Medical Affairs Jobs

Medical affairs sits between a company's clinical/scientific data and the physicians and patients who need it -- communicating trial evidence to healthcare providers, answering unsolicited medical questions, and generating additional real-world evidence once a product is on the market. It's distinct from clinical development, which runs the trials that get a drug approved in the first place; medical affairs picks up the scientific-communication side before and after launch.

Common titles include Medical Science Liaison (MSL), Medical Affairs Associate, Medical Information Specialist, and, at senior levels, Director or VP of Medical Affairs -- often within a specific therapeutic area. Hiring comes from pharma and biotech medical affairs departments, with demand rising sharply for any biotech nearing its first product launch.

MSL and other scientific-facing roles typically require an advanced degree -- PharmD, PhD, or MD -- while medical affairs operations and administrative roles are more open to a life-sciences background plus relevant experience. Because much of the role involves engaging with physicians and researchers across a broad territory rather than sitting at a single office, field-based and remote arrangements are common.