3 Science Communication jobs in the United Kingdom

Senior Scientific Director (Medical Writing Team Lead), Medical Consulting

Manchester (hybrid working)

VML HEALTH is a global healthcare agency with a vision to make the world of health human-centric with connected brands. VML HEALTH has offices across the world & three global healthcare hubs in London, New York, & Milan. VML Health is a WPP company.

Within VML HEALTH is the Global Strategy Team (GST), home to a diverse set of strategic thinkers and consultants. It represents the highest levels of strategic competency and consulting acumen under an agile business model, working independently with clients or as part of an integrated agency team. The GST brings together four key disciplines to build brands and shape the healthcare environment from as early as pipeline development through to loss of exclusivity: Medical Strategy, Engagement Strategy, Brand Strategy, and Medical Consulting. This role sits within the Medical Consulting discipline.

The Medical Consulting team focuses on early engagement across a range of disciplines including Commercial, Medical Affairs, Clinical Development, Patient Advocacy, Policy and value communication teams – our clients include pharmaceutical, medical device and diagnostic companies alongside patient advocacy organizations and academic organizations. The Medical Consulting team supports organisations to achieve more effective decision making through a focus on early and cross functional working, enhanced focus on patient engagement, early commercialisation and disease leadership programmes. We run a variety of global accounts involving close collaboration with our creative, digital, medical education, and marketing teams to bring creative solutions for clients as they move forward in development and launch of their assets.

About the Role

Medical writing is a critical discipline within the consulting team, leading development of a range of writing projects including; commercial and advocacy whitepapers, policy briefs, value communications, and posters/publications. A core focus for this team in 2025 and beyond is growth and expansion of capabilities to service the evolving needs of our clients and the business.

VML Health is seeking a Medical Writing Lead to drive the expansion of the discipline, provide senior level client management, deliver coaching & development across the team, establish updated processes & methodologies to support business delivery and bring a clear focus of growth, in partnership with the medical consulting leadership team.

We are looking for an established senior level candidate with in-depth writing experience and expertise across a wide range of scientific communications. The candidate must bring excellent client engagement and people management skills to provide strategic leadership for the discipline. Experience in managing both internal & client teams to shape, develop and deliver effective and high-quality deliverables that meet client objectives, budgets, and timelines is critical. In addition, the candidate must demonstrate a solid understanding of the healthcare and pharmaceutical landscape with experience working across multiple disease areas and complex scientific concepts.

The Medical Writing Lead will ultimately lead the strategic evolution of the medical writing team to support the broader needs of both Medical Consulting and the Global Strategy Team. This unique role provides the opportunity to shape the future business model and growth of a multifunctional writing discipline, requiring a proactive, innovative thinker with a both in-depth writing expertise and strong business acumen.

This role is based in Manchester with close collaboration across our core hubs and domestic teams.

Responsibilities

• Must have extensive (minimum 10 years) scientific & value communication writing experience including team/discipline leadership and management experience.
• Broad range of experience across disease areas with preference for some or all of the following (Oncology, Haematology, Rare Disease, Immunology, Neuroscience).
• In depth technical writing experience across a wide range of deliverables including scientific communications, whitepapers, posters/publications, perspectives papers and value communications.
• Ability to understand, interpret and analyse complex data sets such as clinical trials results and statistical analyses.
• Commercial mindset with a proven track record of driving business growth for writing based projects & clients across organic, net new and pitch settings.
• Ability to own & lead teams & programs of writing work to a high standard.
• Strong evidence of leadership and ability to network, within a company, clients and healthcare systems, including experience engaging with and developing content for senior leadership.
• In-depth knowledge of the pharmaceutical industry, healthcare environment and healthcare systems, with understanding of a broad range of stakeholders including clinicians, patients, advocates, and policymakers.
• Proven ability to work and lead teams effectively in a busy, deadline-driven environment across the spectrum of discipline needs from research design and execution, scientific strategy, writing, editorial and resource management.
• Can-do attitude, leadership and management agility, and ability to deliver and manage issues and deadlines with teams.
• Outstanding leadership and role model behaviours and ability to motivate and lead teams.

