Postdoc Research Fellow

About Northeastern: 

Founded in 1898, Northeastern is a global research university and the recognized leader in experience-driven lifelong learning. Our world-renowned experiential approach empowers our students, faculty, alumni, and partners to create impact far beyond the confines of discipline, degree, and campus. 

Our locations—in Boston; Charlotte, North Carolina; London; Portland, Maine; San Francisco; Seattle; Silicon Valley; Toronto; Vancouver; and the Massachusetts communities of Burlington and Nahant—are nodes in our growing global university system. Through this network, we expand opportunities for flexible, student-centered learning and collaborative, solutions-focused research. 

Northeastern’s comprehensive array of undergraduate and graduate programs— in a variety of on-campus and online formats—lead to degrees through the doctorate in nine colleges and schools. Among these, we offer more than 195 multi-discipline majors and degrees designed to prepare students for purposeful lives and careers. 

About the Opportunity: 

Seqirus USA Inc. and Northeastern University are proud to announce a 24-month fellowship with Seqirus designed to provide pharmacists with a broad exposure to the area of Medical Affairs. The two-years Medical Affairs Fellowship provides an opportunity to learn the skills and experiences necessary to excel as a pharmacist in Medical Affairs, a key function in any biopharmaceutical company. The fellowship will be based out of the Seqirus office in Cambridge, MA.   

Seqirus, a CSL Company, was formed in July 2015, when bioCSL and the influenza vaccines of Novartis joined forces to create Seqirus, now the second largest influenza vaccine company in the world, for both seasonal and pandemic influenza preparedness. It is a global company and has manufacturing and R&D hubs across three continents, a globally integrated supply chain and a commercial presence in more than 20 countries. 

The Medical Affairs fellow will assist across all pertinent areas of medical affairs within Seqirus. The fellow will have rotations in medical information, medical communications & publications, field-based US medical science liaison and promotional review committee and will also have the opportunity to specialize in a preferred area of medical affairs for an elective rotation. The fellow will help the team to develops the strategy and implementation surrounding the collection, preparation, and dissemination of medical and scientific information on Seqirus’ products externally to physicians, pharmacists, investigators, health care institutions, agencies, patients and their families and internally to Seqirus partners in multiple countries.  

The fellow’s portfolio will span all Seqirus pipeline and marketed products in the region. 

Responsibilities: 

 1. Develops and maintains a broad knowledge of medical, scientific and technical information for therapeutic area and product portfolio, becoming a scientific influenza expert for Medical Information.  

 2. Assist with creation and reviews of key medical communication documents, including, but not limited to, Scientific Responses Documents (SRDs), Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), content for medical meetings/symposia/Advisory Boards, content for internal Medical Affairs staff training and Data-on-File. Ensures prompt and accurate, quality-assured documents are created in alignment with the Global and Regional Medial Affairs scientific messages and strategy. 

- Creates and implements processes/procedures for a streamlined handling of  medical inquiries.  

- Partners cross functionally to ensure data is incorporated into content and process is in place for highest volume topics for customers. 

 3. Assist with the Publications, Abstracts and Posters; helps to facilitate Team calls to review progress of manuscripts and congress planning progress. Arrange for medical writing support once publication plan is recognized. Ensure that the vendor selected is trained on internal policies, Good Publication Practice (GPP) Guidelines, internal compliance requirements and authorship criteria. 

- Ensure consistent cross-functional communication and collaboration on ongoing publication projects and project updates with key stakeholders internally and externally. 

- Assist with updating important internal documents such as the Scientific Pillars and Platforms and product compendia to support the Medical Plan and Medical Communication strategy. 

- Assist with the oversight of manuscript submission for RD disclosure review including manuscripts (primary and secondary), abstracts and posters  for review and approval prior to submission to journals and congresses 

 4. Assist with medical content review for professional materials through the medical clearance committee (MCC). Works with the medial affairs team to evaluate and review promotional materials Seeks to build and maintain collaborative relationships with all involved in the MCC process and sets a model for professional and productive interactions. 

- Ensures timely medical support for Medical Copy Clearance (medical review of promotional materials) is accomplished for all Seqirus’ products. 

- Ensure that strategically aligned scientific communication is medically accurate and supported by appropriate data 

- Participate in the development of unbranded and branded commercial programs ensuring that they are medically accurate 

- Provide medical input and advice into development of commercial campaigns, where applicable and ensure that timely support and accuracy for Medical Copy Clearance is accomplished for all Seqirus’ vaccines, in the United States. 

 5. Assist with Identifying appropriate regional Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs) and Healthcare Professionals (HCPs) with which to develop professional relationships to ensure exchange of medical-scientific information relevant to Seqirus’s products and areas of therapeutic interest. Gather, translate, and communicate actionable, strategy-aligned insights from scientific, educational, and conference setting interactions. Attend scientific and medical meetings. Deliver approved educational programs and training to relevant internal functions. 

- Maintain excellent professional relationships, engage and cultivate relationships with leading KOLs to gain contribution/ participation in advisory boards, greater understanding of influenza vaccines and insights into unmet patient needs. 

- Represents Seqirus at scientific and medical forums, including medical education forums, scientific roundtables, congresses, and symposia. 

- Planning, designing and managing or participating in local, regional, national and global medical Advisory Boards including working with vendor(s) in support of medical affairs strategies. 

Knowledge, Skills & Competencies 

- Scientific knowledge in influenza therapeutic area  

- Ability to prioritize tasks and meet agreed metrics  

- Excellent communication and project management skills 

- Ability to operate in a collaborative work environment 

- Sound and balanced judgment; able to assess and handle risks; self-confident, proactive and decisive 

- Has the expertise, determination and courage to resolve or escalate issues as appropriate 

- Values and behaviours consistent with CSL’s 

- High ethical standards as well as personal credibility 

- Ability to prioritize and deliver 

- Excellent leadership and relationship skills 

- Ability to collaborate cross functionally 

- Ability to meet deadlines 

Qualifications: 

Doctor of Pharmacy degree from an ACPE accredited institution, eligible for licensure as a pharmacist in the State of Massachusetts. 

 
Preferred Qualifications: 

 Excellent oral and written communication, time management, and leadership skills, ability to work independently and take initiative on a variety of projects at the industry site and Northeastern.  

Salary Grade: 

 10 

Additional Information: 
 
 

Applicants should submit the following APPLICATION MATERIALS by the priority deadline of November 1st  , 2021:  

1. Curriculum vitae (CV), uploaded  

2. Unofficial PharmD transcripts, uploaded 

3. Cover letter, uploaded  

Three formal letters of recommendation (LORs) sent directly from the letter writer to [email protected]  by November 29th, 2021. LOR writers should include the candidate’s name and fellowship program(s) in the subject line (e.g. Smith, John – Alnylam, GSK). 

Address cover letter and three LORs to:  

J. Andrew Orr-Skirvin, PharmD, BCOP  

Clinical Professor, School of Pharmacy  

Chair, Department of Pharmacy & Health System Sciences  

Director of Pharmaceutical Industry Fellowship Program  

360 Huntington Ave, 140TF R218  

Boston, MA 02115