The posting
International Medical Mission
Supportive to our colleagues and trusted partners in the technological transformation of international healthcare ecosystems, we bring pioneering science to patients, through equitable end-to-end impact.
PURPOSE
The North Africa Cluster Medical Lead is the single point of medical accountability for Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia and Libya. The role provides leadership to all in-country and cross-cluster medical functions and is the senior medical voice of Pfizer across the cluster, both internally and externally, acting as the Pfizer CMAO representative in the local environment.
The role has both an internal and an external focus. Internally, it shapes and executes the cluster medical strategy, ensures medical readiness for launches, safeguards compliance and medical quality, and builds high-performing teams that use AI and digital tools responsibly. Externally, it strengthens Pfizer’s scientific leadership, builds trusted partnerships across the healthcare ecosystem, and advances patient outcomes through evidence generation and operational excellence.
SCOPE
- Leading medical strategy and execution across a diverse, multi-country cluster with varying healthcare systems, regulatory environments and levels of market maturity
- Acting as the primary medical partner to country and cluster leadership teams
- Providing scientific guidance, insights and expertise across the broad Pfizer portfolio and multiple therapeutic areas
- Role modelling Pfizer’s values and behaviors, and the purpose of breakthroughs that change patients’ lives
- Driving transformation in medical affairs through innovative, agile and efficient ways of working, including the responsible use of AI, digital and data
- Building, developing and retaining high-performing medical teams across markets
- Strengthening Pfizer’s external scientific leadership and credibility in North Africa
GEOGRAPHIC SCOPE
Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia and Libya
REPORTING LINE
Reports to the VP, MERA Cluster & ACCORD/GCAP Regional Medical Lead
RESOURCES MANAGED
- Country medical leads across Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia and Libya, reporting to this role directly
- Medical affairs teams across the North Africa cluster
- Medical affairs budgets across the cluster
ORGANIZATIONAL RELATIONSHIPS
- Leadership forums: North Africa country and cluster leadership teams; MERA regional medical and leadership forums, as relevant
- Peer medical leadership: MERA Cluster and Country Medical Leads, and Cluster Medical Leads of other Emerging Markets regions
- Cross-functional: Commercial, Corporate and Public Affairs, Policy, Regulatory, Access, Patient Advocacy, Worldwide Medical & Safety (WMS), WRD, GPD, global and category medical organizations, People Experience (PX), Legal and Compliance
- External: key opinion leaders, medical and scientific societies and associations, academic and clinical centers, health authorities and regulators, government and payers (in partnership with the appropriate functions), patient organizations, healthcare entities and systems, NGOs and relevant multilateral and civil society organizations in a compliant manner
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
1. Medical Strategy & Execution
- Develop and execute the cluster medical vision, strategy and operating plan, aligned with regional and global priorities
- Directly lead medical affairs, ensuring operational excellence in customer-facing medical activities
- Lead and partner through every step of go-to-market and launch: country selection, disease awareness, internal readiness, medical outreach, implementation and sustainability
- Drive prioritization and resource allocation, with a sharp focus on activities that deliver customer and patient impact
2. Evidence Generation & Scientific Strategy
- Ensure high-quality evidence generation and data dissemination in partnership with global medical platforms
- Ensure quality and integrity of evidence generation, including GCP, ethics approvals, publication and data integrity
- Integrate insight generation, HTA readiness and stakeholder engagement into one evidence strategy across launch, in-line and mature products
- Support healthcare system capability development, medical education and up-to-date portfolio awareness for healthcare professionals
- Demonstrate the value of the portfolio through country and TA-specific metrics on patient outcomes and healthcare system impact
- Feed North Africa insights and unmet-need data into regional and global strategy and the pipeline
- Ensure scientific leadership and TA expertise through rigorous training and a single global medical “truth”, asset by asset
3. External Scientific Leadership & Partnerships
- Represent Pfizer to KOLs, academic institutions, regulators, government and payers (in partnership with the appropriate functions), and during business development discussions
- Build and sustain peer-to-peer relationships and external partnerships with medical societies, associations, patient organizations and healthcare systems in a compliant manner
- Contribute to policy and advocacy engagement in line with Pfizer policy engagement and lobbying policies, and ensure alignment with cross functional advocacy teams
- Understand and articulate medical care gaps and unmet need in the cluster to shape compliant medical engagements
4. Medical Communications, Governance, Compliance & Quality
