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Senior Scientific Manager / Scientific Director (SD) – Medical Communications

  1. Blue Bell
JR122546
  1. Medical Communications
  2. ICON Full Service & Corporate Support
  3. Hybrid: Office/Remote

About the role

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Senior Scientific Manager - Med Communications

ICON plc is a world-leading healthcare intelligence and clinical research organization. We’re proud to foster an inclusive environment driving innovation and excellence, and we welcome you to join us on our mission to shape the future of clinical development.

US- Remote

(Preferably NE US)

As a Senior Scientific Manager, extensive prior experience and in-depth knowledge concerning all aspects of developing and executing the diverse array of deliverables within medical publications and medical communications is expected and will be an integral and required foundation for this role. Additionally, as a senior account team leader, other requirements include being team focused and setting an example for cooperation to create trust and work towards common goals and values. Responsible for attendance at project meetings and for providing status reports at these meetings regarding projects in progress.
Attend off-site meetings as required.


Being able to adapt to changes in plans and priorities and exercise good judgment is important. Based on this overall description, the SSM role will fall broadly across the following approximate allocations (individual client account teams may have, from time to time, specific needs that may alter these allocations as may be necessary/required)

  • 50% of your time will be devoted to content oversight, quality control, and imparting scientific/medical insight from inception to delivery, including but not limited to,  responsibility for:
  • overall client satisfaction and high quality of all assigned scientific content/editorial projects and initiatives
  • innovative thinking that facilitates learnings from successes and failures
  • product/therapy area information and insight pertinent to the assigned client/account, including proactive added-value contributions as appropriate/required
  • identifying and obtaining required/helpful background materials, including from client, sufficient for completion of projects to the highest level of scientific rigor and insight (e.g., study data, client market research/plans, landscape/competitor analysis, etc)
  • reviewing of SD/ASD and/or writers’ work to ensure both high-level content and technical accuracy (e.g., understanding of the product/TA/project goals, organization, syntax, grammar, clarity, focus, etc) that not only require a minimum level of editing/rewriting but that also reflect and align with the project’s/client’s objectives
  • 25% of your time will be devoted to management and mentoring of assigned scientific staff and/or writers and oversight of their assigned projects including but not limited to, responsibility for:
  • reviewing and contributing to project specifications (eg, timelines, lead time, resource availability, etc)
  • helping to make scientific/writer assignments and allocations within the client account team
  • knowledge of all aspects of project development from initiation to completion, including a working knowledge of financial aspects (e.g., budget awareness and overages, out of scope requests/work, time management/time keeping, etc )
  • establishing and/or enforcing high-quality content standards and review procedures within the client account team
  • recognizing and helping to solve, along with the account manager as appropriate, inefficiencies and/or deficiencies in team performance, deliverable quality, and/or client engagement/management   
  • 25% of your time will be devoted to scientific and medical insight support of clients (both external and internal) including but not limited to, responsibility for
  • being the “strategic bridge” – between clients’ overall product development plans. and practical implications for product/account deliverables – for team members and, as required, ICON GMC senior leadership
  • establishing/maintaining peer-to-peer relationships with content authors, client product/TA experts, and other external (and internal) scientific/clinical experts
  • proactively recognizing/developing new business opportunities, in partnership with the account manager, for client organic growth, and, as required, with ICON GMC senior leadership

What you need:

  • Advanced degree, preferably PhD
  • Prior relevant experience in a medical publications/medical communications agency strongly preferred
  • Minimum of 5-7 years’ experience of high-level content development and management, including client-facing work, with at least 3 years as a Scientific Director (aka SM); applicants with additional 2-3 years’ experience as a Senior Scientific Director (or equivalent) while at a medical communications agency preferred
  • CMPP™/MAPPS Certification preferred
  • Proven history of strong client relationship management
  • Ability and desire to extract enthusiasm and high-performance from team members to exceed expectations
  • Proven mentoring and leadership skills
  • People management and relationship-building skills strongly preferred
  • Ability to work efficiently with network directories/databases
  • Familiarity and ability to work with industry standard resources (e.g., PubMed/Medline, clinicaltrials.gov, various market intelligence/data analytic providers, etc)
  • Ability to work with cross-functional teams (e.g., editorial/library services, graphics/digital services, presentations support, etc)

What ICON can offer you:
Our success depends on the quality of our people. That’s why we’ve made it a priority to build a diverse culture that rewards high performance and nurtures talent.

In addition to your competitive salary, ICON offers a range of additional benefits. Our benefits are designed to be competitive within each country and are focused on well-being and work life balance opportunities for you and your family.

Our benefits examples include:

  • Various annual leave entitlements
  • A range of health insurance offerings to suit you and your family’s needs.
  • Competitive retirement planning offerings to maximize savings and plan with confidence for the years ahead.
  • Global Employee Assistance Programme, LifeWorks, offering 24-hour access to a global network of over 80,000 independent specialized professionals who are there to support you and your family’s well-being.
  • Life assurance
  • Flexible country-specific optional benefits, including childcare vouchers, bike purchase schemes, discounted gym memberships, subsidized travel passes, health assessments, among others.

Visit our careers site to read more about the benefits ICON offers.

At ICON, diversity, inclusion & belonging are fundamental to our culture and values. Our rich diversity makes us more innovative which helps us better serve our people, patients, customers, and our communities. We're proud of our diverse workforce and the work we’ve done to become a more inclusive organisation. We’re dedicated to providing an inclusive and accessible environment for all candidates. ICON is committed to providing a workplace free of discrimination and harassment. All qualified applicants will receive equal consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or protected veteran status.

If, because of a medical condition or disability, you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application process, or in order to perform the essential functions of a position, please let us know or submit a request here

Interested in the role, but unsure if you meet all of the requirements? We would encourage you to apply regardless – there’s every chance you’re exactly what we’re looking for here at ICON whether it is for this or other roles.

Are you a current ICON Employee? Please click here to apply

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