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Director, Medical Science Liaison Plastics & Regenerative Medicine

AbbVie · Chicago, IL · Remote available · Full time · Research

Posted Jul 20, 2026 · We last checked this listing on Oct 6, 2026

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Likely interview questions for this role

Written from this job description, not a generic list. Each one notes what the interviewer is really checking.

About your past

Tell me about a time you hired or developed an MSL who became a strong performer.

What they are checking: Whether they can build talent and staff a team well.

How do you train a new MSL on both the therapeutic area and the functional role?

What they are checking: Whether they can design onboarding that covers science and field skills.

Tell me about a difficult conversation with a KOL. How did you handle it?

What they are checking: Whether they can manage tough scientific discussions professionally and keep trust.

What would you do

This role is a player-coach. How would you split your time between leading six MSLs and covering your own territory?

What they are checking: Whether they have a realistic plan to do both without neglecting either.

How do you coordinate MSL activity with sales and other field teams while staying compliant?

What they are checking: Whether they can create a seamless approach for stakeholders without crossing promotional lines.

An MSL on your team is consistently low on engagement numbers. What do you do?

What they are checking: Whether they look at both quality and activity and coach to fix the cause.

About the work

How do you judge the scientific quality of an MSL's engagement with a KOL?

What they are checking: Whether they have clear standards for good scientific exchange and coaching.

Walk me through how you'd build a stakeholder engagement plan aligned to the medical plan for plastics and regenerative medicine.

What they are checking: Whether they can connect KOL mapping and insights to strategic medical objectives.

How do you stay close to the science in aesthetics and regenerative medicine?

What they are checking: Whether they maintain current therapeutic knowledge as they lead.

What insights from plastic surgeons or dermatologists would you bring back to the brand and medical teams?

What they are checking: Whether they know how to capture useful insights from aesthetic and reconstructive specialists.

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The full job description

As published by AbbVie.

