In-Field Medical Affairs Coach

In-Field Medical Affairs Coach

Location: In-field based role (regular visits to Dublin, Cork, Galway, Letterkenny etc.)

Contract duration: 12 months

Working hours: Full-time, 30 hours per week

Hourly rate: Competitive hourly rate

Imagine your next project strengthening field medical engagement quality, consistency, and impact across the Irish business by coaching Medical Science Liaisons and field personnel in customer settings.

The In-Field Medical Affairs Coach accelerates capability through structured onboarding, mentoring, and feedback while enabling delivery of medical metrics via EMEA Medical Affairs tools and the PEAK model. Partnering with therapy-area MSLs or Medical Affairs Managers, the role drives compliant, insight-led, customer-centred execution aligned with Our Credo, J&J policies, and external regulations.

Role Dimensions: Communication Outside J&J Innovative Medicine: Healthcare Professionals during accompanied field interactions where appropriate; external training providers or professional bodies for capability development.

Communication Within J&J Innovative Medicine: Medical Director, MSLs/Medical Affairs Managers, Medical Compliance, Pharmacovigilance, Regulatory Affairs, Quality, Learning & Development, CRM/analytics/digital teams, EMEA Medical Affairs Excellence, and cross-functional field partners.

roles and responsibilities

• Conduct regular accompanied field coaching across therapy areas using observation, questioning, and feedback without taking over customer interactions.

• Coach field medical personnel across the full cycle: prioritisation, pre-call planning, objective setting, scientific exchange, insight elicitation, handling questions, next steps, post-call reflection, and CRM documentation.

• Embed the PEAK model through role-play, rehearsal, observation, and debriefs to reinforce preparation, dialogue, active listening, customer focus, and follow-through.

• Create individual coaching plans based on observed behaviours, capability assessments, and development priorities, reviewing progress with colleagues and managers.

• Use a coaching-led, psychologically safe approach that builds self-awareness, ownership, and sustained capability.

• Identify capability gaps and collaborate with MSLs or Medical Affairs Managers to deliver workshops, peer learning, simulations, and best-practice sharing.

• Design and coordinate a structured onboarding pathway for new field medical hires, including staged learning objectives and field-readiness milestones.

• Support completion and practical application of required systems, compliance, pharmacovigilance, product, and therapy-area training prior to independent engagement.

• Provide mentoring during field transition via shadowing, reverse-shadowing, mock calls, case discussion, congress preparation, and check-ins.

• Maintain reusable onboarding resources, coaching guides, and field-readiness checklists aligned with EMEA and local requirements.

• Facilitate identification, annual review, and segmentation of Leading Specialists using approved scientific criteria separated from sales potential.

• Constructively challenge customer cohorts, coverage, and frequency plans to focus field time on relevant scientific stakeholders.

• Support MSLs to translate segmentation into activity plans, cycle plans, and engagement journeys with clear objectives and follow-up.

• Coach high-quality pre-call planning using customer info, prior interactions, scientific interests, current evidence, insights, and medical objectives.

• Promote proactive scientific engagement while ensuring reactive requests, off-label questions, and commitments follow approved processes.

• Monitor execution patterns with managers and recommend operational or coaching actions when coverage, frequency, field time, insight quality, or follow-through fall below expectation.

• Facilitate delivery of medical metrics by helping teams understand the purpose, definitions, data sources, and underlying behaviours.

• Use approved dashboards and CRM data to identify coaching trends regarding Leading Specialist coverage, daily scientific interactions, time in field, coaching cadence, engagement quality, insight capture, and Medical Education measures.

• Balance quantitative measures with qualitative assessments of interaction quality, customer need, scientific value, actionable insights, and plan progress.

• Conduct regular reviews with the Medical Director highlighting barriers, capability themes, emerging risks, and practical actions.

• Reinforce timely, accurate CRM documentation and support data use for self-reflection, prioritisation, and continuous improvement.

• Lead local adoption of EMEA Medical Affairs tools, playbooks, and processes, including customer 360° views, dynamic insights, approved AI tools, segmentation, activity planning, virtual training, and engagement resources.

• Collect user feedback, monitor adoption, troubleshoot barriers, and share learnings with local and EMEA Medical Affairs Excellence partners.

• Promote consistent scientific messaging aligned with core asset themes while tailoring to customer-expressed scientific needs.

