Scientific Communications Senior Director

Location: Wilmington, Delaware

Hybrid: 3 days a week onsite

The Senior Director, US Scientific Communications sets the strategic agenda for the US medical communications function. They are accountable for building and evolving a high-performing team that defines the overall US medical content development strategy. They improve the quality, reach, and impact of scientific communications deliverables. They also deliver on license to operate work, including Medical Information activities and US Promotional review. ​

This role reports to the Head of US Medical Excellence, and partners closely with the core functions under the US Medical Excellence team, US Medical Affairs and US Commercial Brand and Therapy Areas teams, Global Scientific Communications, Promotional Regulatory Affairs, Legal, Compliance, Global Business Services (GBS), enterprise digital teams, and external agencies or platform partners.

Typical Accountabilities:

Strategic Leadership and Operating Model

• Set the long-term vision, priorities, and transformation agenda for US Scientific Communications, ensuring the function drives scientific narrative pull-through, strategic impact, and measurable value across US BBU
• Define and direct the American medical content strategy. Improve the global-to-local process to better prioritize, reuse, govern, and deliver high-impact scientific content.
• Evolve and lead the current operating model supporting Medical Information and promotional review activities, identifying and implementing opportunities to enhance efficiency, quality, and collaborator experience while maintaining regulatory compliance.
• Content excellence and performance: Establish standards, critical metrics, and feedback loops that elevate quality, speed, accessibility, discoverability, compliance, and measurable content impact.
• Innovation and AI-enabled transformation: Champion future-ready approaches, including agentic AI and automation, to modernize content creation, review, delivery, and workflow design.
• Future-ready operating model: Build and evolve a modern SciComms operating model that integrates license-to-operate responsibilities with scalable content strategy, agile ways of working, and continuous improvement.

Enterprise Collaboration

• US Medical and TA collaboration: Work closely with US Medical, TA, and Commercial leaders to align SciComms priorities with Medical Plans, brand needs, key achievements, and business objectives.
• Global Scientific Communications partnership: Partner with Global SciComms to improve content pull-through while ensuring US insights, market needs, customer trends, and performance metrics shape global planning.
• Enterprise thought leadership: Serve as a strategic enterprise partner, bringing SciComms expertise, innovation, and best practices into broader US business priorities.
• GBS and internal partner leadership: Coordinate both GBS and in-house delivery teamworks to ensure clear service build, sourcing, demand management, quality oversight, and handling of blocking issues.

Team Management and Resources

• Resource and milestone readiness: Plan and manage resources to support TA priorities and ensure readiness for launches, data readouts, congresses, and other critical business moments.
• Financial and vendor stewardship: Lead budget planning and oversee agency, third-party, and vendor investments to ensure spend is strategically allocated and tied to measurable value.
• Talent and capability development: Build, mentor, and develop a high-performing SciComms team, advancing capabilities in content strategy, innovation, operational excellence, and enterprise partnership.

Essential Requirements:

• Advanced degree in scientific discipline or applicable health sciences field (PharmD, PhD, MD)
• 8+ years of pharmaceuticals/scientific communications experience, including enterprise leadership
• Proven leadership/management of Medical Information/Content development/promotional review and/or Medical Affairs Teams or equivalent.
• Proven experience in drug information, Medical Communications and knowledge of applicable regulations.
• Experience in developing new services & programmes.
• Solid understanding and application of good practices in medical enquiry management and writing medical content.
• Strong cross-functional skills and confirmed experience in collaboration with other departments/groups.
• Well-developed project management skills and demonstrated ability to manage projects, teams and resources (suppliers and budgets).
• Highly developed communication, organisational, and interpersonal skills.
• Experience in performance development of team members.
• Experience in strategic planning process.
• Results driven, customer service orientation.
• Understanding of the business needs and the strategic impact of services on end user.
• Patient-care experience and a patient-centric mindset.

Desired Requirements:

• Digital communications and services experience, including experience with modular content authoring platforms
• Experience partnering with Scientific Communications leadership to operationalise franchise narratives and communication plan deliverables

Why AstraZeneca?

When we put unexpected teams in the same room, we unleash bold thinking with the power to inspire life-changing medicines. In-person working gives us the platform we need to connect, work at pace and challenge perceptions. That's why we work, on average, a minimum of three days per week from the office. But that doesn't mean we're not flexible. We balance the expectation of being in the office while respecting individual flexibility.

The annual base pay for this position ranges from $197,390.40 - 296,085.60 USD Annual and salaried non-exempt employees will also be paid overtime pay when working qualifying overtime hours. Base pay offered may vary depending on multiple individualized factors, including market location, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. In addition, our positions offer a short-term incentive bonus opportunity; eligibility to participate in our equity-based long-term incentive program. Benefits offered included a qualified retirement program [401(k) plan]; paid vacation and holidays; paid leaves; and, health benefits including medical, prescription drug, dental, and vision coverage in accordance with the terms and conditions of the applicable plans. Additional details of participation in these benefit plans will be provided if an employee receives an offer of employment. If hired, employee will be in an “at-will position” and the Company reserves the right to modify base pay (as well as any other discretionary payment or compensation program) at any time, including for reasons related to individual performance, Company or individual department/team performance, and market factors.

Are you ready to be part of a talented, cross-functional team working together to improve lives and make the biggest possible impact for patients, science and society?

Apply now!

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Our mission is to build an inclusive environment where equal employment opportunities are available to all applicants and employees. In furtherance of that mission, we welcome and consider applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of their protected characteristics. If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please complete the corresponding section in the application form.