Associate Medical Director

Associate Medical Director – Freelance

Location: Remote

Summary

At VML, we are a beacon of innovation and growth in an ever-evolving world. Our heritage is built upon a century of combined expertise, where creativity meets technology and diverse perspectives ignite inspiration. With the merger of VMLY&R and Wunderman Thompson, we have forged a new path as a growth partner that is part creative agency, part consultancy, and part technology powerhouse.

Our global family encompasses more than 30,000 employees across 150+ offices in 64 markets, each contributing to a culture that values connection, belonging, and the power of differences. Our expertise spans the entire customer journey, including communications, commerce, consultancy, CRM, CX, data, production, and technology. We deliver end-to-end solutions that result in transformative work.

Who We Are Looking For

VML is seeking a Freelance Associate Medical Director to support a major North American pharmaceutical client.

This is a unique opportunity for an experienced scientific/medical writer to join a growing team focused on developing medical manuscripts and high-science, long-form content for scientific, medical, and healthcare professional (HCP) audiences. Content will support publications, journals, and digital destinations for a leading global pharmaceutical client.

The ideal candidate will bring an innate curiosity about evolving medical therapies, treatment approaches, and scientific advances, along with demonstrated expertise in developing manuscripts and publication-focused tactics that leverage therapeutic-area and target-audience insights.

This role will focus primarily on non-promotional, project-based scientific communications , including manuscripts and other long-form content designed to communicate and contextualize advances in oncology therapies for the broader medical community.

As a member of the Medical Strategy and Publications team, the Freelance Associate Medical Director will be responsible for developing, writing, reviewing, and editing medical communications deliverables based on a thorough understanding of the client's products, therapeutic areas, scientific literature, and competitive landscape.

What You’ll Do

• Demonstrate a strong understanding of oncology-focused products, therapies, disease states, and the evolving treatment landscape.
• Develop, write, edit, and scientifically review medical manuscripts and other long-form scientific content for publications and HCP-focused audiences.
• Bring a portfolio of published work, including peer-reviewed or advanced medical manuscripts and other relevant scientific communications.
• Partner with internal teams—including Account, Project Management, Editorial, Creative, and Strategy—as well as client stakeholders to develop scientifically rigorous content that supports program objectives.
• Work closely with the Senior Medical Director to oversee multiple projects from a scientific and strategic perspective, including the development and execution of medical communication tactics, manuscripts, and publications.
• Participate in strategic planning, scientific reviews, status meetings, and project discussions with internal and client teams as needed.
• Develop and maintain a deep understanding of assigned products, disease areas, treatment paradigms, scientific literature, and competitive activity.
• Conduct literature reviews and scientific research as needed to support accurate, evidence-based content development.
• Identify and communicate important scientific, medical, publication, and regulatory developments that may affect assigned programs.
• Provide scientific and strategic recommendations to strengthen existing programs and identify opportunities for new or expanded work.
• Collaborate with Editorial to resolve grammatical, stylistic, scientific, and editorial issues and ensure content meets established quality standards.
• Apply a proactive, solutions-oriented approach to assignments, anticipating challenges and helping teams develop effective solutions.
• Ensure all deliverables are scientifically accurate, appropriately referenced, audience-relevant, and aligned with project objectives and applicable industry standards.

Skills and Qualifications

• Advanced scientific degree preferred (PhD, MD, PharmD, or equivalent).
• 3+ years of experience in medical communications, medical writing, publication development, or a related field; oncology experience strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated experience developing medical manuscripts and other long-form scientific communications.
• A portfolio demonstrating published work, preferably including peer-reviewed manuscripts