• Partner with the Medical Director, MSLs/Medical Affairs Managers, and Medical Compliance to align coaching priorities with Irish medical strategy.

• Coordinate with EMEA Medical Affairs Excellence, L&D, CRM, and analytics partners to maintain consistent standards, tools, and capability frameworks.

• Share aggregated coaching themes and best practices across the team.

• Support inspection readiness by maintaining accurate coaching, onboarding, and training records in approved systems.

• Evaluate and improve the coaching approach using colleague feedback, behaviour change, tool adoption, field execution data, and medical impact measures.

• Ensure all activities align with Our Credo, J&J policies, EMEA MSL role guidelines, Healthcare Compliance, Irish legislation, IPHA Code requirements, and external regulations.

• Maintain accurate, balanced, non-promotional, peer-to-peer scientific engagement within approved proactive parameters, ensuring unsolicited questions follow approved processes.

• Fulfil safety reporting obligations, including timely reporting of adverse events and product quality complaints per SOPs.

• Comply with legal and Healthcare Compliance rules, including Fair Market Value, Transfer of Value, HCP/Government Official interactions, approved materials, and data privacy.

• Maintain inspection readiness with up-to-date training, a current CV, and an individualised role profile.

• Oversee third-party engagements with appropriate due diligence, contracts, training, oversight, and reporting per J&J requirements.

• Promptly escalate actual or potential compliance, safety, privacy, quality, or conduct concerns through appropriate channels.

how to succeed

• Substantial Medical Affairs experience, preferably as an MSL, field medical leader, Medical Advisor, or Medical Affairs Manager in pharma or biotech.

• Demonstrated ability to coach experienced professionals using observation, feedback, questioning, role-play, and development planning.

• Strong understanding of compliant scientific exchange, Leading Specialist segmentation, customer engagement planning, insight generation, CRM discipline, and field medical metrics.

• Ability to interpret dashboards and translate data into practical coaching priorities without over-relying on volume.

• Strong scientific acumen and credibility across multiple therapeutic areas while respecting therapy-area experts.

• Excellent facilitation, communication, influencing, and stakeholder-management skills.

• Demonstrated judgement, discretion, integrity, and commitment to Our J&J Credo values.

• Proficiency with Microsoft 365, CRM platforms, dashboards, and approved digital/AI Medical Affairs tools.

• Preferred experience designing or delivering structured MSL onboarding, mentoring, or capability programmes.

• Preferred formal coaching, mentoring, adult-learning, or facilitation qualification.

• Preferred experience implementing regional/global Medical Affairs tools and change initiatives at the affiliate level.

• University degree in medicine, pharmacy, nursing, biomedical science, life sciences, or related scientific discipline (advanced scientific degree or coaching qualification is desirable).

• Ability and willingness to travel extensively throughout Ireland, with occasional EMEA travel.

• Full driving licence and ability to meet company requirements for field travel.

• Fluent written and spoken English.

• Flexibility to accompany field colleagues according to customer schedules.

benefits

This role offers a very competitive hourly rate. This contract will run for Not specified

you are welcome here

Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine is working to create an inclusive environment where diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences are valued and each and every one of our people feels that they belong and can reach their potential. No matter who they are.

about Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine

Patients inform and inspire our science-based innovations, which continue to change and save lives. Applying rigorous science and compassion, we confidently address some of the most complex diseases of our time and unlock the potential medicines of tomorrow. Our diverse portfolio spans multiple therapeutic areas — Oncology, Immunology, Neuroscience, Cardiovascular, Pulmonary Hypertension, and Retina. We are continuously working to develop treatments, aspiring to find cures, pioneering the path from lab to life, and championing patients every step of the way.

application process

We are looking to process the first round of applications within the next 2 working days. We do not accept applications via email or LinkedIn InMail - you must apply direct to this advert.

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

For more than 130 years, diversity, equity & inclusion (DEI) have been part of our cultural fabric at Johnson & Johnson and woven into how we do business every day. Our commitment to respect the dignity and diversity of all is embedded in our Credo. We know that the success of our business depends on having the best talent in a workforce that reflects the diverse markets we serve around the world and an inclusive culture that values different perspectives and life experiences. That is why we are working to create an inclusive environment where diverse backgrounds, perspectives and experiences are valued and each one of our people feels that they belong and can reach their potential. No matter who they are. Diversity, Equity & Inclusion at Johnson & Johnson means “You Belong”.