Director, Rare Disease Medical Science Liaison

About Kyowa Kirin

Kyowa Kirin is a fast‑growing global specialty pharmaceutical company that applies state‑of‑the‑art biotechnologies to discover and deliver novel medicines in four disease areas: bone and mineral; intractable hematologic; hematology oncology; and rare disease. A Japan‑based company, our goal is to make people smile by delivering breakthroughs where no adequate treatments currently exist, working from drug discovery to product development and commercialization. In North America, we are headquartered in Princeton, NJ, with offices in California, Massachusetts, and Ontario.

Summary of Job

The Director, Rare Disease Medical Science Liaison will lead a national team of MSLs in rare disease and act as a liaison to the medical and scientific community on behalf of Kyowa Kirin.

Responsibilities

Responsibilities include guiding and assisting MSLs in the identification of and relationship building with medical societies, study groups, Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs), and other Health Care Professionals (HCPs); engaging in scientific exchange during field ride‑alongs, medical conferences, advisory board meetings; and temporarily covering territories that are vacant due to vacation, illness, FMLA, pregnancy leave, resignation/termination, etc., performing the functions of the MSL during that time.

• Become well‑versed in relevant disease states, related literature, and KK rare disease‑focused products.
• Participate in and contribute to annual strategic medical planning and serve as a core member of the Rare Disease Medical Affairs Strategy Team for North America.
• Lead the development and execution of KOL engagement and territory planning strategies.
• Contribute to the development of the MSL skills training plan and lead the development of the rare disease scientific training plan, coordinating with relevant internal partners to identify educational gaps and organize team and/or individual training.
• Hire, train, develop, inspire, and mentor field‑based MSL team members, including conducting quarterly field rides with each team member.
• Work regularly in the field (territories and conferences) with each MSL on the team.
• Create and execute a strategic MSL plan.
• Develop team goals and provide ongoing coaching to team members.
• Manage MSL team performance and compliance.
• Compile, organize, collate, and synthesize insights gathered by the MSL team.
• Create and execute a strategic disease area MSL plan, including KPI definition, metrics tracking, and reporting.
• Model best practices for insight gathering across the MSL team.
• Assist MSL team members in guiding healthcare professionals through the submission of IIS proposals via the online portal.
• Support MSLs in educating healthcare professionals and managed market decision‑makers on Kyowa Kirin’s product portfolio.
• Ensure the appropriate dissemination of transparent, fair‑balanced scientific and clinical information, knowledge, and services in a timely, ethical, and customer‑focused manner.
• Facilitate speaker development and provide support for speaker training and annual speaker audits in collaboration with cross‑functional partners.
• Attend and provide scientific support at select national, regional, and local medical conferences.
• Actively participate in advisory boards and clinical investigator meetings when appropriate.
• Recognize the value of MSL insights and ensure the delivery of high‑quality insight reports to Medical Affairs colleagues by synthesizing information gathered through field interactions with healthcare professionals and thought leaders.
• Identify team members’ strengths, development opportunities, and interests, and develop Individual Development Plans (IDPs) that leverage strengths, enhance capabilities, and support career growth.
• Assign projects aligned with Individual Development Plans and team objectives to further develop team members’ skills and capabilities.
• Adhere to all company regulatory, compliance, and policy requirements.

Qualifications

Education: Advanced degree in medical science (MD, PharmD, or PhD) or healthcare professional credentials.

Experience:

• Minimum of five (5) years of field‑based Medical Affairs experience, including at least four (4) years of field medical or Medical Science Liaison (MSL) experience.
• Prior people leadership or management experience within Medical Affairs, MSL, or a related discipline is strongly preferred.

Technical Skills

Outstanding leadership abilities including a demonstrated capacity to lead, inspire and build collaborative relationships, and manage/resolve conflicts effectively; results‑driven with a collaborative, team‑oriented mindset; demonstrated success in working well cross‑functionally; deep understanding of drug development, legal and regulatory compliance guidelines; excellent communication skills (written, verbal, listening, and presentation); strong experience using Microsoft Office Suite including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint; commitment to the highest ethical, legal, regulatory, and scientific standards in all aspects of work.

Non‑Technical Skills

Demonstrated ability to organize, prioritize, meet deadlines, make decisions, and change course of action quickly; detail‑oriented with excellent follow‑through; ability to flex and deal with ambiguity in a dynamic, fast‑paced, high‑growth environment; passion for personal learning and development; cultural sensitivity and ability to develop consensus within a multinational organization.

Physical Requirements

Normal office environment with prolonged sitting and extensive computer work. Ability to drive or fly to meetings.

Working Conditions

Requires up to 70% domestic and international travel.

Compensation and Benefits

The anticipated salary for this position will be $220,000 to $280,000 . The actual salary offered may vary based on experience, qualifications, education, location, and other factors.

• 401K with company match
• Annual Bonus Program (Sales Bonus for Sales Jobs)
• Generous PTO and Holiday Schedule which includes Summer and Winter Shut‑Downs, Sick Days and Volunteer Days
• Healthcare Benefits (Medical, Dental, Prescription Drugs and Vision)
• HSA & FSA Programs
• Well‑Being and Work/Life Programs
• Life & Disability Insurance
• Concierge Services
• Long Term Incentive Program (subject to job level and performance)
• Pet Insurance
• Tuition Assistance
• Employee Referral Awards

Equal Employment Opportunity

Th​e policy of Kyowa Kirin North America, Inc. to provide equal employment opportunity to all qualified persons without regard to race, religion, creed, color, pregnancy, sex, age, national origin, disability, genetic trait or predisposition, veteran status, marital status, sexual orientation or affection preference or citizenship status or any other category protected by law.

Data Protection and Privacy

Your personal data will be collected and stored by Kyowa Kirin, Inc. (“Controller”) located at 510 Carnegie Center Dr., Princeton, NJ 08540 USA. The Controller’s data protection officer can be contacted at View email address on ca.talent.com. Your personal data will be processed for the purposes of managing recruitment related activities, evaluating applicants, and for other recruitment and hiring processes. The Controller may share data with Greenhouse Software, Inc., a cloud services provider in the United States for recruitment process management. If you are located outside of the United States, your personal data may be transferred to the United States. The Controller will retain your personal data for as long as necessary. Under the GDPR, you have rights to access, rectify, erase, restrict processing, data portability, and lodge a complaint with an EU supervisory authority. For questions, contact us at View email address on ca.talent.com.

Recruitment & Staffing Agencies

Kyowa Kirin does not accept agency resumes unless contacted directly by internal Kyowa Kirin Talent Acquisition. Please do not forward resumes to Kyowa Kirin employees or any other company location; Kyowa Kirin is not responsible for any fees related to unsolicited resumes.