Qualifications

• Extensive healthcare agency experience as a Scientific Director, Scientific Team lead and senior/principle writer.
• A life sciences MSc, PhD or clinical qualification, and/or previous experience as a Medical Writer.
• A life sciences BSc will also be considered.
• A track record of scientific and editorial leadership for large/complex accounts.
• Leadership experience with writing teams, in particular with a focus on growth and capability expansion.
• Strong leadership and communication skills, high emotional intelligence, the ability to adapt your approach according to the needs of clients and teams, and the ability to respond rapidly to situations and manage internal/external issues.
• A track record of driving business growth and providing scientific insight to proposals and pitches.
• Excellent understanding of pharmaceutical regulations and medical writing standards, e.g. ABPI, GPP3, ICMJE.

Required Skills

• Enthusiastic and motivated leader.
• Driven by both people and business growth.
• Client image and style awareness.
• Planning resources and time efficiently to keep to timelines.
• Ability to work on your own initiative and proactively bring new ideas to evolve the discipline.
• Excellent attention to detail.

Summary

IOG, is a technology company focused on blockchain research and development. We are renowned for our scientific approach to blockchain development, emphasizing peer-reviewed research and formal methods to ensure security, scalability, and  sustainability. Our projects include the Cardano blockchain, as well as other products in the areas of decentralized finance (DeFi), governance, and identity management, aiming to advance the capabilities and adoption of blockchain and Web3 technology globally.

We are seeking a Research Communications and Partnerships Manager to enhance our research team's visibility and ensure effective communication of our work both internally and externally. This role will be instrumental in translating complex research concepts into compelling narratives, fostering understanding across diverse audiences, and elevating our research profile within the scientific community and beyond.

The ideal candidate will be a skilled storyteller with a strong background in communications and sufficient technical knowledge to grasp and convey intricate research concepts. They will play a crucial role in bridging the gap between our research team and various stakeholders, including internal departments. This role will be instrumental in establishing thought leadership, and ensuring that our research and technological innovations reach key audiences, including policymakers, industry partners, academic institutions and the media.

Duties

• Develop and implement effective internal communication strategies to ensure that research findings and updates are clearly conveyed across all company departments.
• Design and execute a robust external communications strategy to enhance Research’s brand, visibility, and reputation.
• Produce compelling, high-quality content for multiple platforms, including social media, blogs, newsletters, and traditional media outlets.
• Work closely with the research team to craft engaging content (e.g., reports, presentations, thought leadership pieces) that accurately reflects their work and aligns with organizational goals.
• Collaborate with the media team to build and maintain relationships with key stakeholders, and develop external communications strategies that include community engagement, media relations, press releases, and digital content, to amplify the impact of our research.
• Support and help develop strategic partnerships with academic institutions, industry stakeholders, and research organizations.
• Support the grants office with writing technical application sections and developing project plans  
• Monitor, analyze, and respond to global regulatory and policy trends affecting blockchain, DeFi and Web3 technologies. .
• Represent Research in working groups, policy discussions, and advisory panels to influence key decision-making processes.
• Oversee the creation of thought leadership materials, including white papers, reports, and policy briefs.
• Plan, organize, and facilitate networking events, webinars, podcasts, and knowledge-sharing initiatives within the blockchain, DeFi, and Web3 communities.

Requirements

Key Competencies

• Excellent technical writing and verbal communication skills, with the ability to translate complex research into accessible insights.  
• Strong strategic thinking and the ability to influence industry narratives and policy directions.  
• Proven ability to build and manage stakeholder relationships across academia, industry, and government.  
• Adaptability and ability to thrive in a fast-moving, evolving technology landscape.  
• Strong analytical skills to assess and respond to policy changes and regulatory developments.  
• Good understanding of computer science principles and concepts.

Education / Experience 

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in STEM, Communications, or a related field.  
• Experience in communications, media relations, community engagement  within a technology-driven organization.  
• Proven track record in building partnerships and managing multi-stakeholder initiatives.  
• Familiarity with blockchain, DeFi, AI, or emerging technologies.  
• Experience working with regulatory bodies, academic institutions, or policy think tanks is a plus.  

Benefits

• Remote work
• Laptop reimbursement
• New starter package to buy hardware essentials (headphones, monitor, etc)
• Learning & Development opportunities
• Competitive PTO 

At IOG, we value diversity and always treat all employees and job applicants based on merit, qualifications, competence, and talent. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.