| Detail | For this role |
|---|---|
| Department | Pharma |
| Level | Mid level |
| Reports to | Head of Medical Affairs |
| Direct reports | None |
| Experience | 3 to 6 years in medical affairs, clinical practice or research |
Medical Advisor job description template
Copy this job description, replace the text in square brackets and post it on your careers page or a job portal.
Job title: Medical Advisor
Department: Pharma
Reports to: Head of Medical Affairs
Location: [City], [office, branch or site]
About the role
A Medical Advisor provides the scientific and medical backbone for a pharmaceutical company's products in a therapy area. They review promotional and scientific material for accuracy, answer medical queries, engage key opinion leaders, support clinical and safety activities, and train the field force on the science. The role sits in medical affairs. A good one keeps the company scientifically credible and compliant, builds trust with doctors through genuine expertise, makes sure claims are backed by evidence, and bridges the medical, marketing and sales teams.
Key responsibilities
- Review promotional and scientific material for medical accuracy and compliance.
- Answer medical and product queries from doctors, patients and internal teams.
- Engage key opinion leaders and specialists in scientific discussions.
- Provide medical input into brand strategy, campaigns and positioning.
- Support clinical studies, publications and real-world evidence in the therapy area.
- Train the field force and marketing team on the disease and the science.
- Plan and support advisory boards, scientific meetings and medical education.
- Support pharmacovigilance with medical review of safety information and adverse event assessments.
- Keep up with the latest evidence and guidelines in the therapy area.
- Ensure all medical activities follow ethical, legal and regulatory guidelines at all times.
Requirements
- MBBS, MD, BDS, or M.Pharm or PhD in a life science
- Knowledge of the therapy area and clinical evidence
- Medical affairs experience is an advantage
- 3 to 6 years in medical affairs, clinical practice or research
KRAs and KPIs for a Medical Advisor
Key result areas for the appraisal form, each with a KPI you can measure every month or quarter.
| Key result area | How to measure it |
|---|---|
| Scientific accuracy | Reviewed material accurate and compliant, with zero major medical findings |
| Medical queries | Medical queries answered accurately within the agreed time |
| KOL engagement | Meet engagement targets with key opinion leaders in the therapy area |
| Field training | Field force trained on the science, with improved product knowledge |
| Evidence support | Scientific and evidence activities delivered on schedule |
| Compliance | Medical activities stay within ethical and regulatory guidelines |
Skills and tools
Tools used day to day: Medical literature databases, Medical information systems, MS PowerPoint, Reference management tools, Pharmacovigilance systems.
Reporting line and career path
Next roles: Senior Medical Advisor, Head of Medical Affairs
Interview questions for a Medical Advisor
- How do you review a promotional claim to check it is supported by evidence?
- How do you answer a medical query when the evidence is unclear?
- How do you engage a senior specialist in a credible, non-promotional way?
- How do you keep marketing claims scientific without blocking the brand?
- How do you train a sales team on complex science simply?
- How do you stay current with the evidence in your therapy area?
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What does a medical advisor do in pharma?
A medical advisor provides the scientific and medical backbone for a company's products in a therapy area. They review promotional and scientific material for accuracy, answer medical queries, engage key opinion leaders, support clinical and safety activities, and train the field force on the science. They keep the company credible, compliant and evidence-based.
What qualifications do you need to be a medical advisor?
Most medical advisors are doctors with an MBBS, often an MD, or hold an M.Pharm or PhD in a life science. Deep knowledge of the therapy area and clinical evidence is essential, since the role reviews claims and answers medical queries. Medical affairs experience helps, but strong science and communication matter most.
What is the difference between a medical advisor and a product manager?
A medical advisor owns the science: reviewing claims for accuracy, answering medical queries and engaging doctors on evidence, without a sales target. A product manager owns the brand's marketing and sales strategy. They work together on a brand, but the advisor keeps it scientific and compliant while the product manager drives the business.