Medical Oncology Head

The Medical TA Head defines and executes the country-specific medical strategy for the assigned Therapeutic Area, ensuring aligned and impactful delivery of scientific engagement, medical education, evidence generation, and cross‑functional support. The role serves as the country’s scientific leader for the TA, shaping strategy, guiding external customer and field engagement, and ensuring high scientific standards across all medical activities throughout the product lifecycle.

Medical TA Strategy

• Adapt international medical plans into a country tailored Medical TA strategy supporting prelaunch, launch and lifecycle management.
• Build a strategic orientation and tactical plans across external insights, medical education, and publication planning.
• Set and oversee the local data generation strategy (RWE, HEOR inputs, evidence generation, Phase IV/IIIb) including publication plans.
• Provide scientific and clinical expertise to inform trial design, feasibility, integrated evidence strategies, and local clinical programs.
• Serve as the disease area expert for internal stakeholders (Marketing, Market Access, Regulatory, Commercial, Digital).
• Guarantee ERC/compliance in all medical activities and materials.

Medical Engagement

• Lead and guide all peer-to-peer scientific exchange with HCPs and Medical Experts (MEs) to ensure credible, unbiased, scientific dialogue.
• Oversee MSL strategic direction, ensuring coherent field engagement plans aligned to TA strategy.
• Ensure systematic external insight gathering and translate insights into strategic recommendations.
• Support internal teams with medical knowledge, clinical data interpretation, and training.
• Ensure medical teams maintain highest standards in evidence based, ethical engagement.

Medical Education & Scientific Communication

• Design and execute the medical education strategy, including scientific events, symposia, hospital meetings, and congress activities.
• Localize and produce high quality scientific communication materials (presentations, publications, external education tools).
• Partner with Medical Customer Excellence and other internal functions on external scientific event planning, vendor management, congress measurement and reporting.
• Lead or support publication planning for the country TA.
• Provide scientific inputs to EE Capability Building to design/localize capability programs/curricula for medical teams and for TA teams and partner for the delivery of those.

Medical Partnerships

• Build and maintain strong partnerships with Medical Experts, scientific societies, and academic institutions to support collaboration and scientific leadership in the TA.
• Partner cross-functionally with Commercial TA Heads, Value & Access, Regulatory, Execution Excellence and global/international/regional medical teams.
• Represent the company as the credible scientific ambassador in the TA, contributing to a positive reputation with key stakeholders and institutions.
• Strengthen the medical ecosystem by shaping joint value creation initiatives, evidence based collaborations, and multistakeholder partnerships.

Leadership & Culture

•        Foster an engaged, high-performance culture with clear goals, coaching, and ongoing development.

•        Attract future ready talents, help them grow, and keep them engaged; strengthen succession and capability across the country organization.

•        Lead by example with Novartis Leadership Expectations, encouraging transformation, strong performance, and a growth mindset.

Ideal Background

Experiences:

• 7+ years in Medical Affairs and/or Clinical Development
• Experience working in Oncology Therapeutic Area

• Proven track record in developing and executing medical strategies across the product lifecycle.

• Prior leadership experiences.

• Experience in scientific engagement with Medical Experts/HCPs and guiding MSL/field medical teams.

• Demonstrated experience in evidence generation, publication planning, and interpreting clinical data.

• Cross‑functional collaboration experience with Market Access, Regulatory, Marketing, Commercial.

• Experience leading medical education programs, congress activities, and external scientific events.

• Exposure to regional/global medical functions with ability to translate strategy into local action.

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Functional Capabilities:

• Ability to design and deliver country specific medical strategies, translating global direction into local execution.

• Strong scientific expertise with ability to interpret and communicate complex clinical data.

• Skilled in planning and overseeing local evidence generation (RWE, Phase IV, observational research).

• Proficient in developing/adapting scientific communication and medical education materials.

• Strong commercial business acumen.

• Ability to collaborate effectively across matrix teams and provide clear medical leadership to cross‑functional partners.

• Solid understanding of compliance, regulatory requirements, and governance processes.

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Leadership Capabilities & Mindset:

• Strategic thinker who can anticipate trends and translate insights into clear TA priorities.

• Influential leader able to align cross functional stakeholders and build trust with internal/external partners.

• Strong people leader who develops others through coaching, feedback, and scientific role modeling.

• Drives execution and fosters a results-oriented, evidence-based culture.

• Comfortable navigating ambiguity and complexity while driving innovation and continuous improvement.

• Excellent communicator with the ability to simplify complex scientific concepts for diverse audiences.

• High integrity, ethical judgment, and a patient centric mindset guiding all interactions.

Location

Tokyo (Toranomon Hills)