Summary
Eli Lilly is hiring a Director of Medical Affairs for gastroenterology and rheumatology, serving the Gulf region. The role leads medical planning and scientific data dissemination, supports product strategy, launches and market access, and works with health authorities, healthcare professionals and cross-functional teams. It also contributes to clinical trial planning, regulatory activities and compliant scientific communications. A medical degree is preferred, with at least 6 years of relevant clinical or therapeutic experience and clinical or research experience in gastroenterology and/or rheumatology required; fluent English is required, and Arabic is a strong plus. The role is based in the Gulf region, with Dubai preferred, and may require 30% or more travel.
The posting
As published on lilly.com. Pulled from the employer's site and shown as they wrote it.
At Lilly, the work is demanding because patients are waiting. We unite caring with discovery to help make life better for people around the world, knowing that every decision, every detail, and every day matters. Headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, our over 50,000 employees around the globe take on complex challenges to discover and deliver life-changing medicines, strengthen how health is understood and managed, and support the communities we serve. This is hard, urgent, selfless work—but it’s work worth doing. If you’re driven by purpose and ready to bring your best to work that truly matters for patients, we invite you to join us.
As a Clinical Research Physician (CRP), you will be the therapeutically aligned scientist playing a key role within the Gulf Medical Affairs organization. The primary focus of the CRP is to use knowledge of immunology — with a focus on gastroenterology and rheumatology — available treatments, and investigational compounds to deliver strategic and tactical medical planning. The CRP presents at meetings with Gulf health authorities and other government regulatory agencies, provides medical guidance on pricing, reimbursement and access (PRA), and leads local scientific data dissemination — including presenting at conferences and advisory boards, and overseeing the scientific content of educational programs.
The CRP is a key cross-functional partner to the brand team, helping to meet both external customer and internal business needs across the Gulf markets. The CRP is aware of and ensures that all activities follow current local and international regulations, laws and guidance (for example, DOH, MOH), Good Clinical Practices (GCPs), company standards, Lilly policies and procedures, global quality standards and the Principles of Medical Research, and are aligned with the medical vision.
Qualification & Experience
Medical Doctor degree preferred, plus ≥ 6 years of relevant clinical or therapeutic experience, with clinical and/or research experience in gastroenterology and/or rheumatology required (broader immunology experience a plus)
Fluent in English (verbal and written) required; fluent Arabic a strong plus; additional regional languages an advantage
Knowledge of drug development process relevant to the Gulf region preferred, including regulatory and market access requirements
Advanced interpersonal, communication, project management, negotiation and presentation skills
Previous therapeutic area leadership across geographies
Effective, strong leadership with the ability to influence others, provide clear direction to internal and external teams and foster a positive working environment
Strong planning, execution and managing of the therapeutic area medical budget
Able to interpret technical/scientific data and translate it into meaningful, clear and compliant content for customer communications and engagement
Strong track record of teamwork in a cross-functional environment
Commercial/business acumen and contribution
Knowledge and experience at the customer interface
High workload capacity, including the ability to manage and prioritize broad deliverables of a complex nature
Demonstrated ability to balance scientific priorities with business priorities
Key Responsibilities:
Primary Responsibilities:
Business/Customer Support
Understand and anticipate the scientific information needs of local/regional customers (payers, patients, gastroenterologists, rheumatologists and other healthcare providers)
Contribute to medical strategies supporting brand commercialization, working with global Medical Affairs, brand teams, Patient Outcomes/Real World Evidence, PRA, and clinical teams during local business plan development
Provide clinical input to PRA activities, including payer partnership programs, product value defense and engagement with Gulf health authorities and government payers
Support business-to-business and business-to-government activities as medical expert
Serve as a key medical point of contact for the brand team, providing clinical, scientific and strategic input to the cross-functional team
Take a medical leadership role in product launches, including pre- and post-launch support and medical activities in support of demand realization
Take a leadership role in Medical, partnering with other Medical Affairs roles to create a seamless team that delivers exceptional customer experiences
Contribute scientific and creative input to the development and approval of promotional materials
Support training of sales representatives and medical personnel
Apply knowledge of market archetypes and customer insights to all customer-related activities
Oversee the collation and analysis of customer information to drive understanding and insights
Collaborate cross-functionally to drive improvement in customer engagement through digital innovation
Scientific Data Dissemination/Exchange
Establish and maintain relationships with external scientific experts, thought leaders, and the medical community locally, nationally, and internationally
Serve as the scientific expert on Lilly’s immunology (gastroenterology and rheumatology) compounds, sharing knowledge across internal teams
Support medical information associates in preparing and reviewing medical letters and materials
Ensure compliance with local laws, global policies, and guidelines on data dissemination and HCP interactions
Support Scientific Data Disclosure (SDD) plans
Address unsolicited scientific information needs from external HCPs, including escalations from medical information and sales, per compliance guidelines
Support planning of speaker training, advisory boards, and other HCP meetings
Prepare or review scientific information in response to customer or media questions, with timely follow-up per global SOPs
Support data analysis, slide set development, and publications (abstracts, posters, manuscripts)
Deliver scientific, educational and promotional presentations internally and to customers
Maintain relationships with relevant professional societies
Provide congress support (exhibits, presentations, medical booth staffing, thought leader engagement)
Clinical Planning & Trial Execution/Support
Represent country/region clinical needs to business unit medical leadership in developing clinical strategies, development plans, and protocol design
Review and approve local informed consent documents and risk profiles
Collaborate with clinical research staff on local trial design, conduct, and reporting (sample size, timelines, grants, governance)
Review investigator-initiated trial (IIT) proposals and publications as requested
Contribute to global alignment of Phase 3b/4 studies
Address the scientific information needs of investigators and study personnel
Review protocols, study reports, grant submissions and contracts for local studies
Support global Development studies conducted in the affiliate/country, if assigned
Report adverse events as mandated by corporate patient safety
Regulatory Support
Participate in development and review of local labeling, in collaboration with global Development, brand, regulatory, and legal teams
Provide medical expertise to regulatory scientists and advisory committees, including interactions with regulatory authorities
Scientific Technical Expertise
Stay current on clinical practice and access trends in gastroenterology and rheumatology, near-term (1-2 years) and longer-term (3-5 years)
Critically evaluate relevant medical literature and competitive product data
Act as scientific consultant and protocol expert for clinical study teams
May serve as the affiliate medical/scientific leader, including research and regulatory deliverables
Ensure activities are aligned with the strategic priorities of the global Medical Affairs, brand and development teams
Continue to develop scientific and technical expertise in the therapeutic area
Other Role Requirements:
Willingness to travel to customers, meetings, and congresses across the Gulf markets and internationally (30%+ travel may be required)
Role is based in the Gulf region (Dubai, UAE preferred), aligned with Gulf operating hours
Lilly is dedicated to helping individuals with disabilities to actively engage in the workforce, ensuring equal opportunities when vying for positions. If you require accommodation to submit a resume for a position at Lilly, please complete the accommodation request form (https://careers.lilly.com/us/en/workplace-accommodation) for further assistance. Please note this is for individuals to request an accommodation as part of the application process and any other correspondence will not receive a response.
Lilly does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, protected veteran status, disability or any other legally protected status.
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