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Medical Director, Senior Patient Safety Physician

AstraZeneca

Cambridge, MAHybridPosted 19 days ago
Full TimeDirector & AbovePharmacovigilance / Drug SafetyPharmaceutical
Original posting ↗

Summary

We are seeking an experienced physician to provide medical leadership for clinical safety and benefit-risk management across the lifecycle of assigned products and development programs. This role is accountable for shaping and executing safety strategy, evaluating emerging safety data, and ensuring the effective communication of safety information to internal and external stakeholders.

Job description

Working within a global, cross-functional environment, you will collaborate with experts across Clinical Development, Regulatory Affairs, Epidemiology, Safety Science, Risk Management, and Medical Affairs to protect patient safety and support the successful development and commercialization of innovative medicines.

Key Responsibilities

Clinical Safety Leadership

  • Lead the clinical safety strategy for assigned products and programs.
  • Drive medical evaluation of safety data and benefit-risk assessments.
  • Provide expert input into risk identification, characterization, and mitigation activities.
  • Influence safety-related decisions within project teams and governance forums.

Safety Surveillance and Risk Management

  • Provide medical oversight of signal detection, safety surveillance, and risk evaluation activities.
  • Lead interpretation of safety data from clinical trials, post-marketing experience, literature, and other relevant sources.
  • Contribute to risk management planning and the development of appropriate risk minimization strategies.
  • Ensure alignment of safety strategy with development and lifecycle objectives.

Regulatory Safety and Governance

  • Lead and review key regulatory safety deliverables, including DSURs, PBRERs, PADERs, safety responses, and other global submissions.
  • Support major regulatory submissions and interactions with health authorities.
  • Present safety assessments and recommendations to governance committees and senior stakeholders.

Cross-Functional Leadership

  • Serve as the Patient Safety representative in clinical project teams.
  • Build effective partnerships across Clinical Development, Regulatory Affairs, Safety Science, Medical Affairs, and other key functions.
  • Support due diligence, licensing, and business development activities when required.
  • Mentor colleagues and contribute to a culture of scientific excellence, collaboration, and continuous improvement.

Essential Requirements

  • Medical Degree (MD, MBBS, or equivalent).
  • Clinical practice experience following medical qualification.
  • Significant experience in Clinical Safety/Pharmacovigilance within the pharmaceutical or biotechnology industry.
  • Strong knowledge of benefit-risk assessment, risk management, signal detection, and global pharmacovigilance regulations.
  • Experience preparing or reviewing global regulatory safety documents and submissions.
  • Proven ability to influence and lead within a matrix environment.

Preferred Qualifications

  • Advanced training in Pharmaceutical Medicine or a related discipline.
  • Experience across multiple therapeutic areas and stages of product development.
  • Experience mentoring or leading safety professionals.

What Success Looks Like

  • Sound medical judgement and strategic thinking.
  • Strong collaboration and stakeholder management skills.
  • Ability to communicate complex safety information clearly and effectively.
  • Passion for advancing patient safety and delivering medicines responsibly.

Requirements

  • Medical Degree (MD, MBBS, or equivalent).
  • Clinical practice experience following medical qualification.
  • Significant experience in Clinical Safety/Pharmacovigilance within the pharmaceutical or biotechnology industry.
  • Strong knowledge of benefit-risk assessment, risk management, signal detection, and global pharmacovigilance regulations.
  • Experience preparing or reviewing global regulatory safety documents and submissions.
  • Proven ability to influence and lead within a matrix environment.
  • Advanced training in Pharmaceutical Medicine or a related discipline.
  • Experience across multiple therapeutic areas and stages of product development.
  • Experience mentoring or leading safety professionals.

Company overview

AstraZeneca is a global, science-led, patient-focused pharmaceutical company dedicated to accelerating the delivery of life-changing medicines that create enduring value for patients, society, and shareholders. With a workforce of over 94,300 employees worldwide, the company operates across three core therapy areas: Oncology, BioPharmaceuticals (including Cardiovascular, Renal & Metabolism, Respiratory & Immunology), and Rare Disease. Headquartered in Cambridge, UK, AstraZeneca maintains strategic R&D centers in Cambridge, Gaithersburg (US), Boston (US), Gothenburg (Sweden), Shanghai, and Beijing. The company generated $54.1 billion in total revenue in 2024 and invested $13.6 billion in scientific research and development. AstraZeneca's bold aspiration is to be pioneers in science, lead in disease areas, and transform patient outcomes, with a goal to launch 20 new medicines and achieve $80 billion in total revenue by 2030. The company is recognized for its commitment to sustainability, health equity, and creating an inclusive work environment where diverse perspectives drive innovation.

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