Director, Scientific & Medical Communications

About the Role

The Director, Scientific & Medical Communications is a senior, independent scientific leader responsible for owning medical communications strategy and planning deliverables. This role serves as the primary scientific authority for Scientific Communication Platforms (SCPs), integrated publication planning, congress strategy, and KOL strategy. Operating without a dedicated medical communications team, the Director is accountable for scientific judgment, quality, and strategic coherence across all planning outputs.

Responsibilities

• Scientific Communication Platform (SCP) Ownership: Independently develop and evolve Scientific Communication Platforms, defining the core scientific narrative, evidence hierarchy, and messaging guardrails. Ensure alignment across publication, congress, and KOL planning and maintain platform relevance as data, competitive context, or medical strategy evolves.
• Publications Strategy: Own integrated publication strategy and planning deliverables, including publication sequencing, journal and congress targeting, and lifecycle alignment. Provide scientific approval of publication plans prior to execution. This role is not intended to write manuscripts, abstracts, or posters, and does not manage publication logistics.
• Congress Strategy: Define scientific congress strategy through approved plans, including congress prioritization, scientific objectives, data disclosure strategy, and narrative planning. Partner with congress execution teams for strategic handoff and clarification. This role is not intended to manage congress logistics, booth execution, speaker contracting, or on-site activities.
• KOL Strategy & Engagement Enablement: Define KOL identification, segmentation, and engagement frameworks aligned to scientific and medical objectives. Translate KOL insights into refinements of scientific platforms, publication priorities, and congress plans. This role is not intended to manage KOL contracting, honoraria, or logistics.
• Client-Facing Scientific Leadership: Serve as the primary scientific authority in client interactions and internal cross-functional meetings, leading scientific planning workshops and strategic discussions. Provide evidence-based guidance, independently manage scientific ambiguity and risk, and confidently defend scientific strategy when advising clients.
• Scientific Quality, Judgment & Risk Ownership: Own scientific integrity, consistency, and credibility across all planning deliverables. Make independent judgment calls in the context of evolving data, competing stakeholder priorities, and scientific or reputational risk.

Requirements

• Advanced scientific degree preferred (PhD, PharmD, MD) or equivalent experience.
• 10–15+ years of experience in medical communications, medical affairs, or agency environments.
• Demonstrated independent ownership of scientific communication platforms, integrated publication planning, and congress strategy through the planning phase.
• Proven ability to operate as a standalone scientific leader without reliance on a medical communications team.
• Comfort with leveraging AI agents in support of day-to-day operations and deliverables.

Pay

The annual base salary for this position ranges from $X to $Y. The base salary range represents the anticipated low and high of the range for this position. Actual salary will vary based on various factors such as the candidate’s qualifications, skills, competencies, and proficiency for the role. Some positions may include eligibility to earn commissions/bonus based on company and/or individual performance.

Benefits

• Competitive compensation package.
• Health benefits to include Medical, Dental, and Vision.
• Company match 401k.
• Flexible paid time off (PTO) and sick time. (Eligibility for paid sick time may vary depending on location.)

About the Company

At Syneos Health, we are dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive, and authentic workplace. We collaborate with colleagues across clinical and commercial disciplines to guide premarket development through post-market commercial strategy. Every project offers a chance to solve new challenges, learn from colleagues, and advance your career. Join our global team dedicated to creating better, smarter, faster ways to get biopharmaceutical therapies to patients.