[MA] Vaccine Medical Affairs Lead
Pfizer
Posted on Mar 10, 2026
VAC MA Lead Job Description
Medical
- Position Overview
- Title: Senior Director, Vaccines Medical Affairs Lead, Japan
- Department: Medical Affairs (Vaccines)
- Location: Tokyo (Domestic and international travel required)
- Reporting Line: Country Medical Director, Japan
- Mission: Provide scientific leadership for the vaccine business in Japan. Develop and execute medical strategies—including launch, label expansion, and gap-filling—based on scientific integrity, patient value, and ethical/legal compliance.
- Team Leadership: Lead approximately 20 Vaccine MA members, including first-line managers. Foster team development and cultivate scientific leaders capable of identifying unmet medical needs, planning and executing medical strategies, and generating clinical evidence.
- This role requires proactive leadership to drive cross-functional initiatives, ensure scientific excellence, and foster a high-performing team culture that delivers measurable impact in the dynamic vaccine and infectious disease landscape.
- Key Responsibilities
- Medical Strategy & Roadmap
- Develop annual Medical Affairs Plans (MAPs) aligned with Japan’s infectious disease epidemiology, NIP (National Immunization Program), local implementation, and decision-making processes.
- Lead launch preparation and execution for new products, indications, and technologies (e.g., mRNA), defining success criteria across evidence, education, policy, and implementation.
- Identify unmet medical needs and healthcare disparities via advisory boards; create and drive action plans to address data gaps.
- Lead unbiased scientific communication, HCP education seminars, data generation initiatives, and development of scientific materials.
- Contribute to lifecycle planning for both inline and pipeline vaccines, implementing local medical strategies and clinical plans.
- Evidence Generation (RWE/Phase IV/Investigator-Initiated Studies)
- Design Japan Evidence Plans covering epidemiology, outcomes, and implementation science. Conduct collaborative studies in compliance with clinical research law, ethical guidelines, GCP/GPSP/GVP.
- Utilize databases (JMDC/MDV/NDB) and regional cohorts to visualize effectiveness, safety, and real-world implementation.
- Oversee publication and conference presentation plans, ensuring transparency and COI management.
- Support investigator-initiated studies and medical grants per internal policy.
- Maintain high scientific standards across all internal and external activities to promote appropriate, effective, and safe vaccine use.
- External Engagement (KOLs, Societies, Policy)
- Map KOLs and next-generation leaders; strengthen scientific presence in societies such as the Japanese Society of Infectious Diseases, Pediatrics, Vaccinology, and Public Health.
- Plan and manage advisory boards (objective setting, consensus building, insight utilization, documentation, COI/honorarium management).
- Lead scientific dialogue with public institutions (MHLW, PMDA, NIID), ensuring transparency and avoiding corporate bias.
- Build non-promotional relationships to establish long-term, trust-based collaborations.
- Respond to Unsolicited Medical Requests (UMRs) with high-quality, unbiased information and share insights internally.
- Continuously gather and integrate the latest medical/pharmaceutical knowledge to strengthen portfolio-related information infrastructure.
- Apply insights with a patient-centric approach, embedding health literacy and cultural sensitivity into materials and communications.
- Regulatory Affairs, Safety, and Appropriate Use
- Contribute to PMDA consultations and post-marketing activities (e.g., usage surveys)
- Provide clinical perspectives on label updates and risk minimization plans (RMP); collaborate with PV on safety signal evaluations.
- Ensure team compliance with safety reporting regulations and internal policies; plan and complete necessary training.
- Scientific Communication / MLR / Internal Collaboration
- Oversee scientific platforms (core slides, FAQs, educational materials, digital assets); lead MLR review and ensure compliance with JPMA code and Pharmaceutical Affairs Law.
- Operate One-Voice strategy with Medical affairs scientist to ensure scientific consistency and insight sharing.
- Support brand planning by providing medical/scientific advice to marketing teams.
- Lead scientific input for academic meetings and medicaleducation programs with societies and related organizations.
- Promote conduct and POJ (Principles of Operation in Japan) compliance in external Medical Affairs activities, clarifying promotional/non-promotional boundaries.
- Organization, Talent, and Budget
- Design and manage the Vaccines MA organization, including hiring, capability development, and succession planning.
- Develop and manage annual budgets
- Foster a culture of DE&I and psychological safety.
- Lead people management through appropriate assignments, coaching, evaluations, and constructive feedback; drive change leadership in the dynamic vaccine/infectious disease space.
- Demonstrate leadership through collaboration with colleagues, internal stakeholders, and external customers to align with shared vision and strategy.
- As Needed
- Support clinical development programs and regulatory authority interactions.
- Provide internal and external medical/scientific advice to ensure appropriate vaccine use.
- Contribute to business development.
- Support medical response to supply issues, including rapid communication with societies and authorities.
- Qualifications Required
- Advanced degree (MD, PharmD, PhD); 10+ years of Medical Affairs experience in vaccines/infectious diseases, including 7+ years of people leadership.
- Proven track record in national-level strategy development and execution for new product launches/indication expansions.
- Experience in scientific dialogue with PMDA, MHLW, municipalities, and academic societies (presentations, chairing, committee participation).
- Practical understanding of Pharmaceutical Affairs Law, GCP, GPSP, GVP, Clinical Research Law, Personal Information Protection Law, JPMA Code.
- Deep expertise in vaccine-related Medical Affairs.
- Leadership: Inspire, develop, and lead teams in dynamic environments with scientific excellence.
- Communication and relationship-building skills across internal and external stakeholders.
- Compliance: Promote appropriate use through understanding of industry regulations.
- Learning agility: Ability to quickly self-learn necessary medical/scientific knowledge.
- Knowledge of RWE, epidemiology, implementation science; experience in designing and managing observational studies.
- Extensive experience in MLR review, digital asset oversight, and advisory board planning.
- Participation in government/society working groups and involvement in white papers/recommendations.
- Academic publishing experience (scientific papers, conference presentations).
- Project management experience handling multiple concurrent projects.
- Ability to read and converse in English (advanced business level)
- Competencies
- Strategic thinking (integration of science, policy, and implementation); influence (drive decisions through science).
- Collaboration (value creation with Commercial, Market Access, Regulatory, PV, Clinical).
- Compliance & ethics; data literacy (RWE/statistics/epidemiology); talent development; change leadership.
- Change management: Lead transformation in evolving vaccine/infectious disease environments.
- Customer insight utilization: Reflect HCP/society/policy insights in strategy to enhance decision quality.
Medical