- Drive medical omnichannel communication on the risks and benefits of Pfizer medicines in a non-promotional, scientifically balanced and fully compliant manner
- Ensure adherence to applicable laws, regulations, industry codes and Pfizer policies and procedures across all markets in the cluster
- Be accountable for audit, inspection and corporate governance readiness, quality events and CAPA completion across the cluster, working with medical quality and governance teams
- Ensure timely and appropriate handling of product quality complaints, medical information inquiries and compliance concerns
- Ensure timely reporting of adverse events, product complaints and special situations by medical teams, in line with pharmacovigilance requirements
- Ensure medical materials and communications receive medical review and approval by qualified personnel
- Ensure SOP and training compliance, and alignment of local procedures with global standards
- Provide medical guidance to regulatory, safety and commercial teams in support of key product maintenance
- Chair or delegate attendance at Cluster Medical Councils to maintain compliance, information flow and timely resolution of issues
- Maintain and role-model a high standard of integrity and a culture of compliance
5. Leadership & Talent Development
- Lead, coach and develop high-performing teams; build leadership bench strength and address performance gaps and build team capability where needed
- Foster an inclusive culture of innovation, accountability, collaboration and a lightspeed mindset
- Build change-agile teams and lead colleagues through organizational and external change
6. Cross-Functional Partnership & Performance
- Partner with country and cluster leaders and represent all medical and related functions in leadership teams, as the One Medical voice of Pfizer
- Develop compliant medical plans with clear KPIs; drive medical impact through qualitative and quantitative metrics
- Optimize medical resources and drive efficiency and synergies with regional and cross-category medical teams
REQUIRED & PREFERRED EXPERIENCE & QUALIFICATIONS
Basic Qualifications
- An MD, Pharm D or equivalent doctoral degree
- 10+ years in medical affairs and/or clinical drug development in the pharmaceutical or biotechnology industry, with in-depth knowledge of multiple therapeutic areas
- Line management experience of medical teams in a country organization, cluster or headquarters
- Demonstrated medical leadership at country, cluster, regional or above-country level, including development and execution of medical strategies and plans
- Demonstrated experience building external medical partnerships with academic institutions, medical societies, patient organizations or healthcare systems in a compliant manner
- Strong understanding of healthcare systems, regulatory and pharmacovigilance requirements, and industry codes of practice
- Ability to develop, articulate and communicate complex medical strategies to internal and external stakeholders
- Fluency in spoken and written English
Preferred Qualifications
- Strong command of French is highly preferred, and Arabic is a plus, in spoken and written form
- Prior Leadership position in North Africa
- Board certification or license in a relevant medical discipline; additional advanced clinical or scientific degree
- Strong business acumen, including budget management and financial impact forecasting
- Ability to achieve results through influence in a matrix organization, with strong internal and external alliance building
- Active engagement with pharmaceutical associations and patient groups; teaching or academic appointments are a plus
- Track record of change leadership, with sound decision-making under uncertainty
CRITICAL CAPABILITIES
- Scientific Credibility: owns scientific credibility across markets of different size and complexity, balancing rigor and the non-promotional boundary with commercial and patient urgency
- Evidence & Scientific Strategy: Designs and executes differentiated evidence strategies that deliver patient impact across the lifecycle
- Shaping the Future: Anticipates what is next, influences upstream decisions and translates future scenarios into strategic choices today
- Business Transformation: Leads change, simplifies ways of working and applies AI, digital and data fluently and responsibly
- External Acumen: Navigates and influences the external environment, treating patient access as a critical strategic capability
- Enterprise Leadership: Leads with an enterprise-first mindset, builds a culture of inclusion, trust and accountability, and develops talent
- Integrity & Quality Mindset: Role-models integrity, owns compliance and medical quality, and builds a culture of speaking up and continuous improvement
TRAVEL & WORK REQUIREMENTS
- Regular travel across the North Africa cluster to lead geographically distributed teams and engage external stakeholders in person
- Regular participation in meetings across multiple time zones, including occasional meetings outside standard local business hours
Please note that relocation package would be considered and supported according to the final talent selection.
Pfizer is an equal opportunity employer and complies with all applicable equal employment opportunity legislation in each jurisdiction in which it operates.
To learn more about acceptable and prohibited uses of AI during the recruitment process, please review our candidate AI-use guidelines available on Pfizer Careers.
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