Full-Time

Senior Medical Science Liaison

Kyowa Kirin

Kyowa Kirin

1,001-5,000 employees

Global specialty pharma focused on antibodies

Compensation Overview

CA$157.1k - CA$203.2k/yr

Ontario, Canada

In Person

Must reside within Ontario and be near a major airport; travel up to 70% is required.

Bachelor's, Master's, PharmD, PhD, MD

Category
Biology & Biotech
Required Skills
Microsoft Office
CRM
Word/Pages/Docs
Data Analysis
Excel/Numbers/Sheets
Microsoft Outlook
PowerPoint/Keynote/Slides

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Requirements
  • An advanced clinical or scientific degree or healthcare professional credential, such as an MD, PhD, PharmD, NP, MSc, or equivalent, is required.
  • A minimum of four years of experience as a Medical Science Liaison, field-based medical professional, or in a related clinical, scientific, or Medical Affairs role is preferred.
  • Demonstrated ability to engage healthcare professionals, key opinion leaders, investigators, and other external stakeholders through compliant scientific exchange.
  • Ability to interpret and communicate clinical and scientific data effectively to diverse audiences.
  • Track record of effectively managing field-based responsibilities, prioritizing activities, and operating independently in alignment with Medical Affairs objectives.
  • Understanding of assigned disease states, therapeutic landscapes, treatment guidelines, and current standards of care.
  • Familiarity with clinical research methodology, evidence generation strategies, and interpretation of clinical trial data.
  • Working knowledge of Health Canada regulations, Good Clinical Practice, pharmacovigilance requirements, and applicable industry standards.
  • Proficiency in evaluating medical literature, synthesizing scientific information, and translating complex data into meaningful insights for healthcare professionals and internal stakeholders.
  • Experience utilizing Medical Affairs systems, customer relationship management platforms, and Microsoft Office Suite, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook.
  • Demonstrated capability to analyze medical insights, identify trends, and support data-driven decision-making within Medical Affairs.
  • Capacity to manage multiple priorities, organize field-based activities, and operate effectively in a dynamic, cross-functional environment.
  • Fluent written and verbal English.
  • Must reside within the assigned Ontario territory and maintain proximity to a major airport.
  • A valid driver's license and the ability to operate a motor vehicle as required for business travel are required.
Responsibilities
  • Establish, develop, and maintain strategic scientific relationships with national, regional, and local key opinion leaders, healthcare professionals, investigators, and other external stakeholders.
  • Serve as a trusted scientific expert by engaging in compliant, peer-to-peer scientific exchange and providing accurate, balanced, and evidence-based medical and clinical information regarding company products, disease states, and emerging clinical data, including responses to unsolicited medical information requests.
  • Gather, analyze, and communicate actionable medical insights, unmet medical needs, and competitive intelligence from field interactions to inform Medical Affairs strategy, evidence generation, and cross-functional decision-making.
  • Function as the regional scientific expert by identifying external stakeholder needs and connecting them with appropriate Medical Affairs resources, initiatives, and scientific collaborations.
  • Support the planning and execution of Medical Affairs objectives through scientific engagement at national, regional, and local medical congresses, advisory boards, investigator meetings, and other scientific forums.
  • Establish and maintain collaborative relationships with clinical investigators and support investigator-initiated studies and company-sponsored clinical research in partnership with Clinical Operations, in accordance with company policies and regulatory requirements.
  • Develop and deliver scientific presentations, educational programs, and clinical resources for healthcare professionals and other appropriate stakeholders.
  • Deliver scientific education and training to internal cross-functional partners on disease states, therapeutic landscapes, clinical data, and company products.
  • Build and maintain effective cross-functional partnerships across Medical Affairs, Clinical Development, Commercial, Market Access, Regulatory Affairs, and other internal functions while maintaining appropriate boundaries between scientific and commercial activities.
  • Communicate and disseminate important product safety information in accordance with Medical Affairs, Research and Development, pharmacovigilance, regulatory requirements, and company policies.
  • Maintain current scientific knowledge through continuous review of clinical literature, treatment guidelines, and emerging data within assigned therapeutic areas.
  • Participate in cross-functional projects, Medical Affairs initiatives, and strategic planning activities, serving as a scientific resource to internal stakeholders.
  • Mentor and support the development of fellow Medical Science Liaisons by sharing scientific expertise, field insights, and best practices.
  • Perform all responsibilities in compliance with applicable laws, regulations, industry codes, company policies, and standards of scientific integrity and ethical conduct.
  • Travel by air and ground transportation, including overnight travel and occasional weekend commitments, to support scientific congresses, advisory boards, and other Medical Affairs activities.
Desired Qualifications
  • Doctoral degree, such as an MD, PhD, or PharmD.
  • Background in the Rare Disease therapeutic area or related disease states such as Metabolic Diseases, Oncology, or Hematology.
  • Familiarity with clinical research activities, including investigator-initiated studies and/or company-sponsored clinical trials.
  • Involvement in scientific congresses, advisory boards, investigator meetings, or other medical education activities.
  • Bilingual English and French.

1) What does this company do? Kyowa Kirin develops specialty pharmaceutical drugs with a focus on nephrology, oncology, and immunology, built on a foundation of fermentation technology and antibody science. 2) How does this company's product(s) work? It uses fermentation-derived biology and antibody-based approaches to create therapies that target kidney disease, cancer, and immune-related conditions, delivered as approved medicines after research, development, and clinical testing. 3) How is this company different from its competitors? It blends deep fermentation and microbiology expertise with antibody technology from its history, plus a global specialty-drug focus, resulting from a merger of Kyowa Hakko Kogyo and Kirin Pharma that combined fermentation know-how with pharmaceutical resources. 4) What is this company's goal? To develop and commercialize innovative treatments that address unmet medical needs in nephrology, oncology, and immunology on a global scale.

