At Johnson & Johnson, we believe health is everything. Our strength in healthcare innovation empowers us to build a world where complex diseases are prevented, treated, and cured, where treatments are smarter and less invasive, and solutions are personal. Through our expertise in Innovative Medicine and MedTech, we are uniquely positioned to innovate across the full spectrum of healthcare solutions today to deliver the breakthroughs of tomorrow, and profoundly impact health for humanity. Learn more at jnj.com.
As guided by Our Credo, Johnson & Johnson is responsible to our employees who work with us throughout the world. We provide an inclusive work environment where each person is considered as an individual. At Johnson & Johnson, we respect the diversity and dignity of our employees and recognize their merit.
Job Function:
Medical Affairs Group
Job Sub Function:
Medical Science Liaison
Job Category:
Scientific/Technology
All Job Posting Locations:
Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, Japan
Job Description:
The Medical Science Liaison (MSL) in Hematology Medical Affairs, with a focus on Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML), is responsible for building trusted scientific relationships with Key Individuals (KIs) and implementing the medical strategy and Medical Affairs Plan (iMAP) through high-quality scientific exchange.
The MSL engages with KIs using relevant medical and scientific information, identifies and gathers actionable insights and unmet medical needs, and brings these insights back to the organization to inform and optimize the medical strategy.
The MSL is responsible for executing the AML MSL plan and iMAP while actively contributing to the continuous evolution of the MSL and broader medical strategy.
Key Responsibilities
- Build and maintain trusted scientific relationships with Key Individuals (KIs) in the assigned therapeutic area and execute the medical plan through high-quality scientific exchange.
- Conduct fair, balanced, and scientifically rigorous communications with healthcare professionals (HCPs).
- Identify, gather, analyze, and communicate insights and unmet medical needs to support medical advancement in the therapeutic area and maximize the value of J&J products.
Specialist Level
In addition to the responsibilities above:
- Lead projects and key initiatives within the MSL group in the assigned therapeutic area and drive them to successful completion.
- Proactively leverage emerging medical and scientific information, engage KIs in timely scientific discussions, and further strengthen trusted relationships.
- Analyze and identify key MSL insights and communicate them to the Disease Area (DA) team to support the development and refinement of the DA strategy and Medical Affairs Plan (iMAP).
- Contribute to the development and mentoring of less-experienced MSLs within the DA.
Senior Specialist Level
In addition to the responsibilities above:
- Lead and ensure the successful execution of cross-functional projects and initiatives across the MSL organization and the Medical Affairs DA team.
- Serve as a key contributor to the development and refinement of the DA strategy and Medical Affairs Plan (iMAP).
- Build strong, trusted scientific relationships with KIs through the interpretation, synthesis, and communication of complex scientific and clinical data.
- Contribute to the development of the MSL strategy for the assigned DA and enhance the capabilities of DA team members.
EDUCATION
Required
- Bachelor's degree (BA/BS) in medical science, life science, or a related field.
Preferred
- Master's degree (MA/MS/MBA) in medical science, life science, or a related field.
- Doctoral degree in medical science, life science, or a related field.
- Pharmacist qualification.
RELATED EXPERIENCE
- Bachelor's degree or above is required.
- Master's or doctoral degree is preferred.
- Two or more years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry, healthcare, academia, or a medical institution is preferred.
- Experience in clinical development, Medical Affairs, clinical practice, or scientific research is preferred.
- Strong presentation and communication skills.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
JOB-SPECIFIC COMPETENCIES / SKILLS
1. Japanese & English Communication
- Business-level communication skills in both Japanese and English.
2. Compliance & Integrity
- Demonstrates awareness of and adherence to the Johnson & Johnson Credo values, relevant company policies, and healthcare compliance requirements.
3. Strategic Agility
- Develop and propose MSL strategies aligned with the broader Therapeutic Area (TA) strategy and identify solutions that address unmet medical needs and relevant clinical questions.
- Prioritize projects based on multiple sources of data and propose actions aligned with key strategic priorities.
- Work cross-functionally with internal stakeholders to understand strategic priorities and align activities with Business Plan (BP) and Medical Affairs Plan (MAP) objectives.
- Evaluate available data and recommend actions to strengthen scientific outputs that support the medical strategy.
- Continuously assess the effectiveness and execution of MSL strategies and adapt appropriately to emerging opportunities and challenges.
4. Product & Therapeutic Area Knowledge
- Develop and maintain a thorough understanding of the relevant therapeutic area, products, treatment landscape, and evolving standards of care.
