Vice President, Medical Affairs Rare Diseases

At Recordati, we are united by a clear purpose: unlocking the full potential of life. With a century of history behind us, we are building the next chapter of our journey, continuing to grow while keeping patients at the centre of all we do. What drives us is a shared belief that health, and the opportunity to live life to the full, should be within reach for everyone. This brings energy to our work, shaping how we support each other and show up every day.

About the role

The VP, Medical Affairs, Rare Diseases BU will provide strategic medical leadership and oversight to support the continued growth of the Rare Diseases (RRD) portfolio. This executive will champion patient centricity as a key driver of business decisions and serve as a spokesperson for Recordati within the scientific community. Collaborating closely with cross-functional colleagues globally—including clinical development, regulatory, commercial, and business development—this role requires a collaborative, fast-paced, and interculturally agile leader who embodies Recordati’s values and champions ethics and integrity.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic medical leadership and oversight across Rare Diseases to shape and execute global medical affairs strategies, working closely with commercial and business development colleagues.
• Ensure proactive, timely, and highly qualified medical input within cross-functional teams.
• Ensure RRD Medical Affairs Teams adopt consistent and efficient processes across geographies (e.g., systems, tools, KPIs) and foster best practices sharing.
• Ensure the effective and compliant communication of scientific and medical information while generating robust evidence to enhance product value and safety, ultimately contributing to the Rare Diseases portfolio growth.
• Ensure all medical activities adhere to ethical standards, corporate governance, and international regulatory frameworks.
• Develop and implement integrated Medical Affairs strategies and plans for rare diseases products.
• Lead the creation of Integrated Evidence Plans (IEPs) and ensure alignment with clinical development, regulatory, market access, and commercial teams.
• Provide medical leadership and expertise to guide the Business Unit, including input into BD assessments and lifecycle management strategies for rare disease assets.
• Support post-marketing studies aligned with unmet medical needs.
• As a member of the BU Leadership Team, provide expert guidance and facilitate the generation and publication of robust medical evidence to support the value of Recordati’s brands.
• Collaborate with the Group Medical Evidence Generation Lead to design and execute global evidence generation plans, including Real-World Evidence (RWE) and Investigator-Sponsored Studies (ISS).
• Build and nurture a high-performing Medical Affairs community across the BU, fostering continuous learning and talent development.
• Ensure medical personnel at both global and affiliate levels are properly trained, equipped, and aligned with consistent, efficient operational approaches.
• Support early development and launch readiness for new indications and assets.
• Ensure proactive and qualified medical input to Clinical Development, Regulatory Affairs, Market Access, Pharmacovigilance, and Commercial teams.
• Work with affiliates to build and maintain strong relationships with Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs), Scientific Societies, healthcare professionals, and patient advocacy groups in rare disease domains.
• Lead the development of medical education programs tailored to rare disease stakeholders, including KOLs, healthcare professionals (HCPs), and patient organizations.
• Represent the company’s medical perspective externally in partnership with the Patient Partnership team, strengthening scientific dialogue and advancing patient-centered advocacy.
• Define and monitor KPIs for Medical Affairs initiatives, ensuring tools and systems are in place to measure success.
• Manage Medical Affairs budget, ensuring efficient resource allocation.
• Ensure compliance with SOPs, ethical standards, and regulatory requirements across all medical activities.
• Collaborate with Quality Assurance (QA) and Regulatory Affairs to maintain governance frameworks for rare disease products, including medicinal products, devices, and compassionate use programs.

Requirements

• 20+ years in the pharmaceutical industry, including experience in global or regional Medical Affairs leadership roles.
• M.D. degree required; Board certification in a relevant specialty preferred.
• Proven ability to define and execute medical strategies that advance product value, differentiation, and lifecycle management in rare diseases.
• Strong scientific and analytical capability, with the ability to interpret complex data and translate it into impactful medical insights and strategic recommendations.
• Established credibility in engaging with Key Opinion Leaders, scientific societies, regulatory bodies, and external partners.
• Deep understanding of global medical governance, compliance, pharmacovigilance, and the regulatory frameworks guiding medical activities.
• Track record of building high-performing medical teams, mentoring medical talent, and creating a culture of scientific excellence and ethical decision-making.
• Experience operating in multicultural, matrixed environments, influencing without authority, and orchestrating cross-functional alignment.
• Strong communication skills, with the ability to convey complex scientific concepts clearly and persuasively to diverse internal and external audiences.
• Demonstrated high levels of integrity, sound judgment, and commitment to patient-centric decision-making.

Behaviors and Competencies

• Builds effective collaboration across Medical, Integrated Operations, Commercial, Market Access, Regulatory, Patient Safety, affiliates, and local/regional medical affairs teams.
• Creates trust and psychological safety by actively listening, inviting feedback, and valuing different perspectives.
• Shares information and medical insights proactively to enable timely, informed decisions and ensure insights are acted upon.
• Looks for better ways for the global medical affairs function to strategically contribute to RRD priorities.
• Challenges current practices when improvement is needed, managing risks responsibly.
• Prioritizes what matters most for patients, scientific credibility, and RRD business priorities, keeping work focused and execution lean.
• Produces clear, structured, compliant, and actionable work, holding self and others to the highest standards.

Languages

Fluency in English is required for this role. Knowledge of any additional language will be considered an advantage.

Travel

20-30% travel required.

Pay

For US Candidates:

• Base Salary Range: $245,552 to $368,358 annually. The base salary range represents the Company’s good-faith estimate of the compensation range for this position at the time of posting. The actual base salary offered may vary based on factors including the candidate’s qualifications, relevant experience, skills, internal equity, business needs, and geographic location, where applicable.
• Annual Incentive: This position is eligible to participate in the Company’s annual bonus program, subject to the terms of the applicable plan and individual eligibility requirements.

Benefits

• Comprehensive benefits program, including medical, dental, orthodontia, and vision coverage.
• Company-paid life and accidental death and dismemberment insurance.
• Short-term and long-term disability coverage.
• 401(k) retirement savings plan, subject to the terms of the plan.
• Paid Time Off: vacation, company holidays, and sick and personal time in accordance with Company policy and applicable law.

The Company reserves the right to amend, modify, or terminate its compensation and benefit programs at any time, subject to applicable law.