Job Description

Job Summary

The Director, Nephrology & Immunology Publications Lead is responsible for leading the planning, development, and execution of the global medical publication strategy and publication deliverables for the Nephrology and Immunology therapeutic area. This role ensures the timely, accurate, and compliant communication of scientific and clinical data through congress abstracts, posters, manuscripts, and other peer-reviewed outputs.

Serving as the functional lead for publication operations within the Nephrology & Immunology Medical Communications team, the Director partners closely with cross-functional stakeholders, including Clinical Development, Global Integrated Evidence & Innovation (GIE&I), Medical Strategy, Core Content, and external vendors, ensuring excellence and consistency in scientific communication across the portfolio.

The position reports to the Senior Director, Nephrology & Immunology Medical Communications Lead and plays a key leadership role in advancing Otsuka’s mission to deliver impactful, evidence-based science that improves patient outcomes.

Job Description

Key Responsibilities Include:

Publications Strategy and Execution

• Lead execution of the publication plans for Nephrology and Immunology assets, ensuring strategic alignment with global medical objectives, data dissemination priorities, and the product lifecycle
• Partner with Medical Communications and cross-functional teams to define publication timelines, data priorities, and congress/journal strategies in collaboration with study teams and medical leaders
• Oversee the end-to-end development of publication deliverables, including abstracts, posters, and manuscripts to ensure scientific accuracy, quality, and adherence to Good Publication Practices (GPP), ICMJE, and company SOPs
• Support the integration of publication insights into broader scientific communication platforms (SCPs), ensuring consistency across core content, field materials, and other medical channels

Vendor & Budget Management

• Manage publication vendors and medical writing partners to ensure timely delivery, cost-effectiveness
• Oversee operational management of external publication agencies, providing clear direction, review, and feedback to ensure alignment with scientific and compliance standards
• Manage assigned publication budgets, including forecasting, tracking, and reconciliation
• Ensure efficient resource utilization and drive continuous process improvement across publication workflows

Cross-functional Leadership

• Collaborate closely with Clinical Development, Global Integrated Evidence & Innovation, Medical Strategy, and Core Content teams to ensure data readiness, accurate interpretation, and timely publication of key clinical results
• Serve as a publications subject matter expert within the Nephrology & Immunology Medical Communications function, providing strategic and operational guidance to internal stakeholders and vendors
• Partner with Field Medical and Medical Information to ensure consistency of published data messaging across medical channels and external communications
• Contribute to integrated medical communication planning, ensuring that publications effectively support data dissemination goals and launch readiness activities
• Consider technology and AI to support workflow improvement

Compliance & Quality Oversight

• Ensure all publication activities are conducted in accordance with internal SOPs, GPP, ICMJE, and regional/global regulatory requirements
• Partner with Legal, Regulatory, and Compliance teams to uphold publication governance, authorship transparency, and ethical data sharing standards
• Contribute to audit readiness and documentation best practices for publication records and approvals

Qualifications

Education and Experience:

• Advanced scientific or medical degree (PharmD, PhD, MD, or equivalent) required
• 10+ years of experience in Medical Affairs, Medical Communications, or Publications within the pharmaceutical or biotechnology industry
• Minimum 3–5 years of experience leading publication planning and execution for global or regional programs, preferably in Nephrology, Immunology, or related therapeutic areas
• Proven experience managing vendors and external medical writers, including budget oversight and performance evaluation
• Strong understanding of Good Publication Practices (GPP), ICMJE guidelines, and industry standards for scientific and medical communication

Skills and Competencies:

• Strong leadership presence and ability to present to executive leadership team
• Demonstrated ability to lead publication strategy execution across global and regional teams
• Exceptional project management and organizational skills, with the ability to manage multiple concurrent publication deliverables
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with meticulous attention to scientific accuracy and compliance
• Strong cross-functional collaboration skills, with the ability to influence and align internal and external partners
• Proven leadership in vendor management, process optimization, and publication operations
• Financial acumen and experience managing publication budgets
• Strategic thinker with operational excellence mindset and the ability to translate complex data into clear, evidence-based scientific narratives

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