Company Size

1,001-5,000

Company Stage

IPO

Headquarters

Tokyo, Japan

Founded

1885

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Simplify Jobs

Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

  • FDA selected Sanford for PreCheck on June 30, 2026, accelerating biologics launch readiness.
  • Crysvita expanded adult XLH dosing in May 2026, extending treatment uptake and persistence.
  • 2025 revenue reached ¥496.8 billion, and 2026 guidance rises to ¥520.0 billion.

What critics are saying

  • Crysvita sales still dominate; any reimbursement squeeze or safety issue hits 2026 results fast.
  • Sanford slips past 2027, and the FDA PreCheck advantage evaporates into delay and cost.
  • March 2026 leadership turnover, including CFO Motohiko Kawaguchi, disrupts execution and accountability.

What makes Kyowa Kirin unique

  • Crysvita remains the only approved XLH therapy, protecting a rare-disease franchise in 2026.
  • Sanford, North Carolina gives Kyowa Kirin a first U.S. biologics manufacturing base by 2027.
  • Benchling deployment in Tokyo and Fuji formalizes AI-enabled R&D workflows across discovery.

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Benefits

401(k) Company Match

Paid Vacation

Paid Sick Leave

Health Insurance

Dental Insurance

Vision Insurance

Life Insurance

Disability Insurance

Health Savings Account/Flexible Spending Account

Unlimited Paid Time Off

Hybrid Work Options

Pet Insurance

Tuition Assistance

Growth & Insights and Company News

Headcount

6 month growth

0%

1 year growth

-1%

2 year growth

-2%
Yahoo Finance
Aug 26th, 2026
Cognizant wins Kyowa Kirin AI R&D deal to implement Benchling platform in Japan

Cognizant Technology Solutions will support Kyowa Kirin in implementing Benchling, an AI-driven R&D platform, at the Tokyo and Fuji Research Parks in Japan. The engagement includes platform setup, data migration, ongoing maintenance, and workflow optimization for drug discovery research. The deal reinforces Cognizant's enterprise-scale AI automation capabilities in life sciences digitalization. However, it is unlikely to shift near-term catalysts around broader AI adoption or risks that AI may erode demand for labour-intensive services. Cognizant's narrative projects $24.9 billion revenue and $3.1 billion earnings by 2029, requiring 5.2% yearly revenue growth. The most optimistic analysts forecast revenue reaching $26.1 billion and earnings of $3.9 billion by 2029, depending on how AI investments translate into higher-margin work.

IT Business Today
Aug 17th, 2026
Kyowa Kirin modernizes with Cognizant and Benchling R&D with AI and automation.

Kyowa Kirin modernizes with Cognizant and Benchling R&D with AI and automation. Last updated: August 17, 2026 12:53 pm Kyowa Kirin has chosen Cognizant and Benchling to support the rollout of Benchling's cloud-based R&D platform at its Tokyo Research Park and Fuji Research Park. The platform brings experimental planning, data collection, AI tools, and workflow automation into one place. Researchers can connect experimental equipment directly to Benchling, allowing data to be captured as structured and searchable records instead of being entered manually. That matters as Kyowa Kirin's research work becomes more complex and its pipeline expands. The company expects the platform to help speed up activities ranging from identifying drug targets to selecting new drug candidates. Researchers will also be able to search past experiments, generate reports, examine relationships between studies, and support molecular design using the platform's analytical and AI capabilities. Cognizant will handle the implementation using Benchling, including platform setup, data migration, deployment, and the ongoing upkeep too. This partnership shows where pharma research and development is headed, more or less, these days. More of the work around data handling and routine processes is being moved into connected digital systems, while AI is being brought closer to the research itself rather than treated as a separate tool. ITBT Staffwriter is an in-house contributor at IT Business Today, responsible for delivering timely News and QuickBytes. The author covers the latest developments across IT, tech, and enterprise solutions to keep readers informed with concise and impactful updates. August 17, 2026

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Link Cell Therapies raises $92M to advance CAR-T cancer treatments for solid and liquid tumors

Link Cell Therapies has emerged from stealth with $60 million in Series A funding led by Johnson & Johnson Innovation – JJDC, bringing total capital raised to $92 million. The South San Francisco–based oncology company is developing CAR-T therapies for solid and liquid tumours using proprietary logic-gating technology. The platform enables safe targeting of multiple antigens co-expressed on cancer cells whilst sparing healthy tissue. Co-founded by Dr Robbie Majzner and Dr Crystal Mackall at Stanford University in 2022, Link's lead programme, LNK001 for renal cell carcinoma, is on track for an IND application and Phase I trial in 2026. The Series A round included participation from founding investors Samsara BioCapital and Sheatree Capital, alongside new backers Bristol Myers Squibb, Kyowa Kirin and Wing Venture Capital.

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Garuda Therapeutics, a Cambridge, MA-based hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) therapies company, raised $50M in Series A-1 funding

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Dec 10th, 2024
Cimeio Therapeutics Announces Partnership with Kyowa Kirin to Develop Novel Cell Therapies

The partnership combines Cimeio's proprietary Shielded Cell and Immunotherapy (SCIP) platform with Kyowa Kirin's expertise in cellular therapies and underscores both companies' commitment to using emerging cell and gene therapy technologies to develop new ways to treat patients.