Director, Medical Affairs Strategy & Education

About the Role

The Director, Medical Affairs Strategy and Education provides medical leadership and owns the development, execution, and evolution of U.S. medical strategy. This role is accountable for transforming multi-source medical insights into actionable strategies that inform scientific engagement, medical education, evidence generation, and cross-functional decision-making.

The Director, Medical Affairs Strategy and Education serves as the Medical Affairs lead for KOL engagement and congress strategy, directing scientific exchange, advisory boards, and high-impact congress presence. This role leads insight synthesis, interpretation, and downstream action across Medical Affairs initiatives and will directly manage an Associate Director responsible for operational execution, integration, and analytical support.

This position is a senior strategic partner across Medical Affairs, Commercial, Market Access, Regulatory, Legal, Compliance, and Clinical Development.

Let’s talk about some of the key responsibilities of the role:

Medical Strategy & Insight Leadership

• Own U.S. Medical Affairs strategy informed by multi-source insights, including MSL field insights, scientific engagements, advisory boards, congresses, and cross-functional inputs
• Lead monthly and quarterly insight synthesis and strategic interpretation to identify knowledge gaps, refine KITs/KIQs, and evolve scientific messaging
• Translate insights into actionable recommendations across education strategy, evidence needs, and scientific engagement priorities
• Provide executive-facing insight summaries and strategic updates to senior leadership

KOL Engagement & Scientific Advisory Leadership

• Define and lead KOL engagement strategy across Medical Affairs
• Set objectives and scientific priorities for Medical Advisory Boards and other scientific engagement forums
• Own final interpretation of insights and development of cross-functional action plans
• Provide strategic oversight of HCP consultant engagement across Medical Affairs
• Lead strategy for our HCP consultants

Congress Medical Strategy & Scientific Leadership

• Define annual medical congress strategy, objectives, and engagement models across Ophthalmology and Optometry meetings
• Lead high-impact scientific exchange, including KOL discussions and 1:1 medical meeting at priority congresses
• Oversee post-congress insight synthesis and translation into medical strategy updates

Medical Education Strategy & Oversight

• Define Medical Affairs education strategy aligned with insight-driven priorities
• Oversee practice-based and field-based education initiatives executed in partnership with the MSL team
• Ensure education initiatives are aligned to medical strategy and generate actionable insights

People Leadership & Cross-Functional Partnership

• Directly manage and develop the Associate Director, Medical Affairs
• Provide strategic direction and prioritization to enable effective execution and scalability
• Serve as a senior medical partner across Commercial, Market Access, Regulatory, Compliance, and Clinical Development

Leadership Competencies - This role requires mastery of the Tarsus Leadership Competencies for Leading People, including:

• Decision Making - Demonstrates strong decision-making by applying structured analysis to complex challenges, balancing competing priorities and long-term impacts while engaging stakeholders and driving solutions aligned with organizational goals
• Collaboration and Team Building - Promotes collaboration by aligning diverse teams around shared goals, fostering healthy debate to advance outcomes, and building strong networks that strengthen organizational effectiveness and cross-team learning
• Outcome Driven - Demonstrates strong outcomes focus by aligning teams around shared priorities, proactively addressing risks and dependencies, and driving cross-functional accountability to sustain progress and deliver results
• Business Acumen - Demonstrates strong business acumen by anticipating market dynamics and using financial and strategic insight to guide investments, manage risk, and align priorities with long-term organizational value
• Innovative Mindset and Action - Demonstrates an innovative mindset by championing new ideas, investing in enabling systems and partnerships, and translating innovation into sustainable growth and organizational resilience

Factors for Success:

• Advanced degree required (OD, PhD, PharmD)
• Minimum of 10+ years of relevant experience; 5+ years of experience as a medical science liaison or within medical affairs in eye care, OR 5+ years of clinical experience in eyecare with at least one year of industry experience OR 5+ years of clinical practice in eyecare
• Strong verbal and written communication skills to convey technical and clinical information
• Industry experience with strong knowledge of FDA and Pharmaceutical regulatory and legal guidelines on advertising and promotion is preferred
• Strong emotional intelligence, excellent analytical skills, demonstrated ability to identify and understand complex issues and identify and query key findings from study data and publications
• Ability to work independently and be self-motivated while able to influence and collaborate with peers (lead without authority)
• Ability to collect actionable insights and critically analyze data
• Develop effective working relationships and coordinate the work with internal departments, including the clinical development team
• Experience working with third party vendors, contracts, compliance, and governance boards

A Few Other Details Worth Mentioning:

• The position will be based in our beautiful Irvine office, complete with a courtyard, onsite gym, snacks and drinks, and occasional catered meals. We provide a hybrid work environment. Remote work is an option.
• We are passionate about our culture! Our Tarsans live our values of commitment to patients, empowerment to champion innovation, and teamwork to amplify impact!
• Some travel may be required – up to 40% with some weekends and holidays
• This position reports directly to the VP, Medical Affairs Strategy

At Tarsus, we understand the importance of attracting and retaining top talent. The expected base pay range for this position is $203,200 - $284,600 plus bonus, stock equity, and comprehensive benefits. The base pay range reflects the target range for this position, but individual pay will be determined by additional factors such as job-related skills, experience and relevant education or training. Our benefits include health, dental and vision insurance benefits to ensure your well-being. We believe in work-life balance and offer generous paid time off, including vacation, holidays, and personal days. For more details regarding Tarsus benefits, please visit: https://eb.alliant.com/26tarsusbenefitssnapshot.

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