Associate Director, Medical Affairs - General & Specialty Medicine

About the role

MSD is hiring an Associate Director, Medical Affairs Lead covering General Medicine and Specialty Medicine in Riyadh. The role leads the Medical Affairs team, manages the country's Medical Affairs plans and budgets, and acts as the external interface with healthcare professionals, professional societies and the scientific community.

Key responsibilities

• Recruit, hire and develop the Medical Affairs team and build a compliant, collaborative, innovation-focused culture
• Develop and execute the Country Medical Affairs Plans (CMAPs) and manage the TA portfolio, balancing global and local priorities
• Manage the operating administrative and lifecycle-management budget and oversee post-licensure research, publication plans and investigator-initiated studies
• Ensure Field Medical Advisors and MSLs have territories and indications aligned with the Medical Affairs Plan, and manage Protocol Concept Sheets
• Support inspections and audits and liaise with health authorities and internal auditors
• Represent the company in cross-functional teams with Global Clinical Development and Global Clinical Trial Operations, and provide scientific expertise to commercial product teams
• Work with marketing, market access and regional Medical Affairs colleagues to achieve local and regional goals
• Serve as the external interface with healthcare professionals, providers, academic centers, payers, policymakers and the scientific community

Required profile

• MD, PhD or PharmD with 3 to 5 years of clinical, Medical Affairs and/or research experience in a relevant disease area
• At least 2 years of leadership experience with documented people-management experience
• Experience developing or managing interventional and non-interventional studies
• Deep experience in the company's therapeutic areas (Cardiovascular, COPD, Immunology)
• Experience working in matrix organizations and managing direct reports; Saudi nationals are a priority

Required skills

• Project management and strategic planning
• Stakeholder engagement and negotiation
• Scientific publications and regulatory strategies
• Understanding of the compliance environment of Medical Affairs

Preferred: specialty clinical training, previous Medical Affairs experience, and strong problem-solving and communication skills. The posting ends on 1 November 2026.