Medical Affairs Director

About this role

Abbott is a global healthcare leader that helps people live more fully at all stages of life. Our portfolio of life-changing technologies spans the spectrum of healthcare, with leading businesses and products in diagnostics, medical devices, nutritionals and branded generic medicines. Our 115,000 colleagues serve people in more than 160 countries. JOB DESCRIPTION: Working at Abbott

At Abbott, you can do work that matters, grow, and learn, care for yourself and your family, be your true self, and live a full life. You’ll also have access to: • Career development with an international company where you can grow the career you dream of.

• Employees can qualify for free medical coverage in our Health Investment Plan (HIP) PPO medical plan in the next calendar year.

• An excellent retirement savings plan with a high employer contribution.

• Tuition reimbursement, the Freedom 2 Save student debt program, and FreeU education benefit - an affordable and convenient path to getting a bachelor’s degree.

• A company recognized as a great place to work in dozens of countries worldwide and named one of the most admired companies in the world by Fortune.

• A company that is recognized as one of the best big companies to work for as well as the best place to work for diversity, working mothers, female executives, and scientists.

The Opportunity The Medical Affairs Director, Rare Disease owns and leads the Medical Affairs strategy for the rare disease genetics portfolio, including scientific content development, evidence generation, external scientific engagement, and KOL partnerships. This role is accountable for shaping the scientific narrative, setting evidence-generation priorities, establishing Medical Affairs infrastructure and governance, and advancing the organization’s scientific leadership in rare disease. The Director serves as the primary Medical Affairs leader for rare disease, partnering with R&D, commercial, data/IT, and enterprise Medical Affairs teams to influence key business decisions and accelerate portfolio growth through scientific excellence.

MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES Strategy & Leadership • Own the rare disease Medical Affairs roadmap, objectives, and performance metrics, ensuring alignment with organizational priorities and measurable impact. • Represent the rare disease portfolio in executive, cross-functional, and governance forums, providing scientific leadership and influencing strategic decision-making. • Identify and champion new scientific, clinical, and business opportunities informed by emerging evidence, market dynamics, and unmet stakeholder needs to support long-term portfolio growth. • Provide strategic leadership for enterprise scientific and data initiatives, representing rare disease priorities and influencing future-state capabilities. • Act as the strategic Medical Affairs leader and primary partner to Commercial and cross-functional leadership, leveraging insights from KOL engagement, scientific conferences, publications, and emerging clinical trends to influence portfolio strategy, evidence priorities, and compliant scientific communication.

Evidence Generation & Infrastructure • Own the rare disease evidence generation strategy, identifying evidence gaps, prioritizing research initiatives, and leading execution of studies aligned with business and scientific objectives. • Lead the development of Medical Affairs infrastructure, governance frameworks, operating procedures, and evidence generation standards to support scalable growth and scientific excellence within rare disease.

Scientific Content & Communications • Own and lead scientific content strategy for the rare disease portfolio, establishing priorities and directing the development of webinars, publications, educational materials, and thought leadership content that advance organizational objectives. • Monitor and synthesize emerging clinical evidence, scientific literature, guidelines, and market trends to inform Medical Affairs strategy, evidence generation priorities, and scientific communications. • Provide Medical Affairs leadership and final scientific oversight for concept, functional, and MLR reviews, ensuring scientific rigor, compliance, and alignment with business objectives. • Lead cross-functional scientific content development efforts, directing internal subject matter experts and external partners to deliver high-impact scientific and educational materials. • Lead publication and scientific communication strategy, driving abstracts, manuscripts, presentations, and other scientific outputs that enhance organizational credibility and scientific impact.

External Scientific Engagement • Own the organization’s scientific engagement strategy at major conferences, maximizing visibility, thought leadership, and stakeholder relationships. • Build and lead a comprehensive KOL, advisory board, and external engagement strategy, generating actionable insights that inform scientific priorities and portfolio strategy.

Education & Commercial Enablement • Lead the development of scientific education programs and training strategies, ensuring internal teams are equipped with accurate, impactful, and compliant scientific knowledge. • Direct the creation of scientific education resources and claims strategies that strengthen customer engagement and support portfolio growth. • Ensure compliance with applicable regulations, Company policies, operating procedures, and ethical standards while fostering effective collaboration with employees, KOLs, and external partners.

Minimum Qualifications • Masters Degree in Genetic Counsling, Genetics, or related scientific/medical field

• 8+ years e xperience in Medical Affairs , clinical,   scientific,   or   related roles   within genetics, rare disease, diagnostics, biotech nology , academia ,   or other life sciences settings , including   experience   leading cross-functional initiatives and scientific strategy . Direct   Medical Affairs   experience   stro

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