The Medical Science Liaison (MSL) Director for the Plastics & Regenerative Medicine team is a "player-coach" role responsible for providing leadership, strategic direction, and day-to-day operational management of a 6-person MSL team, while simultaneously maintaining an active field presence as the primary MSL for a small, dedicated territory (exact geography TBD). In the leadership capacity, this individual is accountable for ensuring the team is adequately staffed (according to local needs), trained (therapeutic and functional), and clear on the expectations of their role in the execution of the medical plans. They are accountable for ensuring MSL stakeholder engagement plans are robust, focus on understanding the stakeholder's scientific needs, and align to Brand strategy and medical objectives. They are also responsible for the execution of all MSL activities and ensuring MSLs' scientific engagements with external experts (EEs)/Health Care Professionals (HCPs) are of high scientific quality and appropriately coordinated with other in-field team members to ensure a seamless approach to best meet stakeholder needs. In the player capacity, the MSL Director serves as the primary MSL for a designated territory, maintaining active engagement with Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs) and HCPs in that region to stay close to the science, customer needs, and evolving market dynamics within Plastics & Regenerative Medicine. This dual mandate ensures that the Director leads by example and retains first-hand clinical insight that strengthens their ability to coach the broader team. The MSL Director establishes a productive work environment by creating trust and respect within the 6-person MSL team; provides regular coaching and feedback to direct reports based on field observation, co-rides, and feedback from other in-field teams; and executes performance management activities including MSL professional growth and development plans. The Director also interfaces and aligns with other members of the Affiliate Medical team and must work collaboratively with numerous cross-functional stakeholders to ensure all in-field teams are working together to provide a coordinated approach to best execute strategies and plans. Responsibilities • Ensuring development and implementation of scientific interaction plans for the Plastics & Regenerative Medicine therapeutic area for both on-market products and pipeline products in a timely manner. Provides field scientific support across the lifecycle of a product including both planning and execution by the MSL team and conducts ongoing analysis of clinical and market trends to develop key supporting strategies to meet business objectives. • Proactively participate in Brand Team Meetings ensuring the field medical voice is present to help with plans, communication, monitoring and reporting of MSL metrics and bringing MSL data points and observations into the discussion to help with development of insights for action plans. Ensure MSLs are fully utilizing technology (e.g., CRM, virtual engagement tools, P2P platforms) according to requirements and guidance provided. • Proactively analyzes business needs working in conjunction with the Infield team and the Brand Team (if applicable) to identify opportunities where MSL function enhances business results. • Manage performance of the 6-person MSL team to ensure activities are appropriately aligned to Brand and Medical strategies and plans, while ensuring compliance with all national, local guidelines, and company policies and procedures. • Provide expertise and feedback to coach MSLs in their most important activities (including engagement planning, ensuring that EE/HCP interactions are of high quality in scientific content and interaction approach (Challenger) and scientific storytelling, clinical study engagement activities, responding to medical information enquiries, capturing and reporting of data points and observations, coordination of activities with other in field teams). This includes setting of objectives and regular performance reviews. • Monitor the overall MSL team activities/workload and plan appropriately for resource needs-based product lifecycle and therapeutic area needs. • Maintains proactive and appropriate communication within the broader affiliate Medical Team and Brand Team for therapeutic area/product as it relates to MSL activities/outcomes that support the achievement of business objectives. • Conduct regular field co-rides and 1:1s with all direct reports, using an appropriate combination of direction, support, coaching, and constructive challenge to enable direct reports to fulfill their role requirements, achieve their goals, and continually develop. Field co-rides should include direct observation of scientific exchanges, OR-based interactions, and KOL engagement visits where relevant. • Ensure coordination between MSLs and other members of the in-field teams to ensure integration of medical activities with in- field plans. • Drive recruitment activities for new or replacement positions; ensure on-boarding and training of new MSLs within the therapeutic area team. • Ensure appropriate scientific support and training is provided to the internal stakeholders (i.e. sales training). • In-field team leaders regularly participate in team meetings and contributing to development of plans and monitoring of progress on such plans (mainly related to Field Medical role). • Highlighting FM value to the business by communicating MSL achievements and metrics with appropriate affiliate roles. • Drive field readiness across the team, ensuring MSLs have the scientific training, tools, and resources they need to excel in their roles, including management and maintenance of Operating Room (OR) certifications for team members. Proactively identify gaps and escalate to appropriate responsible parties to ensure rapid resolution. Oversee operational logistics including MSL tool management and vendor contracting as required. • Keeping up to date in therapeutic area, scientific narratives and main study data (at appropriate level) to ensure ability to coach MSL on scientific content of presentations. • Responsible for overall financial and administrative management for the MSL team, including timely review and approval of MSL expense reports to ensure compliance with company policy. Manages day-to-day administrative team duties and operational logistics to ensure smooth team functioning. • Serve as the primary MSL for a small, designated territory (exact geography TBD), maintaining active KOL and HCP engagement in that region to provide direct scientific value, stay current with evolving market dynamics, and model best-in-class field engagement practices for the broader team. INTERNAL / EXTERNAL CONTACTS AND INTERACTIONS: • Affiliate medical personnel: Clinical Research Manager, Clinical Operations Manager, Medical Managers/Advisers; Medical Information team / specialists; affiliate pharmacovigilance / drug safety personnel • Marketing and Sales (including district sales manager, and national sale managers) for assigned product and therapeutic area; Market access teams; Affiliate Brand teams, and Customer Excellence. • Affiliate Government Affairs; Affiliate Public Affairs; Regulatory Affairs; Legal; OEC. • Local Medical Information; Pharmacovigilance. • Library Information Resources. • Regionally and HQ based Therapeutic Area medical affairs teams. • Area/Regional commercial Staff / Brand Team members • Area Medical Affairs teams • Project/Medical Directors and Clinical Teams within Pharmaceutical Development and Global Medical Affairs. • Healthcare personnel (including physicians, nurses, pharmacists). • Participating Research Investigators; thought leaders/external experts. • Institutions and Scientific or Medical Societies. • Hospitals, other healthcare providers, payers and Local Regulatory Authorities. AUTHORITY AND REPORTING LINES: • This position reports into the TA Lead. LOCATION: • The MSL Director is field based. • Advanced degree in health sciences or clinical discipline required. Preferred: Doctorate level degree (i.e. Pharm D, MD/DO, PhD). • Solid knowledge of the pharmaceutical environment and the role of Medical Affairs in contributing to the medical and scientific objectives. • A minimum of 5 years clinical, scientific/research, or pharma industry related experience or equivalent with at least 2 of those years as an MSL. • Prior line management experience of a field-based MSL team strongly preferred; experience as a player-coach or working manager is a distinct advantage. • Excellent written and spoken communication and presentation skills (local language and English preferred). • Proven success in managing multiple projects simultaneously. • Proven ability to work collaboratively cross functionally. • Experience managing and resolving challenging personnel issues. • Ability to travel regularly (approximately 50–60%) to support both direct territory KOL engagement and team co-rides/coaching activities across the 6-person MSL team's geography. Experience with OR/surgical suite environments and familiarity with credentialing and OR certification processes strongly preferred, given the Plastics & Regenerative Medicine therapeutic focus. Demonstrated ability to manage operational and administrative responsibilities (e.g., expense approvals, vendor contracting, tool and resource management) alongside active field engagement duties. Applicable only to applicants applying to a position in any location with pay disclosure requirements under state or local law: ​ • The compensation range described below is the range of possible base pay compensation that the Company believes in good faith it will pay for this role at the time of this posting based on the job grade for this position. Individual compensation paid within this range will depend on many factors including geographic location, and we may ultimately pay more or less than the posted range. This range may be modified in the future. ​ • We offer a comprehensive package of benefits including paid time off (vacation, holidays, sick), medical/dental/vision insurance and 401(k) to eligible employees.​ • This job is eligible to participate in our long-term incentive programs. ​ Note: No amount of pay is considered to be wages or compensation until such amount is earned, vested, and determinable. The amount and availability of any bonus, commission, incentive, benefits, or any other form of compensation and benefits that are allocable to a particular employee remains in the Company's sole and absolute discretion unless and until paid and may be modified at the Company’s sole and absolute discretion, consistent with applicable law. AbbVie is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to operating with integrity, driving innovation, transforming lives and serving our community.  Equal Opportunity Employer/Veterans/Disabled. US & Puerto Rico only - to learn more, visit https://www.abbvie.com/join-us/equal-employment-opportunity-employer.html US & Puerto Rico applicants seeking a reasonable accommodation, click here to learn more: https://www.abbvie.com/join-us/reasonable-accommodations.html

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