At Lilly, we unite caring with discovery to make life better for people around the world. We are a global healthcare leader headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana. Our employees around the world work to discover and bring life-changing medicines to those who need them, improve the understanding and management of disease, and give back to our communities through philanthropy and volunteerism. We give our best effort to our work, and we put people first. We’re looking for people who are determined to make life better for people around the world.
The Senior Director, Medical Affairs – Oncology (solid tumor and hematology) is a senior scientific and strategic leader responsible for setting the medical vision and driving cross-functional execution across the oncology therapeutic area (TA). This individual serves as the primary medical authority for the oncology business unit, leading a team of Medical Affairs professionals to deliver evidence-based, patient-centric medical strategies that support peri-launch and lifecycle commercialization of oncology assets.
This role combines deep oncology expertise with organizational leadership, requiring the ability to influence at the executive level, partner effectively with Commercial, Regulatory, Clinical Development, Market Access, and external stakeholders, and shape a high-performance culture grounded in scientific rigor, inclusion, and continuous learning.
This is a hybrid role – onsite presence at our Toronto office will be 10 days or more per month (or at least 50% of the time), determined in collaboration with your manager and based on business needs.
This role is eligible for additional forms of compensation, such as participation in the Lilly Bonus Program and a car allowance.
This posting is for an existing vacancy.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
1. Medical & Scientific Leadership
- Define and own the therapeutic area medical strategy, integrating scientific intelligence and clinical evidence to inform brand lifecycle plans, publication strategy, and evidence generation priorities.
- Serve as the senior medical content owner for all oncology assets, ensuring alignment between global and local medical plans, regulatory milestones, and commercial objectives.
- Drive the development of compelling scientific narratives and data packages to support product positioning, payer submissions, and key opinion leader (KOL) engagement.
- Oversee the Medical Affairs evidence generation plan, including Investigator-initiated Studies (IIS), Real-World Evidence (RWE) initiatives, Health Economics and Outcomes Research (HEOR), and Phase IIIb/IV trial support.
- Guide the identification, cultivation, and engagement of KOLs, advisory boards, cooperative groups, and professional societies to generate external advocacy and scientific exchange.
- Review and provide medical/scientific oversight for external grants, donations, and sponsorship requests consistent with company policies and compliance standards.
2. Strategic Cross-Functional Partnership
- Serve as the Medical Affairs representative and scientific voice on brand teams, portfolio review boards, and executive-level business forums.
- Collaborate with Regulatory Affairs to align on label strategy, post-marketing commitments, and risk management plans; represent medical in Health Authority interactions as appropriate.
- Engage with Market Access and HEOR teams to develop payer-relevant evidence frameworks, health-economic models, and value dossiers that support reimbursement and access objectives.
- Coordinate Medical Education, MSL field force, and MSL leadership to ensure coherent, compliant, and impactful medical communications across all external touchpoints.
- Represent the company at major oncology congresses, scientific symposia, and regulatory advisory committees.
3. People Leadership & Talent Development
- Lead, coach, and develop a team of Medical Directors, Associate Medical Directors, Medical Science Liaisons, and supporting Medical Affairs professionals within the oncology TA.
- Establish individualized development plans that leverage each team member's strengths, close capability gaps, and build scientific and leadership depth across the organization.
- Drive talent acquisition, retention, and succession planning in partnership with Human Resources and senior leadership.
- Lead rigorous performance management processes, including goal setting, ongoing coaching, mid-year and annual performance reviews, and compensation recommendations.
- Model and reinforce inclusive leadership behaviors that foster psychological safety, equitable participation, and authentic professional expression for all team members.
4. Operational Excellence, Culture & Compliance
- Build and sustain a high-performing, inclusive team culture that rewards innovation, intellectual curiosity, scientific rigor, and cross-functional collaboration.
- Monitor and manage team capacity, resource allocation, and Medical Affairs budget to ensure the organization is appropriately staffed to deliver on launch and lifecycle objectives.
- Establish and track medical impact KPIs to evaluate the effectiveness of TA activities and continuously improve performance.
- Ensure all Medical Affairs activities are conducted in strict accordance with applicable laws, regulations, company SOPs, and ethical standards
- Promote a culture of compliance by ensuring team members complete required training and maintain clear accountability for regulatory and policy adherence.
- Identify and proactively resolve systemic barriers that impede team effectiveness, customer experience, or scientific delivery.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
- Advanced scientific or clinical degree required: MD, PharmD, or PhD in a relevant biomedical discipline.
- Minimum 10 years of progressive experience in the pharmaceutical or biopharmaceutical industry, with at least 7 years in Medical Affairs.
- Minimum 5 years of direct people management experience, with a demonstrated track record of building and leading high-performing, diverse teams.
- Proven oncology Medical Affairs experience, including familiarity with targeted therapy, immuno-oncology, biomarker-driven development, and/or hematologic malignancy landscapes.
- Demonstrated ability to influence without authority and lead strategic alignment across Commercial, R&D, Regulatory, and Market Access functions in a matrixed organization.
- Strong executive presence and communication skills; ability to distill complex scientific and business information for senior leadership, Health Authorities, and external audiences.
- Experience shaping and executing evidence generation strategies including RWE, IIS programs, HEOR research, and Phase III/IV studies.
- Proven ability to build and maintain relationships with KOLs, academic medical centers, cooperative oncology groups, and patient advocacy organizations.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Experience leading peri-launch Medical Affairs strategy and execution for advanced oncology therapies.
- Familiarity with global medical affairs, including experience leading or collaborating with international affiliate medical teams and regional medical strategies.
- Proficiency in digital health tools, real-world data platforms, or omnichannel medical engagement models.
- Experience working across multiple tumor types or therapeutic modalities (e.g., antibody-drug conjugates, bispecific antibodies, small molecule inhibitors).
Lilly is dedicated to helping individuals with disabilities to actively engage in the workforce, ensuring equal opportunities when vying for positions. If you require accommodation to submit a resume for a position at Lilly, please complete the accommodation request form (https://careers.lilly.com/us/en/workplace-accommodation) for further assistance. Please note this is for individuals to request an accommodation as part of the application process and any other correspondence will not receive a response.
Lilly does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, protected veteran status, disability or any other legally protected status.
Actual compensation will depend on a candidate’s education, experience, skills, and geographic location. The anticipated wage for this position is
$170,250 - $249,700
Full-time equivalent employees may also be eligible for a company bonus (depending, in part, on company and individual performance). In addition, Lilly offers a comprehensive benefit program to eligible employees, including eligibility to participate in a pension plan; vacation benefits; eligibility for healthcare benefits; flexible benefits (if applicable) life insurance and death benefits; certain time off and leave of absence benefits; and well-being benefits (e.g., employee assistance program, fitness benefits, and employee clubs and activities). Lilly reserves the right to amend, modify, or terminate its compensation and benefit programs in its sole discretion and Lilly’s compensation practices and guidelines will apply regarding the details of any promotion or transfer of Lilly employees.
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