- Apply scientific knowledge to understand and interpret relevant domestic and international developments, including the competitive landscape, healthcare environment, and regulatory considerations.
- Translate scientific knowledge and insights into meaningful contributions to Medical Affairs strategy and iMAP execution.
- Stay current with emerging scientific evidence and share relevant information with internal stakeholders.
- Apply appropriate statistical concepts when interpreting and critically evaluating clinical research, scientific publications, and other evidence.
- Contribute scientific expertise to research concepts, proposals, and protocol development, as appropriate.
5. Scientific Communication Effectiveness
- Demonstrate strong capabilities in researching, synthesizing, interpreting, and communicating complex scientific information relevant to Medical Affairs priorities.
- Deliver fair, balanced, accurate, and impactful scientific exchange tailored to individual stakeholder needs.
- Use appropriate communication channels and approaches to engage HCPs effectively.
- Identify unmet medical needs and clinical questions and contribute to medical education initiatives that address them.
- Facilitate high-quality scientific discussions, including discussions involving complex or emerging clinical evidence.
- Develop recognition as a trusted scientific partner among internal and external stakeholders.
6. External Customer Engagement & Partnership
- Use effective communication, engagement skills, and available data to identify actionable insights and understand external stakeholder needs and priorities.
- Develop and maintain trusted scientific relationships with key external stakeholders.
- Identify areas of shared scientific interest and contribute relevant insights to BP and MAP development.
- Support organizational priorities through appropriate scientific partnerships with external stakeholders.
- Advise Medical Affairs colleagues on effective external stakeholder engagement.
- Collaborate across functions to develop integrated and innovative stakeholder engagement approaches that address external needs and scientific interests.
7. Cross-Functional Collaboration & Teaming
- Build collaborative relationships with stakeholders across functions and contribute to the successful execution of BP and MAP priorities.
- Act as an effective member of cross-functional teams and contribute to shared objectives and desired outcomes.
- Identify opportunities for collaboration across functions and disciplines to maximize Medical Affairs impact.
- Establish a shared understanding of project and business objectives with internal stakeholders, clarify roles and responsibilities, and drive alignment on plans and execution.
8. Strategic Evidence Generation
- Assess and prioritize evidence gaps based on external stakeholder needs and alignment with medical and business strategy.
- Understand the role of real-world evidence and other evidence-generation approaches in demonstrating product value and treatment outcomes.
- Evaluate available data sources and consider their potential scientific impact and appropriate applications.
- Identify relevant scientific questions and evidence gaps through external stakeholder engagement.
- Demonstrate familiarity with standard evidence-generation methodologies and contribute ideas aligned with TA and brand evidence-generation strategies.
- Understand study concepts, protocols, and analysis plans and collaborate with appropriate internal and external teams to address identified evidence gaps.
- Demonstrate an understanding of relevant biostatistical methodologies used in clinical research.
- Provide scientifically appropriate input into publications and other evidence-dissemination activities.
EXTERNAL AND INTERNAL INTERACTIONS
The role involves extensive interaction with external and internal stakeholders.
External Interactions
- Physicians, including Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs) and other Key Individuals (KIs)
- Other healthcare professionals, including pharmacists and nurses
- Researchers and other relevant scientific stakeholders
Internal Interactions
- R&D
- Clinical Development
- Regulatory Affairs
- Pharmacovigilance (PV)
- Post-Marketing Surveillance (PMS)
- HPMA
- Communications
- Sales and Marketing
- Japan, Asia Pacific, and Global Medical Affairs
- Medical Affairs leaders and team members across relevant functions
For Internal Applicants
- Based on your experience and interview assessment, the position title and level may vary.
- If you are a Japan employee, please review the Internal Application Guideline in Ask GS. In particular, if you have been in your current role for less than 18 months, you are required to obtain approval from your current manager and respective BUHR before applying. Japan employees may not apply for multiple positions simultaneously.
- For the Employee Referral Program (ERP), please review and understand the Internal Referral Overview in Ask GS and ensure that any referral is made in compliance with the applicable requirements.
Required Skills:
Preferred Skills:
Analytical Reasoning, Analytics Insights, Clinical Data Management, Clinical Experience, Communication, Competitive Landscape Analysis, Cross-Functional Collaboration, Data Gathering and Analysis, Detail-Oriented, Digital Culture, Digital Literacy, Execution Focus, Interpersonal Influence, Market Research, Medical Affairs, Medical Communications, Medical Compliance, Problem Solving, Relationship Building, Scientific Research, Strategic Thinking, Technologically Savvy