5 Safety Physician jobs in the United Kingdom

Safety Physician – Drug Safety (Individual Contributor)

South East England (Hybrid) | Permanent |

• Oversee and manage all aspects of drug safety surveillance for assigned products, including clinical trials and post-marketing surveillance.
• Conduct thorough medical assessments of adverse event reports, determining causality and clinical significance.
• Prepare and review aggregate safety reports, such as Periodic Benefit-Risk Evaluation Reports (PBRERs) and Signal Detection Reports.
• Contribute to the development and review of Risk Management Plans (RMPs) and other safety-related regulatory documents.
• Collaborate with clinical development, regulatory affairs, and medical affairs teams to ensure timely and accurate communication of safety information.
• Participate in safety monitoring committees and provide medical expertise during product development.
• Develop and maintain safety databases and ensure compliance with global regulatory requirements.
• Provide medical input for investigator brochures, informed consent forms, and clinical study protocols.
• Stay current with pharmacovigilance regulations, guidelines, and best practices.
• Mentor junior medical safety professionals and contribute to the training of the wider pharmacovigilance team.

• Medical degree (MD or equivalent) with board certification in a relevant clinical specialty.
• Substantial experience (7+ years) in pharmacovigilance and drug safety within the pharmaceutical industry.
• In-depth knowledge of global regulatory requirements for pharmacovigilance (e.g., ICH guidelines, FDA, EMA regulations).
• Proven experience in assessing adverse events, performing signal detection, and authoring safety reports.
• Strong understanding of clinical trial methodology and drug development processes.
• Excellent medical judgment, analytical skills, and attention to detail.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to present complex medical information effectively.
• Ability to work effectively both independently and as part of a collaborative, multi-disciplinary team.
• Experience with safety databases and pharmacovigilance software is essential.
• Commitment to patient safety and ethical conduct.

• Lead the medical assessment of safety data from various sources, including spontaneous reports, clinical trials, and literature.
• Oversee the signal detection and risk management processes for assigned products.
• Provide medical expertise for the preparation of Periodic Safety Update Reports (PSURs), Risk Management Plans (RMPs), and other regulatory documents.
• Collaborate with regulatory affairs, clinical development, and other internal departments on safety-related matters.
• Act as a medical point of contact for health authorities regarding drug safety issues.
• Contribute to the development and implementation of pharmacovigilance strategies and SOPs.
• Mentor and provide medical guidance to other members of the safety team.
• Participate in safety reviews of clinical trial protocols and investigator brochures.
• Ensure compliance with global regulatory requirements for pharmacovigilance.

• Medical Doctor (MD) or equivalent medical degree.
• Extensive experience (8+ years) in pharmacovigilance, drug safety, or clinical development within the pharmaceutical industry.
• Strong understanding of regulatory requirements in major markets (e.g., FDA, EMA).
• Proven experience in signal detection, risk assessment, and benefit-risk evaluation.
• Excellent medical judgment and analytical skills.
• Exceptional communication, presentation, and interpersonal skills.
• Demonstrated leadership capabilities and experience managing complex projects.
• Ability to work autonomously and effectively in a remote, global team environment.
• Proficiency in pharmacovigilance databases and reporting systems.
• Board certification in a relevant medical specialty is a plus.

Position Summary

We are seeking a seasoned and strategic leader to join our Global Medical Safety (GMS) organization. This role is accountable for guiding the development and execution of benefit-risk assessments, proactive risk management strategies, and safety evidence generation. As a key member of the GMS leadership team, the successful candidate will influence the strategic direction of the function, drive cross-functional initiatives, and ensure the highest standards of quality, compliance, and ethics across safety processes.

Key Responsibilities

• Motivate, direct, challenge, and advise Leads, Scientists, and senior governance bodies in designing and implementing best-in-class safety strategies and benefit-risk evaluations.
• Review and sign off on safety-related communications and documentation intended for external stakeholders, acting as a delegate for senior safety leadership.
• Represent the safety function in high-level internal and external forums, including cross-functional committees, regulatory meetings, and scientific advisory panels focused on benefit-risk discussions.
• Lead and contribute to strategic projects and initiatives across safety and related functional areas, supporting corporate goals and innovation.
• Participate in setting the strategic direction of the Global Medical Safety function, contributing to both functional and enterprise-level priorities.
• Act as Global Process Owner for key pharmacovigilance and patient safety processes, ensuring alignment with regulatory expectations and internal standards.
• Stay current with evolving regulatory landscapes, scientific advances, and societal trends to support innovation and continuous improvement in patient safety practices.

Qualifications

What you bring to the team

Our preferred candidate has the following qualifications:

• Degree as Medical Doctor or PhD within Life Science
• 10-15+ years’ pharma experience within Patient Safety & Pharmacovigilance, Clinical Development, Medical Affairs, Regulatory Affairs, including experience with safety evidence generation and risk minimization strategies, and benefit risk assessments
• Extensive people leadership experience with a successful track record in setting strategic direction and delivering on Corporate and functional objectives, including cross-functional ones
• Experience with supporting teams in regulatory interactions, DMCs, inspections/audits, Business Development evaluations, scientific meetings with external stakeholders (e.g. pre-NDA meeting, FDA Advisory Committee meeting, (Patient Organisation) Advisory Boards etc.)
• Excellent medical-scientific knowledge and ability to make sound medical decisions in an environment of high uncertainty and with critical impact for patients’ well-being
• Profound knowledge and understanding of medical concepts and scientific methodology
• Excellent understanding of early and late clinical development, as well as global PV regulatory environment
• Experience with global filings in US, EU, Japan and China
• Experience in neuroscience and/or with biological compounds would be an asset
• Digitally savvy and fluent in English, both written and spoken
• Thought leadership and source of inspiration for co-workers, irrespective of functional affiliation
• Curiosity, persistence and willingness to go into (scientific) details and constructively challenge status quo
• Customer-centric approach, being able to understand both internal and external customer needs and deliver value adding outcomes with high quality, on time and in a resource efficient manner
• Proactivity proposing creative, practical and scientifically solid solutions for complex problems
• Innovative mindset motivated by outgoing cross-functional collaboration and the ability to influence and interact effectively with internal and external stakeholders
• Ability to work structured, independently and effectively across functions and geographies
• Team player with good interpersonal skills including excellent communication, messaging and presentation skills
• Motivated by scientific challenges, rather than by organizational power
• Pronounced strengths in strategic thinking
• Proficient servant leader with demonstrated ability to build diverse and empowered teams based on the concepts of psychological safety and agile ways of working