Medical Affairs Director, Italy

Santhera Pharmaceuticals is a Swiss specialty pharmaceutical company focused on medical science and the development and commercialization of innovative pharmaceutical products for the treatment of rare neuromuscular diseases with high unmet medical need.

Come and join our team to contribute to providing treatment options for patients with rare diseases that have a severe impact on the lives of affected children and adults. You can make a difference as:

Medical Affairs Director, Italy

Scope of Work

The Medical Affairs Director, Italy reports directly to the General Manager of Italy, with a dotted line to the Head of Medical Affairs EU & ROW. This role is part of the Italian management team and collaborates closely with all other functions based in Italy, as well as affiliated functions such as Clinical Development, Medical Affairs, Marketing, Commercial, Market Access, and others. The overall scope of the role includes providing effective strategic, scientific, and medical leadership; line management of the medical team; developing and leading implementation of Italy Medical Affairs plans; engaging with scientific leaders; and fostering collaboration across functions and countries.

Key Responsibilities

1. Recruit, develop, and maintain a high-performing medical affairs team.
2. Identify strategic medical activities to support company goals.
3. Align Italy Medical Affairs and publication plans with global strategies.
4. Plan and deliver medical communications, congress, and educational initiatives.
5. Manage budgets and timelines effectively.
6. Develop and oversee scientific/clinical leader and KOL development plans.
7. Support local patient advocacy engagement in collaboration with relevant teams.
8. Support market access projects related to local value and reimbursement dossiers.
9. Contribute to HQ-led Medical Affairs projects, such as training platforms and congresses.
10. Ensure adherence to SOPs and compliance codes, developing local SOPs as needed.
11. Act as Italian compliance champion, applying knowledge of country codes.
12. Coordinate between Medical Affairs and commercial teams.
13. Participate in high-priority EU/global projects.
14. Ensure timely review and approval of materials.
15. Represent the company at global projects as the senior medical representative.

Required Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in a scientific field; licensed Doctor (MD), Pharmacist (PharmD), or equivalent advanced scientific degree.
• At least 10 years’ experience in medical affairs, including product launches and lifecycle management, with knowledge of regulatory and compliance requirements in Italy.
• Experience in rare diseases, R&D, or clinical work in hospitals or patient organizations preferred.
• Experience in neuromuscular diseases or related fields, with familiarity with clinical trial methodologies preferred.
• Leadership experience, including team management.
• Willingness to travel up to 50% as needed.

Required Competencies & Skills

• Strong relationship-building skills with KOLs, healthcare professionals, and stakeholders.
• Excellent planning and organizational skills.
• Strategic vision with a focus on business outcomes.
• Ability to balance detailed analysis with strategic thinking.
• Proactive, results-oriented, and capable of driving initiatives to completion.
• Native Italian speaker with excellent communication and presentation skills.
• Ability to work independently and in teams within a dynamic environment.
• Resilient, adaptable, and solutions-oriented.

If you are interested in a multicultural, challenging, and innovative environment and your profile matches our requirements, we look forward to receiving your application in English via LinkedIn or email.

Note for agencies:

Recruitment agencies are kindly requested not to send unsolicited CVs to Santhera.