Bilingual Scientific Writer (Japanese/English) – Freelance

Job description:

Cactus Life Sciences is seeking a skilled and motivated Bilingual Scientific Writer to join our Japan-based publications team. In this role, you will develop high-quality scientific content for leading pharmaceutical companies operating in Japan, supporting their medical affairs and publication strategies across multiple therapeutic areas. You will serve as the linguistic and scientific bridge between global data and Japanese healthcare audiences, ensuring scientific accuracy, regulatory appropriateness, and cultural nuance in all deliverables

Job responsibilities:

• Author and review high-quality manuscripts, abstracts, posters, and oral presentations for submission to Japanese and international peer-reviewed journals and scientific congresses

• Develop and adapt clinical study reports (CSRs), systematic literature reviews (SLRs), and narrative summaries for Japanese pharma clients

• Translate, adapt, and localise scientific content between Japanese and English, maintaining scientific integrity, regulatory compliance, and cultural appropriateness

• Contribute to the development of evidence dissemination plans and publication strategies aligned with client objectives and ICMJE/GPP guidelines

• Perform accurate data interpretation and data checking of tables, figures, and statistical outputs from clinical trial reports

• Meet agreed timelines and budgets

• Ensure all materials comply with client SOPs, journal guidelines, ICMJE, GPP3 standards, and Cactus internal quality benchmarks

Team Collaboration & Quality Oversight

• Collaborate with internal editors, graphic designers, and project managers in a remote-first, cross-timezone environment

• Stay current with developments in clinical research, therapeutic areas, and the Japanese regulatory landscape (PMDA guidelines)

 
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Qualifications and prerequisites:

• PhD, MD, or PharmD in Pharmacology, Life Sciences, Medicine, or a related discipline, MPharm or M.Sc. with strong clinical research and medical communications background may be considered with commensurate experience

• 4–5 years of experience in scientific/medical writing within a pharmaceutical company, CRO, or medical communications agency

• Proven track record of independently authoring peer-reviewed manuscripts, abstracts, and congress materials for pharma clients in Japan

• Experience working with Japanese pharma clients or within the Japan Medical Affairs environment is preferred

• Native or near-native Japanese language proficiency (written and verbal); business-level English fluency required

• Exceptional scientific writing skills with ability to communicate complex clinical data to diverse audiences (HCPs, KOLs, regulatory bodies)

• Proficiency in literature review tools (PubMed, Embase, Ichushi) and reference management software (EndNote, Mendeley)

• Proficiency in MS Office (Word, PowerPoint, Excel); familiarity with AI-assisted writing tools (e.g., Paperpal) is an advantage

• Strong attention to detail, high ownership mindset, and ability to manage multiple projects independently with minimal supervision

• Comfortable working asynchronously and collaboratively across global time zones

About Us:

At Cactus Life Sciences (cactuslifesciences.com), we believe the future of medical communications lies at the intersection of science, technology, and human connection. With expertise in medical strategy, scientific content development, and medical education across therapeutic areas and the product lifecycle, we help biopharmaceutical organizations redefine scientific exchange. Headquartered in Princeton, New Jersey, with teams in Switzerland, the United Kingdom, India, and Japan, we bring global perspective and operational excellence to every partnership.