Senior Medical Science Liaison, Rare Diseases - West

As an integral member of Otsuka’s Rare Diseases Business Unit within Medical Affairs, the Senior Medical Science Liaison (Sr. MSL), Rare Diseases, executes national medical strategies in the field and is responsible for the development and execution of regional medical business plans. The Sr. MSL identifies, prioritizes, and engages stakeholders and accounts with both regional and national importance that are critical to Otsuka’s rare disease objectives.

The Sr. MSL is a credible scientific partner who provides clinical, scientific, and healthcare landscape expertise related to rare disease states, emerging data, and therapeutic opportunities across the product lifecycle, including pre-launch, launch, and post-launch phases. This field-based role engages highly specialized stakeholders—including key opinion leaders (KOLs), investigators, healthcare providers, advocacy organizations, and multidisciplinary care teams—to advance patient outcomes aligned with Otsuka’s overarching objectives.

In collaboration with internal partners, the Sr. MSL develops and executes regional medical business plans and associated tactics aligned with national medical strategy to address evolving customer and account needs. The Sr. MSL is responsible for the scientific and educational needs of assigned customers and accounts and may support multiple disease areas or assets within the rare disease portfolio. This individual engages in broad clinical and scientific discussions that impact patient care, account readiness, launch preparedness, and long-term medical strategy, generating high-quality customer insights shared across Medical Affairs and the broader organization.

These roles will support rare disease programs including FUS ALS, PKU, and other LCM indications. Unlike a traditional field medical model, these positions will operate across broad geographic regions, with a limited number of field medical colleagues covering the entire United States. As a result, the role is highly account-focused, with particular emphasis on Centers of Excellence, specialized referral centers, and other strategically important rare disease accounts.

The Sr. MSL collaborates, as appropriate, with Global Medical Strategy, Advocacy, and Commercial partners in support of enterprise rare disease objectives, while operating in full compliance with all applicable medical, legal, and regulatory requirements.

Key Activities and Responsibilities 

• Execute national medical strategies in the field while identifying, prioritizing, and engaging stakeholders and accounts with regional and national significance.
• Develop, implement, and adapt regional medical business plans aligned with national medical strategy and tailored to assigned regions, priority accounts, and specialized stakeholder groups.
• Contribute clinical and scientific expertise to regional planning and execution activities that address customer and account challenges, opportunities, and unmet needs across pre-launch, launch, and post-launch phases.
• Build, cultivate, and sustain strong external relationships with key scientific and medical stakeholders to maintain a deep understanding of healthcare trends, disease-state dynamics, care pathways, treatment readiness, and unmet needs.
• Engage priority stakeholders across rare disease accounts, including KOLs, investigators, healthcare providers, key decision-makers, patient advocacy organizations, and multidisciplinary care teams.
• Develop and maintain a comprehensive understanding of the regional and national rare disease landscape, including Centers of Excellence, referral pathways, diagnostic and treatment patterns, and account-specific needs, ensuring alignment with Otsuka’s patient-centric strategy.
• Serve as a trusted source of evidence-based scientific information and collaborate with healthcare professionals to identify practical, real-world approaches to improving patient outcomes.
• Contribute to business objectives beyond the assigned region and provide meaningful impact across the broader Medical Affairs organization.
• Establish and maintain strong internal partnerships across Rare Diseases Medical Affairs and cross-functional teams to ensure an enterprise mindset when engaging customers and strategic accounts.
• Be accountable to Rare Diseases Medical Affairs leadership for the effective execution of regional medical business plans and tactics within established timelines.
• Lead special projects as requested by management and assume incremental leadership or point roles within Medical Affairs.
• Disseminate disease-state, clinical, scientific, and healthcare landscape information in alignment with medical priorities and product lifecycle needs.
• Support clinical and data-focused training for approved speakers and contribute to scientific education initiatives, as appropriate and in compliance with company policy.
• Serve, where appropriate and compliant, as part of Otsuka’s speaker bureau or scientific education programs supporting disease-state and product-related education.
• Collect, synthesize, and submit high-quality medical insights to inform decision-making, evidence-generation priorities, launch readiness, launch optimization, and healthcare solution development.
• Support clinical trials and medical collaboration activities, including registrational studies, post-marketing research, investigator-sponsored research, and other medical initiatives; provide field-based clinical input on site identification, feasibility, account readiness, and study execution.
• Participate in mentoring and peer development activities, including onboarding and support of new hires and sharing of best practices.
• Support additional organizational activities, including Safety and Pharmacovigilance investigations, internal medical education, and Medical Affairs excellence initiatives through mentorship and knowledge sharing.
• Collaborate, as appropriate, with Global Medical Strategy, Advocacy, and Commercial partners to support pre-launch planning, launch execution, and post-launch medical strategy, while maintaining strict compliance boundaries and non-promotional standards.

Therapeutic Area / Stakeholder focus

(Subject to change as the Rare Diseases Business Unit evolves)

The Senior Medical Science Liaison, Rare Diseases, supports highly specialized stakeholder groups that differ from traditional MSL customer profiles and may include, but are not limited to:

• FUS ALS: Neurologists, neuromuscular specialists, ALS specialists and ALS centers, investigators, multidisciplinary care teams, and relevant advocacy organizations
• PKU: Metabolic geneticists, inherited metabolic disease specialists, dietitians, specialized treatment centers and care teams, investigators, and relevant advocacy organizations

This role engages stakeholders through a strategic, account-based approach, with a strong emphasis on Centers of Excellence and specialized referral or treatment centers.

 Qualifications:

• MD, DO, PharmD, or PhD in life sciences required
• Prior experience as a Medical Science Liaison or in other Medical Affairs roles within the pharmaceutical or biotechnology industry, or an equivalent combination of education and experience, required
• Rare disease experience strongly preferred
• Prior experience in neurology, neuromuscular disease, ALS, metabolic disorders, PKU, inherited metabolic disease, or other highly specialized therapeutic areas preferred
• Deep understanding of healthcare systems, Centers of Excellence, and patient care delivery, with experience engaging healthcare professionals and decision-makers
• Minimum of 5+ years of relevant experience within pharmaceutical industry Medical Affairs
• Strong business acumen; understanding of industry dynamics, Otsuka’s business model and value proposition, competitive landscape, and market factors, with a focus on driving improved patient outcomes
• Exceptional communication and collaboration skills, demonstrating professional maturity, confidence, and credibility
• Proven conflict resolution skills and ability to work effectively in cross-functional and fast-paced environments
• Demonstrated leadership skills with the ability to lead teams and projects strategically
• Ability to distill and communicate complex scientific and business information clearly and concisely
• Strong understanding of legal, regulatory, and compliance requirements governing Medical Affairs
• Ability to operate effectively in ambiguous environments across multiple phases of the product lifecycle
• Demonstrated behaviors aligned with the Otsuka Corporate Brand: Perseverance, Unconventional Thinking, and Humility
• Ability to travel up to 70% by air or car, depending on regional coverage needs
• Preferred residence in a major metropolitan area or airport hub within the assigned region