Medical Affairs Lead, Middle East

At Gilead, we’re creating a healthier world for all people. For more than 35 years, we’ve tackled diseases such as HIV, viral hepatitis, COVID-19 and cancer – working relentlessly to develop therapies that help improve lives and to ensure access to these therapies across the globe. We continue to fight against the world’s biggest health challenges, and our mission requires collaboration, determination and a relentless drive to make a difference.

Every member of Gilead’s team plays a critical role in the discovery and development of life-changing scientific innovations. Our employees are our greatest asset as we work to achieve our bold ambitions, and we’re looking for the next wave of passionate and ambitious people ready to make a direct impact.

We believe every employee deserves a great leader. People Leaders are the cornerstone to the employee experience at Gilead and Kite. As a people leader now or in the future, you are the key driver in evolving our culture and creating an environment where every employee feels included, developed and empowered to fulfil their aspirations. Join Gilead and help create possible, together.
Job Description

We have an exciting opportunity within our Medical Affairs team based in Saudi Arabia for Kite Middle East Medical Lead.

The Middle East Medical Lead (Asso. Director /Director- dependent on experience) will have overall responsibility for building and overseeing the strategies and tactics for Cell Therapy within the Kite Middle East Medical Affairs Department, providing strategic leadership for all Medical Affairs activities and developing and executing Medical Affairs strategic initiatives in the Middle East. This position will report to the Kite International Region Head of Medical Affairs.

Everyone at Kite is grounded by one common goal – curing cancer. We are at the forefront of immunotherapy and engineered T cell therapy. Our personalized approach is what sets us apart. Unlike traditional pharmaceutical manufacturing, our therapies are not created on an assembly line. With CAR T-cell therapy, we are reengineering a patient’s own immune cells to fight cancer — one patient at a time. We also are entering a pivotal time in our history with multiple planned launches and evolving competitive dynamics on a global scale. That means a fast moving, constantly changing environment and innovative culture, where we make discoveries every day – discoveries that include our own capabilities and our individual potential.

Specific Job Requirements:

• Provides local medical expertise input into global product development for Kite.
• Represents the company to groups of experts, medical professional groups, societies, regulatory groups at international scientific meetings and national scientific meetings.
• Develops and leads plans with national/Middle East region cooperative groups to define what are the gaps and potential specific national requirements/needs. Supports the development of local complex clinical data through clinical trials and investigator studies. Supports the development of Health Economic Outcome Research programs for the country.
• Contributes to the development of the Market access strategy in coordination with the Market Access, Regulatory affairs, Business Unit Director; deliver the medical part of the plan
• Manage the Middle East Medical Affairs function
• Develop and execute Medical pre-launch and post-launch Medical plan
• Medical Budget oversight/control (+/-5% spent)
• Provides Medical strategic direction and vision and works as a team with the Business Unit Director and Market Access Director.
• Be part of the International region Medical Affairs Leadership Team and contribute to the overall International region strategy and efforts.
• Data generation project where applicable
• Regular communication with external medical community to remain abreast of issues in the field and to provide medical support and direction to them.
• Engage in peer to peer scientific exchange of complex clinical and scientific information
• Develop and foster strong scientific relationships with Thought Leaders (TLs), disease experts, and other health care providers (HCPs)
• Provide clinical/scientific presentations to internal and external groups
• Compliantly provide internal teams with feedback and insights from interactions and discussions with HCPs
  Engage in accrual enhancement activities with clinical trial sites
• Provide support at professional meetings, including staffing exhibits, reporting on scientific sessions, and facilitating meetings with TLs and HCPs
• Adhere to corporate and health care compliance guidance in all activities, including those related to clinical trials, scientific interactions with internal and external groups, and responses to unsolicited requests for medical/scientific information
• Maintain clinical, scientific, and technical expertise in hematology/oncology and the company’s therapeutic areas of interest
• Establish and maintain ongoing long-term collaborative relationships with HCPs (including physicians, nurses, and other allied health professionals) within assigned territory
• Respond to and document unsolicited requests for scientific information
• Provide clinical input and training to internal functions as requested
• Provide support for content development and delivery of clinical presentations at Advisory Boards, as requested
• Work closely with other field-based employees and headquarters-based staff to rapidly respond to questions from sites
• Attends most major conferences and helps coordinate Medical Affairs activities at conferences and may present to external audience
• Responsible for the development and execution of projects that will provide more extensive background, additional data or answers to questions in response to issues that arise relative to commercial, scientific or data needs.
• Performs medical review at Promotional Review Committees.
• Manages projects to completion, anticipating obstacles and difficulties that may arise, resolving them in a collaborative manner.

Knowledge, Experience and Skills:

• The ideal candidate will have an advanced degree (e.g. MD, PharmD, PhD, etc.) with significant clinical and research experience in the key therapeutic areas.
• Industry experience is essential with proven Medical Affairs experiences (7+ years), ideally including recent experience of a successful launch within oncology or hematology.
• CAR-T therapy experience will be an advantage
• Must have demonstrated organizational skills to manage multiple projects simultaneously.
• Must demonstrate strong written and verbal communication skills along with excellent judgment and ability to work in a team environment.
• Strong presentation skills are required.
• Prior supervisory/leadership experience.
• Ability to travel to domestic and international conferences which will include occasional weekend travel is required.
• Language: Fluent in Arabic and professional level English

For Current Gilead Employees and Contractors:

Please apply via the Internal Career Opportunities portal in Workday.