.D. (Medical Doctor) and/or PhD and/or equally qualified academic healthcare professional with proven leadership experience in Pharmaceutical or Biotechnology industry. Degree in medical/natural science (M.D., PhD) is preferred.
• Minimum of 15 years industry working experience after completion of academic education which includes leadership roles with proven people management experience. Experience in speciality care preferred.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English, as evidenced by a record of publications and/or public speaking. Bilingual (French) an asset.
• Proven ability to interact with multiple stakeholders, both internal and external, on a variety of levels and issues and build relationships of credibility and trust.
• Broad understanding of the regulatory (Health Canada/PAAB/GCP/ASC/IMC) environment in Canada.
• Extensive cross-functional project leadership experience married to an ability to operate effectively in a complex matrix organization.
• Track record in the effective management of third-party suppliers and external consultants.

The incumbent will need the following qualities/attributes:

• Strategic thinker with excellent problem solving and decision-making skills.
• Commercial acumen, demonstrating a desire and drive to work in a commercially driven business environment.
• Resilient self-starter, who can act independently and learn quickly.
• Team builder, capable of interacting effectively with external contacts and at every level within the company.
• Perceptive, creative person with the ability to contribute new ideas and to build consensus.
• Outstanding leadership skills, effective in marshaling support across an organization.
• Passion and enthusiasm for clinical development, demonstrating a commitment to maintaining standards at the highest possible level.
• Able to represent Alnylam to key external stakeholders and potential future partners.
• Able to manage complex decisions with excellent prioritization skills.
• Empathetic style with the ability to enthuse and motivate others to action.