At least 10 years
This role is STARs-friendly: Skilled Through Alternative Routes.
39% STARs in role.
Job Title: Creative Director – Medical Content
Job Description
The Creative Director – Medical Content leads a dedicated medical content track at the intersection of creative craft and scientific rigor. In this role, you set the creative bar for medical and disease-state content, guide a multidisciplinary team of writers and designers, and ensure that all deliverables are both compelling and compliant. You work within a regulated environment where creative ambition must coexist with medical-legal-regulatory (MLR) review, fair balance, and evidence-based claims, treating these constraints as core design parameters rather than obstacles.
Responsibilities
- Own creative direction for medical and scientific content across multiple formats, including patient and healthcare professional (HCP) materials, disease-state education, congress assets, digital and social content, and internal scientific communications.
- Translate complex clinical data and scientific narratives into clear, accurate, and engaging creative work suitable for diverse audiences.
- Partner closely with medical affairs, brand marketing, and regulatory stakeholders to align creative concepts with medical strategy, label requirements, and overall business objectives.
- Lead, mentor, and inspire medical writers, designers, and production staff, running creative reviews and elevating craft standards across the studio.
- Present creative work and underlying rationale to stakeholders, confidently defending creative decisions using both aesthetic and scientific reasoning.
- Anticipate MLR feedback and embed review-readiness into the creative process, ensuring compliance is addressed proactively rather than as a downstream gate.
- Contribute to studio playbooks by defining creative principles, medical content standards, and reference frameworks that guide future work and support consistency.
- Apply strong conceptual and visual judgment across print, digital, video, and presentation formats to maintain a high level of creative quality.
- Collaborate productively with medical, legal, and regulatory reviewers to move work efficiently through the MLR or equivalent review process.
- Support the development and refinement of internal processes for medical content creation, including standards for fair balance, ISI placement, and on-label versus off-label boundaries.
Essential Skills
- At least 10 years of experience in creative leadership, with a minimum of 5 years directing medical, pharmaceutical, or healthcare content in an in-house environment, medical communications agency, or healthcare advertising agency.
- Demonstrated portfolio of medical or scientific creative work, such as HCP campaigns, patient education materials, disease-state storytelling, congress materials, and similar content.
- Working fluency in the regulatory landscape for promotional and non-promotional medical content, including FDA/OPDP expectations, fair balance requirements, ISI placement, and on-label versus off-label boundaries.
- Proven experience leading work through MLR or equivalent medical-legal-regulatory review processes and collaborating effectively with cross-functional reviewers.
- Strong conceptual and visual judgment across print, digital, video, and presentation formats, with the ability to maintain a high creative standard in a regulated setting.
- Excellent stakeholder management skills, with comfort presenting to and negotiating with medical and commercial leaders.
- Experience in pharmaceutical industry, healthcare, advertising, and marketing strategy, with hands-on experience in both promotional and non-promotional medical content.
Additional Skills & Qualifications
- Oncology or biologics experience, particularly in developing content for complex therapeutic areas.
- Familiarity with content management and review systems such as PromoMats or similar platforms.
- Experience standing up or scaling an in-house studio or content team, including building processes and standards for medical content.
- Familiarity with AMA style and comfort reading and interpreting clinical publications and prescribing information.
- Ability to contribute to and refine creative playbooks, medical content standards, and reference frameworks that support a scalable studio model.
Work Environment
This role operates in a hybrid work model, with in-office collaboration on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday and remote work on other days. The standard schedule runs Monday through Friday, from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The environment is highly collaborative and cross-functional, involving close partnership with medical affairs, brand marketing, regulatory, and creative teams in a regulated pharmaceutical and healthcare context. Candidates can expect a structured interview process consisting of two interviews, approximately 45 minutes each. The culture emphasizes high creative standards, scientific accuracy, and efficient navigation of MLR and other review processes within a modern studio setting.
Job Type & LocationThis is a Contract position based out of South San Francisco, CA.
Pay and BenefitsThe pay range for this position is $41.00 - $64.00/hr.
Eligibility requirements apply to some benefits and may depend on your job classification and length of employment. Benefits are subject to change and may be subject to specific elections, plan, or program terms. If eligible, the benefits available for this temporary role may include the following: • Medical, dental & vision • Critical Illness, Accident, and Hospital • 401(k) Retirement Plan – Pre-tax and Roth post-tax contributions available • Life Insurance (Voluntary Life & AD&D for the employee and dependents) • Short and long-term disability • Health Spending Account (HSA) • Transportation benefits • Employee Assistance Program • Time Off/Leave (PTO, Vacation or Sick Leave)
Workplace TypeThis is a hybrid position in South San Francisco,CA.
Application DeadlineThis position is anticipated to close on Aug 6, 2026.
About Actalent
Actalent is a global leader in engineering and sciences services and talent solutions. We help visionary companies advance their engineering and science initiatives through access to specialized experts who drive scale, innovation and speed to market. With a network of almost 20,000 consultants and 5,000 clients across the U.S., Canada, Asia and Europe, Actalent serves many of the Fortune 500. We are proud to be an Engineering News-Record (ENR) Top 500 Design Firm for our engineering design services and a ClearlyRated Best of Staffing® winner for both client and talent service.
The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications without regard to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protected by law.
If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation, such as the modification or adjustment of the job application process or interviewing process due to a disability, please email actalentaccommodation@actalentservices.com for other accommodation options.
San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance: Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, for all positions located in the city and county of San Francisco, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.
Massachusetts Lie Detector: It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.
Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI): We may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to support parts of our hiring process, including sourcing, screening, and evaluating candidates. AI helps assess applications and qualifications, but final decisions are made by our hiring team. By applying, you acknowledge and agree that your application may be reviewed using AI tools.
Posting ID: JP-006175489