Medical Science Liaison, Northeast

Medical Science Liaison, Northeast

Job Description

Candidates for this role will ideally be located in Boston or New York City.

Place in the Organization

uniQure is dedicated to bringing innovative therapies for unmet medical needs to patients. In doing so, each function in uniQure is directly or indirectly responsible for the lives of patients. This responsibility should be part of our day-to-day working life by (i) living up to high quality standards and (ii) by recognizing the sense of urgency in areas of high medical need.

The primary responsibility of the Medical Science Liaison (MSL) is to serve as a field-based medical expert within the Medical Affairs Organization and engage in mutual scientific exchange. The Field Medical teams enhance the understanding of scientific and medical value of uniQure’s gene therapy products with Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs), Healthcare Providers (HCP), and other stakeholders to further patient outcomes. The MSL will act as a regional medical and scientific resource who supports the changing needs of healthcare professionals. MSLs respond to customer inquiries to ensure focused and balanced clinical and scientific information that supports the appropriate use of uniQure’s products.

The position reports to the Executive Director, Field Medical. We anticipate this role will require up to 50% travel including to our Lexington office.

Key Result Areas (Major Duties, Accountabilities, and Responsibilities)

• Demonstrate deep scientific expertise on uniQure’s gene therapy products, and therapeutic areas to exchange relevant information and insights with key opinion leaders.
• Build, cultivate and maintain a focused group of regional key opinion leaders to ensure understanding of evolving healthcare trends across the relevant therapeutic area landscape.
• Identify, establish and maintain collaborative relationships with key experts, investigators, and institutions.
• Respond to on and off-label questions with integrity, compliance, and adherence to legal, regulatory, guidelines, policies & procedures.
• Represent Medical Affairs Team during scientific conferences, continuing medical educational events, and medical meetings.
• Recognize and capture scientific insights that deepen our understanding of the needs of key opinion leaders, healthcare providers, and patients to share with internal stakeholders.
• Respond to unsolicited requests regarding interest in investigator sponsored studies (ISS) and support ISS submissions through appropriate internal processes.
• Assist upon request from Clinical Development with clinical studies, including investigator/site identification, site initiation visits, and feedback regarding operational management to ensure optimal site selection and performance.
• Respond to unsolicited requests for medical information associated with products and disease state areas related to uniQure.
• Train and facilitate speakers on uniQure’s products.
• Build and cultivate working relationships across internal stakeholders (Medical Affairs colleagues, Clinical Operations, Market Access, HEOR, R&D, Medical Information and Commercial) while maintaining full compliance with relevant company, industry, legal, and regulatory requirements.
• Work efficiently and balance all work to enhance performance and execute local medical plan strategies within specified timelines.
• Collaborate with Account Management and Patient Advocacy to ensure strong aligned support of treatment centers of excellence.
• Participate on committees or project teams that support MSL strategies and tactics as delegated by MSL leadership.
• Engage in continuous independent learning within the therapeutic area and actively attend and participate in upskilling programs related to products, disease states, and relevant business topics.
• Provide medical educational support to payers, service providers, patient advocacy groups, and other key stakeholders as requested.
• Participate in medical congresses, scientific advisory boards, regional events, and patient advocacy meetings as appropriate to gather relevant information and support educational opportunities.
• Document and forward reports of adverse events according to uniQure’s policy to ensure the safe and effective use of uniQure products.
• Respond to unsolicited requests regarding interest in uniQure products and provide research/educational support requests through appropriate internal processes.
• Identify and communicate key clinical and research issues and insights from industry leaders to appropriate departments to help shape company research, development, and strategies for investigational and commercialized products.
• Maintain clinical expertise through comprehensive education including attendance at relevant symposia, scientific workshops, and review of key journals. Participation in required internal training, presentations, and journal clubs.
• Adhere to regulatory and compliance guidelines and company policies in all aspects of scientific dissemination of information to include responses to unsolicited requests for medical information.

Qualifications & Skills

• Advanced scientific or clinical degree (e.g. PharmD, PhD, MD). Preference will be given to those with a background in neurology and rare diseases.
• Gene therapy experience is highly desirable.
• A minimum of 4+ years of experience as an MSL; biotech experience preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to develop and maintain credible and scientific relationships with top experts in the field.
• Ability to operate autonomously; independently arranging frequent meetings with external stakeholders.
• Ability to interpret and translate data and complex scientific concepts into clinically relevant messages.
• Clear understanding of medical practice, healthcare systems, and clinical decision-making guidelines as they impact patient care.
• Excellent written/verbal communication and presentation skills required.
• Strong interpersonal skills and demonstrated leadership in working in a cross-functional environment and influencing management decisions.
• Self-motivated to drive for results, with effective planning, prioritization, management, and organizational skills.
• Ability to navigate ambiguous, complex, and difficult situations.
• Ability to interface with multiple stakeholders, including clinicians and payers.
• Demonstrated expertise in ability to synthesize and communicate medical information clearly.
• Fundamental understanding of clinical research.
• Excellent project management ability.
• Thorough knowledge of regulatory environment.