Group Lead – Content Approval Excellence & Content Operations

Overview

Lead the operating framework, quality management and content operations for Scientific Communications, including content approval excellence, workflow governance and technology-enabled ways of working across the content lifecycle.

What you'll do

• Act as a strategic thought partner to the Hub Function Head of Sci Comms, MI, Graphics and Creativity.
• Own the operational framework enabling effective delivery across the content lifecycle, from project brief through creation, review, approval and completion.
• Establish clear end-to-end workflows, roles, decision rights and handoffs.
• Oversee content/project operations, workflow coordination, project execution, prioritization, capacity visibility and delivery governance.
• Define operational service levels and performance expectations; identify and eliminate unnecessary handoffs, duplicate activities and administrative burden.
• Own the design, governance and continuous improvement of a risk-based Scientific Communications Quality Management Framework.
• Define controlled scientific/content standards, authoring and technical review standards, and quality-at-source controls.
• Connect the competency framework to a documented qualification pathway, including training, shadowing, assessment and authorization for independent work.
• Design and establish risk-based quality monitoring, including independent sampling of content and workflow records.
• Define quality issue taxonomy, trend analysis and escalation triggers.
• Lead root-cause analysis of systemic quality failures and coordinate corrective and preventive improvements.
• Enable continuous audit readiness through controlled playbooks, training evidence, traceable workflow records and documented management oversight.
• Act as the Hub Medical Communications champion for content workflow requirements within Veeva and associated content systems.
• Partner with Digital/IT/Innovation leads on configuration and technology implementation, identify workflow automation opportunities, and partner with Analytics on content and workflow metrics.
• Own and oversee vendor operations for payments and copyrights management, including payments for print and shipment of Sci Comms materials, in partnership with procurement and finance.
• Design and improve workflows and processes, drive standardization, and lead capacity planning, demand management and resource optimization.
• Own and maintain the Business Continuity Plan for the MI function.
• Manage budget, org data and headcount planning, and oversee governance, demand and resource management.
• Coach, mentor and develop SciComms and MI writers, and maintain effective relationships with stakeholders across global business units.

What you'll need

• Approximately 12–15+ years of relevant experience, with capability and demonstrated impact prioritized over tenure.
• Significant experience in pharmaceutical Medical Communications, Scientific Communications, Medical Affairs/content operations or related functions.
• ≥12 years of experience implementing risk-based quality management, competency qualification, monitoring/sampling, root-cause analysis and corrective-action mechanisms in regulated content operations for Medical/Scientific Communications.
• Demonstrated experience designing and improving complex end-to-end content processes.
• Strong experience and understanding of pharmaceutical content development and scientific review/approval workflows.
• Experience with Veeva Vault/MedComms/PromoMats or comparable regulated content-management platforms.
• Experience establishing quality standards, governance and process controls.
• Strong process-improvement, analytical and problem-solving capability.
• Experience leading cross-functional transformation in a matrix environment.
• Strong stakeholder management, change leadership and people leadership capability.
• Experience in content creation or scientific writing for the pharmaceuticals/healthcare industry.
• At least 10 years of direct medical communications experience in a pharmaceutical company.
• Minimum 5 years of experience managing global, cross-functional teams in a matrix environment, with the ability to manage a multi-layered team of ≥20 members.
• Ability to influence and negotiate difficult situations.
• Advanced degree in life sciences/pharmacy/similar discipline (Ph.D., Master, or bachelor's in science, D Pharm) or medical degree (MBBS, BDS, BAMS, BHMS, MD).
• Excellent knowledge of English, spoken and written.
• Excellent communication, team management and stakeholder management skills.
• Expert knowledge of medical communications, medical content creation, review and approval, and medical operational excellence.
• Risk management skills and knowledge of relevant industry codes and publication practices.
• Project management skills.

Nice to have

• Lean/Six Sigma or equivalent process-excellence experience.
• Experience with AI-enabled content workflows, automation or digital transformation.
• Experience with content reuse, modular/structured content and reference/scientific-statement libraries.
• Experience developing operational/process-excellence and talent, and leading teams in Sci Comms.

Details

• Location: Hyderabad.
• Travel: as per business need.
• Employment type: Permanent, full time.