Head of Medical & Scientific Affairs - Respiratory & Immunology

Head of Medical & Scientific Affairs - Respiratory & Immunology

London

Advert Closing Date: 18th November 2026

Introduction to role:

Are you ready to lead medical strategy that transforms national standards of care for patients managing respiratory disease?

We are seeking a highly experienced Medical Affairs leader with deep expertise in Respiratory & Immunology, spanning both inhaled therapies and biologics. This leader brings the strategic vision and leadership needed to develop and deliver world-class medical strategy. They will lead cross-functional teams, work closely with key NHS stakeholders, and support the successful launch of innovative therapies.

You will provide strategic medical leadership to our Respiratory & Immunology Business Unit. You will craft business strategy and operational plans across functions using deep insight into healthcare professionals’, patients’, and payers’ needs. In this role, you will ensure an integrated medical strategy is in place across each R&I sub-therapy area. This will include optimising patient pathways and influencing organisational and healthcare policy. It involves leading external advocacy and delivering practice-changing initiatives. You will also advance real-world evidence generation and craft regulatory and market access strategy. This is alongside deploying AstraZeneca services and collaborative programmes.

As an enterprise leader and scientific ambassador for AstraZeneca externally, you will use a broad clinical network spanning R&I therapy areas. You will lead the development of scientific launch strategies for pipeline products and ensure their successful execution in the field. You will provide inclusive leadership to the medical and scientific team, ensuring the medical strategy is carried out efficiently. Achieve agreed key targets and deliver clear reporting to the Medical Director and Senior Leadership Team. You will also play a key role in building organisational capability through coaching, targeted development and hiring, while representing the UK in regional and global Medical Affairs teams and helping maintain AstraZeneca UK as a leading launch market.

Accountabilities:

Scientific, Strategic and Launch Excellence:

Define and implement comprehensive national and regional medical strategy for priority brands, aligned to and shaping global plans. Deliver "transforming care" initiatives that accelerate the speed and quality of care in asthma and COPD, develop world-class medical assets that demonstrate scientific leadership, and lead pre-launch market-shaping and launch readiness for pipeline assets, including through UK Pod planning from L-4 years.

Build and offer expert medical input into regulatory and market access planning with partners in Regulatory Affairs and Market Access. This includes MHRA and NICE/SMC submissions, formulary, and protocol pathways to develop an environment for successful adoption of new medicines. Embed digital and data-driven approaches across the medical strategy, using analytics and insight to prioritise activity and direct effort and resource to the highest-value opportunities.

Drive health system & clinical practice change

Lead “Transforming Care” initiatives with the NHS and other partners across the patient pathway to drive population-level improvement in outcomes, support national policy reform and the pull-through of guidelines and quality standards, and accelerate access to optimal care.

Field Medical Strategy and Execution:

Provide leadership for MSL and Healthcare Delivery Partner teams. Define engagement strategies and critical metrics, deploy services strategically, build KEE networks, and create robust insight loops into medical, brand and account plans. Support P2/3 study set-up and recruitment and strengthen scientific capabilities through training, mentoring and coaching.

Evidence, Governance and Compliance:

Lead clinical input into real-world evidence and publication strategy, prioritising projects with practice-changing potential. Provide expert input into issues management. Ensure medical approval of strategic materials. Drive adherence to the standards in the ABPI Code. This includes acting as or preparing for nominated signatory responsibilities.

Essential Skills/Experience:

• MBBS or Bachelor’s degree in a scientific field (ex: Medicine, Pharmacy or disease related science)  
• Extensive Medical Affairs leadership experience
• Deep working knowledge of the UK healthcare environment: NHS structures, national bodies (e.g. NICE/SMC, MHRA) and the ABPI operating context
• Demonstrated success in building, leading and developing high-performing teams and development of talent
• Track record of designing and delivering transforming-care initiatives that have driven measurable, system-level improvement in patient outcomes
• Proven track record to build regulatory and market-access strategy (e.g. MHRA, NICE/SMC) in partnership with the regulatory and access teams
• Deep technical/scientific expertise in the relevant therapy area (e.g. asthma, COPD, biologics, immunology)
• Established track record of building and leading senior external engagement and collaboration, developing KEE networks, scientific partnerships and advisory relationships across the healthcare system
• Demonstrable recent experience of market-shaping and pre-launch/launch medical activity (ideally in Respiratory), including building the environment for successful adoption of new medicines
• Strong commercial acuity, operating as a credible strategic partner to the Business Unit and connecting medical strategy to business priorities
• Proven expertise in the ABPI Code of Practice

Desirable Skills/Experience:

• Registered Physician (preferably GMC) or Pharmacist (General Pharmaceutical Council)
• Member/Fellow of a Royal College or the Royal Pharmaceutical Society
• Deep technical/scientific expertise in the relevant therapy area (e.g. asthma, COPD, biologics, immunology)
• Fluency in harnessing digital, data and AI to sharpen medical strategy including using analytics to direct the focus of activity and field-team effort
• Able to lead organisational and cross-functional change, mobilise matrixed teams, embed new ways of working
• Hold or acquire Nominated Signatory status (within 6 months)

When we put unexpected teams in the same room, we spark bold thinking with the power to inspire life-changing medicines. In-person working gives us the platform we need to connect, work at pace and challenge perceptions. That's why we work, on average, a minimum of three days per week from the office. But that doesn't mean we're not flexible. We balance the expectation of being in the office while respecting individual flexibility. Join us in our unique and ambitious world.

Why AstraZeneca:

We work at pace, bringing unexpected teams together to align science, policy and delivery, and we value kindness alongside ambition so people can take bold bets with the right support. With a strong pipeline and a reputation for moving quickly from insight to impact, you will influence how innovations reach patients and help set national practice in Respiratory & Immunology while growing your own leadership through deep collaboration across research, field medical, access and commercial teams.

At AstraZeneca UK, we are committed to delivering against three missions:

• Accelerating the position of the UK as a global centre of excellence in life sciences
• Redefining healthcare through fast and equitable access to the most effective medicines, high quality care
• Delivering sustainable leadership that prioritises healthy people, society and planet

Our head office in Pancras Square offers us the strongest possible platform to transform the lives of patients, as the country’s leading biopharmaceutical company. It brings AstraZeneca UK closer to our customers, partners and collaborators in the UK’s healthcare environment, as well as develop greater collaboration with the wider AstraZeneca footprint.

If you are ready to lead the UK medical agenda for Respiratory & Immunology and turn science into better outcomes at scale, step forward and shape what comes next with us!

Date Posted

03-Nov-2026

Closing Date

18-Nov-2026Our mission is to build an inclusive and equitable environment. We want people to feel they belong at AstraZeneca and Alexion, starting with our recruitment process. We welcome and consider applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of characteristics. We offer reasonable adjustments/accommodations to help all candidates to perform at their best. If you have a need for any adjustments/accommodations, please complete the section in the application form.