General Information
Job Advert Title Lead Therapeutic Area Location United Kingdom Function/Business Area Medical & Clinical Employment Class Fixed Term ContractDescription
Lead Therapeutic AreaAbout Astellas:
At Astellas we are a progressive health partner, delivering value and outcomes where needed.
We pursue innovative science, focussing initially on the areas of greatest potential and then developing solutions where patient need is high, often in rare or under-served disease areas and in life-threatening or life-limiting diseases and conditions.
We work directly with patients, doctors and health care professionals on the front line to ensure patient and clinical needs are guiding our development activities at every stage.
Our global vision for Patient Centricity is to support the development of innovative health solutions through a deep understanding of the patient experience. At Astellas, Patient Centricity isn’t a buzzword - it’s a guiding principle for action. We believe all staff have a role to play in creating a patient-centric culture and integrating an awareness of the patient into our everyday working practices, regardless of our role, team or division.
We work closely with regulatory authorities and payers to find new ways to ensure access to new therapies. We deliver the latest insights and real-world evidence to inform the best decisions for patients and their care-givers, to ensure the medicines we develop continue to provide meaningful outcomes.
Beyond medicines, we support our stakeholder communities to drive initiatives that improve awareness, education, access and ultimately standards of care.
Opportunity:
You are responsible for implementing the medical strategy (Core Medical Plan) within your designated therapeutic area at the affiliate level. This involves coordinating and executing medical and scientific activities to gain a deep understanding of the local external environment, identifying data gaps, and translating insights into actionable strategies and initiatives. You ensure that the information needs of key stakeholders are met to support the safe and appropriate use of Astellas products.
Hybrid Working:
At Astellas we recognise the importance of balancing your work and home life. This role offers a remote working solution so you can optimise the most productive work environment for you to succeed and deliver.
Responsibilities and Accountabilities:
- Providing strategic medical and scientific expertise to support all affiliate Medical Affairs deliverables and cross-functional activities.
- Demonstrating matrix leadership by building and maintaining strong, integrated partnerships with internal and external stakeholders to ensure all affiliate Medical Affairs activities meet local needs and enhance the medical and scientific understanding of Astellas products throughout their lifecycle.
- Understanding and engaging with external stakeholders to advance knowledge of compounds in development, support the safe and effective use of Astellas products, and deepen insights into the diseases they treat.
- Engaging and working closely with key internal stakeholders, including affiliate brand teams, to help achieve the affiliate’s business objectives.
- Ensuring that all affiliate Medical Affairs activities deliver meaningful value, are scientifically valid, clinically relevant, and executed on time and within budget.
Required Qualifications:
- Master’s degree in a health-related scientific field.
- Solid pharmaceutical industry experience, including demonstrated experience specifically within Medical Affairs.
- Candidates from academia may also be considered if they bring strong therapeutic area expertise, including clinical or hospital practice, involvement in clinical development, and experience in designing, conducting, and reporting clinical trials.
- Solid understanding of the drug development lifecycle and the commercialization process.
- Ideally has a good grasp of how large corporate environments operate and feels comfortable working within matrix reporting structures.
- Thorough knowledge of, and ability to comply with, relevant industry regulations and legal requirements.
- Proven ability to manage complex projects independently—such as advisory boards, publications, or similar initiatives.
- Strong ability to proactively build strategic partnerships across internal functions.
- Well-developed presentation skills, with positive feedback from varied audiences.
- Excellent written and spoken business English.
- Willing and able to travel 20–30% of the time, including overnight stays.
Education/Qualifications:
- Doctoral degree (MD, PhD in health-related science or PharmD) or equivalent.
- Contributing to / supporting onboarding and development activities for colleagues e.g. acting as a buddy, mentor or coach.
- Demonstration of delegated responsibilities successfully completed e.g. acting as a back-up for a Therapy Area Lead at key internal or external meetings.
Additional Information:
- This is a permanent, full-time position based in the UK.
- This is a 12-month fixed term contract.
- This position follows our hybrid working model. Role requires a blend of home and minimum of 1 day a week in our Addlestone office. Flexibility may be required in line with business need. Candidates must be located within a commutable distance of the office.
We are an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, colour, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.
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