A BOLDSCIENCE Senior Medical Writer is starting to gain experience working across a range of deliverables and therapy areas within the medical communications industry. They have developed good technical writing skills and can quickly get up to speed with new therapy areas and client accounts. They have a strong scientific background and enjoy communicating complex scientific messages clearly, accurately, and innovatively.
An SMW gains more autonomy as they build confidence in their role. They produce good drafts for scientific review which meet the brief and are considered “client-ready”. Their work is thoroughly researched, technically accurate, well-written, and presentable. An SMW is proactive in all aspects of their role, consistently meeting deadlines and keeping the team updated on their project actions. They are starting to take the lead on client communications, can go on-site alone, and build trusted relationships across their account teams. An SMW is all about the team, and they are beginning to learn reviewing skills, providing basic reviews and constructive feedback to junior team members.
DAY TO DAY RESPONSIBILITIES:
At BOLDSCIENCE, no two days are the same, and our SMWs actively support their account(s) and the Scientific Services team. Some typical activities include:
Technical Writing:
Design, develop and edit different types of materials across a wide range of project types for various audiences. Materials include:
Slide decks
Video scripts
Leave-behind pieces
Website copy
Manuscripts and congress publications
Gap analyses
Meeting summaries and reports
Delivers well-written materials that are scientifically and technically accurate for review. Work is fully referenced, appropriate to the target audience, and meets client objectives and specifications
Demonstrates a thorough understanding of the brief, asking well-informed questions to ensure they have all the relevant information to work independently
Presents content updates to clients and works with healthcare professionals (HCPs) and subject matter experts to develop and/or approve materials
Completes written materials within the specified time and budget allocated for the project
Has expert knowledge of client review and approval systems, such as Veeva, DataVision, etc., and ensures all deliverables comply with industry codes, such as the ABPI
Proactively volunteers for data checking and performs it accurately and in line with BOLD processes
Provides a basic review of basic medical communication deliverables with constructive feedback
Is confident to go on-site without senior scientific supervision to run some meetings deliverables, such as advisory boards
Scientific Knowledge:
Develops and maintains in-depth knowledge across relevant therapy areas and products
Researches medical and scientific topics using relevant and appropriate information sources with minimal guidance, annotating those sources while writing
Is scientifically curious and keen to stay up to date on the latest developments, sharing knowledge with the internal team and clients where appropriate
Is flexible and eager to work across different client teams, deliverables, and therapy areas
Gains knowledge of leading experts within a specific therapeutic area
Project Management Skills:
Attends and contributes as needed to client meetings, including project kick-off, regular status, and ad hoc client and HCP calls
Ensures that senior team members are regularly updated and have a clear picture of the account activity; foresees and escalates any red flags
Able to think beyond individual tasks to the broader scope of work and spot interdependencies and pressure points
Follows standard operating procedures (SOPs)
Effectively manages their time to prioritize tasks across different accounts
Consistently meets deadlines and alerts senior team members if they believe a project will take more time
Financial Management Skills:
Demonstrates knowledge of allocated hours and strives to work within them
Maintains an average billability of ~85%
Ensures that timesheets are completed accurately and promptly
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:
Higher degree in a relevant subject (PhD, MD, PharmD, etc.)
Proactive approach and an enthusiasm for trying new things
2–3 years of medical writing experience in medical communications
Excellent written and verbal communication with a passion for creativity
Good organization skills and ability to work under pressure
Experience working with clients and HCPs
Ability to provide a basic review of deliverables for scientific accuracy and integrity