Associate Director, Congress & Medical Education Strategy & Execution - Rare Disease

The Associate Director, Congress and Medical Education Strategy & Execution is responsible for executing and contributing to the global medical strategy and tactical implementation for congresses and medical education, and supporting Otsuka’s non-promotional scientific communication initiatives across the diverse Rare Disease portfolio.

This role leads scientific engagement through impactful congress planning & execution educational programs, and evidence-based content that support Otsuka’s mission to improve patient outcomes through deep scientific understanding and collaborative partnerships.

The Associate Director partners closely with global and regional cross-functional stakeholders — including Global Medical Affairs, Clinical Development, Global Integrated Evidence & Innovation (GIE&I) and Commercial, to ensure scientific alignment, operational excellence and consistency in Otsuka’s external scientific exchange.

Job Description

Key Responsibilities Include:

Congress Strategy and Execution

• Manage execution and contribute to the development of comprehensive multi-year medical congress strategy for the relevant therapeutic area aligned with Otsuka’s pipeline and product lifecycle stages (e.g., establishing and developing an emerging portfolio), including prioritization of key international and regional congresses, scientific communication objectives, symposia, booth presence, and internal/external engagement activities
• Collaborate with Medical Strategy, Medical Communications, Field Medical and Medical Information to develop high-quality, scientifically rigorous presentation and materials; ensuring data dissemination plans are timely, consistent, and strategically aligned
• Support scientific communication planning across global and regional teams to ensure consistent, data-driven communication objectives across congress activities
• Partner with Medical Communications to coordinate Otsuka’s scientific presence at congresses, including:
  • Abstract submissions and poster presentations
  • Oral presentations and late-breaking sessions
  • Sponsored symposia and educational sessions
  • Medical booth design and operations
  • Press activities and medical engagement
• Support planning and execution of engagement with external experts and stakeholders (e.g. KOLs, Patient Advocacy Groups) before during and after congresses
• Organize and facilitate investigator meetings and advisory boards in conjunction with congress
• Coordinate opportunities for scientific exchange between Otsuka Medical Affairs personnel and external experts and stakeholders
• Manage end-to-end aspects of congress planning activities and post-congress insight generation to maximize impact and inform future strategies
• Implement innovative digital strategies to extend congress reach and engagement, including virtual and hybrid congress solutions
• Establish KPIs for congress activities and implement systems to track and analyze performance
• Conduct post-congress analysis toa assess impact and identify areas for improvement

Independent Medical Education (IME)

• Develop and implement the global medical education strategy for relevant therapeutic area in alignment with medical and objectives and strategy
• Oversee the development of scientific exchange platforms, independent medical education (IME) initiatives to elevate disease and product knowledge globally
• Partner with regional and local teams to ensure educational programs address unmet needs and comply with regional regulations and global standards
• Identify, evaluate, and partner with external experts, medical societies and educational providers to ensure high-quality, unbiased scientific content delivery
• Monitor educational impact through KPIs, metrics and insights

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Act as a key contributor and subject matter expert for the relevant therapeutic area medical education and congress activities
• Collaborate with Medical Affairs, Clinical Development, Global Integrated Evidence & Innovation (GIE&I), Regulatory, and Commercial teams to ensure scientific alignment and appropriate integration of new evidence into educational content
• Provide guidance and mentorship to team members and vendors to ensure high standards of scientific integrity, external experts and stakeholder (e.g., KOL) experience and operational excellence
• Create and manage congress budgets, ensuring cost-effectiveness and ROI and ensure compliant use of medical education and congress funding
• Represent Global Medical Affairs in governance forums and cross-functional planning meetings
• Ensure all congress and medical education activities comply with global and lo