Medical Director - Oncology
lilly · CA: Toronto ON, Canada · hybrid
At Lilly, the work is demanding because patients are waiting. We unite caring with discovery to help make life better for people around the world, knowing that every decision, every detail, and every day matters. Headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, our over 50,000 employees around the globe take on complex challenges to discover and deliver life-changing medicines, strengthen how health is understood and managed, and support the communities we serve. This is hard, urgent, selfless work—but it’s work worth doing. If you’re driven by purpose and ready to bring your best to work that truly matters for patients, we invite you to join us.
Position Summary:
Eli Lilly Canada is currently searching for a Medical Director for the Oncology Business Unit to lead the lung cancer and emerging solid tumour portfolio.
As the Medical Director, Oncology, you will serve as a core scientific expert on the Canadian Medical Affairs team, playing an integral role across launch readiness strategic planning, launch activities, stakeholder engagement, and evidence generation. You will bridge medical strategy and local execution, working closely with cross-functional teams to ensure patients, healthcare providers (HCPs), and payers receive accurate, timely, and high-quality scientific information.
Location:
This is a hybrid role – onsite presence at our Toronto office will be 10 days or more per month (or at least 50% of the time), determined in collaboration with your manager and based on business needs.
At Lilly Canada, there are multiple levels available based on the candidates experience, background, and qualifications. For transparency, the ranges for this position are:
• Sr Advisor: $124,500 - $182,600
• Director: $137,250 - $201,300
This role is eligible for additional forms of compensation, such as participation in the Lilly Bonus Program.
This posting is for an existing vacancy.
Medical & Scientific Leadership
- Own and lead the development of the Canadian oncology medical strategy for lung cancer and emerging solid tumours, translating global medical plans into locally relevant priorities that address the needs of patients, HCPs, and payers.
- Develop, execute, and continuously optimize the annual medical tactical plan, setting clear objectives, milestones, and success metrics in alignment with the brand and Medical Affairs teams.
- Manage the brand medical affairs budget, including projected budget needs, and diligent tracking of expenditures to ensure activities are delivered on time and within approved financial parameters.
- Act as the Canadian medical expert for the oncology product portfolio, providing evidence-based input to support brand strategy, product launches, and lifecycle management for both marketed brands and pipeline assets.
- Contribute medical and clinical insight to the development and review of promotional materials, medical information letters, slide decks, abstracts, and publications.
- Provide medical education and training to cross-functional internal partners, including sales representatives and medical science liaisons (MSLs).
- Represent the Canadian medical perspective in Global, International Business Unit, and Medical Affairs planning forums, and communicate local research needs to global Development, Medical Affairs, Real World Evidence, and Early Phase/Translational Medicine teams.
- Keep current with the pre-clinical and clinical data relevant to each molecule, and represent the clinical needs of Canada in the development of clinical strategies, development plans, and study protocol design.
Stakeholder Engagement
- Understand and anticipate the scientific information needs of Canadian stakeholders (patients, HCPs, and payers), and address their questions in a timely fashion.
- Build and maintain collaborative relationships with Thought Leaders (TLs), academic centers, patient advocacy groups, and relevant professional societies across Canada.
- Lead advisory board meetings, symposia, and support other scientific exchange forums with HCPs.
- Support congress activities including attendance, scientific booth staffing, oral and poster presentations, and thought leader engagement.
- Contribute to defining the patient journey in lung cancer and other solid tumours, acting as a patient advocate as well as a medical expert, and provide medical insight and training to patient support programs.
Payer & Market Access Support
- Contribute clinical and health outcomes expertise to the Pricing and Reimbursement Affairs (PRA) team in support of CDA-AMC/INESSS submissions and payer partnership programs.
- Provide scientific input to health technology assessment (HTA) dossiers, value dossiers, and payer-facing materials.
- Support business-to-government and business-to-business engagements as a medical expert.
Clinical Research & Evidence Generation
- Collaborate with Canadian and global clinical operations teams on study design, investigator identification, site initiation, protocol review, and reporting.
- Act as scientific consultant and protocol expert for clinical study team members and others in medical.
- Review and provide medical input on investigator-initiated trial (IIT) proposals and publications.
- Contribute to Real World Evidence (RWE) and health outcomes research initiatives to address identified data gaps in the Canadian oncology context.
- Support development of informed consent documents and risk communication materials for local studies.
- Monitor patient safety during the conduct of local studies and support tracking and follow-up of adverse events in alignment with corporate patient safety policies and procedures.
Regulatory & Compliance
- Participate in the development and review of Canadian product labeling and labeling updates in collaboration with regulatory, legal, and global teams.
- Support regulatory submissions, advisory committee preparation, and risk management planning for the oncology portfolio.
- Maintain full compliance with Health Canada regulations, Innovative Medicines Canada (IMC) Code of Ethical Practices, and all Lilly global policies governing HCP interactions and data dissemination.
Scientific Leadership & Continuous Development
- Critically monitor and synthesize the medical literature, competitor data, and emerging clinical practice trends in lung cancer and solid tumour oncology.
- Attend and contribute to national and international medical congresses and scientific symposia.
- Act as a scientific resource and mentor to clinical research coordinators, MSLs, and cross-functional team members.
- Actively participate in recruitment, diversity, and retention and hiring efforts as applicable.
- Model Lilly leadership behaviors and serve as an ambassador for both patients and the Lilly brand.
Qualifications
Required
- Advanced degree (PhD, PharmD, MD) in a life sciences discipline.
- Minimum 8 years of relevant experience in pharmaceutical/biotechnology Medical Affairs, clinical research, or a related field.
- Strong understanding of the Canadian healthcare system, including federal and provincial reimbursement pathways (CDA-AMC, INESSS, pCPA).
- Demonstrated knowledge of Good Clinical Practice (GCP), Health Canada regulations, and IMC guidelines.
- Excellent scientific communication skills, including the ability to critically appraise scientific literature and present complex data clearly to diverse audiences.
- Strategic thinker and strategic leader, with the ability to operate independently, prioritize competing demands, and execute with excellence.
- Strong collaborative and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build peer-to-peer relationships with external stakeholders and work effectively with cross-functional teams and external partners.
Preferred
- Knowledge of the oncology therapeutic area, with clinical, medical affairs, or research work in lung cancer or other solid tumours.
- Experience in a Medical Affairs or stakeholder-f