Medical specialist job description

This post includes 3 parts: duties list, job qualification and job description writing tips for Medical specialist in details. A complete job description concludes Medical specialist key duties/responsibilities, Medical specialist job qualifications (knowledge, education, skills, abilities, experience…KSA model) and other ones such as daily tasks, key activities, key/core competencies, job functions/purpose…

                                                    

I. List of Medical specialist duties:

1. Provide clinical leadership and medical strategic input to clinical deliverables for assigned protocol(s). This includes contribution to clinical trial design and responsibility for medical/scientific components of assigned protocols ensuring alignment with the Clinical Development Plan (CDP), available disease and program level clinical standards, and the Target Product Profile (TPP). 
2. Contribute to clinical sections of regulatory documents for assigned trials, including contribution to Investigators’ Brochures, briefing books, safety updates, IND/NDA documents, and responses to Health Authorities. Responsible for clinical content of documents related to assigned protocol(s) and registration dossiers. Responsible for clinical/scientific content of clinical communications and publications related to assigned trial(s). 
3. As a disease area medical expert, contribute to interactions with external stakeholders (e.g., regulatory authorities, key opinion leaders, data monitoring boards, advisory boards, patient advocacy groups), internal stakeholders (e.g., Clinical Trial Teams, Research, Exploratory Development, Marketing, HE&OR), and internal decision boards. 
4. Contribute to efforts ensuring overall safety of the molecule in collaboration with the Brand Safety Leader for assigned protocol(s) and support overall program safety reporting, e.g., Periodic Safety Update Reports (PSURs) and other safety related documents, under direction of Safety and the GPMD. 
5. For assigned clinical trial(s), provide medical scientific input and writing of trial related documents (e.g., protocols, case report forms, data monitoring committees, data analysis plan, reports, publications and presentation material for trial-related advisory boards, investigators meetings, and protocol training meetings for Novartis local medical organizations). 
6. Collaborate with operations to ensure flawless execution of program Operational Plans. 
   In collaboration with the CIL and/or GPMD and Clinical Scientist (CS) conduct ongoing medical review of clinical trial data and manage patient safety; reports on trial data to safety and clinical boards (e.g., SMT, GCT, GPT); input into final analysis and interpretation of results including the development of clinical trial reports, publications and internal/external presentations. 
7. Contributes to resource and budget management with support from CS and resource managers for assigned trial(s), as well as timely execution of related clinical deliverables within approved budget. 
8. Supports the Clinical Science Unit by contributing to clinical standard development for assigned program. 
9. Contributes to medical/scientific training of relevant Novartis stakeholders on the disease area and compound/molecule.

II. List of Medical specialist qualifications

1. MD or equivalent medical degree required.
2. Advanced knowledge in medical/scientific area (e.g., internal medicine or sub-specialty training) required Fluent oral and written English.
3. Demonstrated ability to manage clinical trials with multidisciplinary trial teams (≥1 year); Academic or Industry setting.
4. Demonstrated ability to establish strong scientific partnership with key investigators
5. Thorough knowledge of GCP, clinical trial design, statistics, and regulatory/clinical development process
6. Advanced knowledge of the assigned therapeutic area is desired with the capability to interpret, discuss and present trial data
7. Demonstrated knowledge and application of statistical analysis methodology; can identify trends and interpret/report data effectively
8. Excellent scientific writing skills
9. Strong interpersonal skills
10. Ability to work under pressure
11. Excellent negotiation and conflict resolution skills Ability to resolve issues with minimal supervision and understand when to escalate

III. Tips to write job description

1. Too-long job description:

Looking at a too-long job description can frighten the candidates off and drive the away. A job description, no matter how important the job is, should not be included in more than 3 pages. If one focuses on too many things at a time, he shall definitely lose focus on the main items and get overwhelmed by the remaining; So, keep it concisely.

2. Too-short job description:

While too-long can be a problem, too-short is more a problem. It will ruin the meaning of the job description. A too-short one means it lacks necessary details and therefore, the candidate will not be able to understand while reading it.

3. Listing unnecessary functions or job duties:

Just classifying these into the “others” category will save you a lot of effort and space. On the other hand, the job description will become more dilute and easy to be neglected.

4. Key functions

Not listing key functions as required for the job can be a fatal mistake to a job description.

5. Grammar and spelling

Poor grammar and having spelling errors can ruin the job description, too. Never think that as you are the employer, you may have the right to make grammar or spelling errors while requires other not to. A job description with such errors is easily to be mistaken as a fake or ghost ads; as a result, the candidate will turn away from it.

6. Not specific enough:

Be specific and concise; if you don’t address the specific, then what the job description is for. It is for the candidate to understand just exactly what he needs to do or needs to have. Lacking details can confuse the candidates very well.

7. Not having the job description reviewed by others:

This is also a common mistake. One may be subject to bias, but more than one, especially with the help of those external advisor, the job description can be more perfect.

8. Using buzzwords or abbreviations:

In fact, it is not necessary at all to use such in a job description.

9. Using slang or legal words:

Just use common wording to communicate with others and don’t do anything extraordinarily.

10. Not updating the job description:

The same job may require different duties and responsibilities in different times, so, you cannot use the same job description for 2 different times.