Senior Medical Science Liaison, Inborn Errors of Metabolism
Job description
About the role
Every role in this field shares a few habits: clear communication, structured thinking, and steady follow through. Teams hold regular meetings, review progress, and adjust plans. Success usually depends on how well you work with others, not just how hard you try. Successful professionals in any field share a few habits: they take notes, keep commitments, and communicate in writing. Teams value people who make their work easy to review and build on.
Key facts
What you'll do
Internal projects are led, and medical affairs is represented across functions to align priorities and execution.
Scientific conferences and meetings are represented to engage with KOLs, collate scientific data insights, and provide leadership for impactful medical engagement activities and post-congress reporting.
Customer experience is optimized in the assigned region through cross-partner alignment with field objectives.
Requirements
A terminal degree (MD, PhD, PharmD) in a clinical or medical specialty with a minimum of 2 years prior MSL experience is required.
Candidates holding an advanced degree (e.g., MS, MSN, MPH) and at least 5 years MSL experience in a related therapeutic area are also considered.
Technical and scientific expertise in rare disease is preferred.
Effective presentation skills in virtual and live settings are demonstrated.
Deep understanding of the healthcare delivery system and its impact on patient and regional care is shown.
Knowledge of FDA regulations on product promotion, scientific exchange, and healthcare practitioner guidelines is applied.
Strategic thinking uses general business practices, industry knowledge, medical practices, and Ultragenyx strategic objectives to identify field opportunities.
The ability to relate and work with a wide range of people is demonstrated to achieve results.
Autonomous work organizes and prioritizes one's own schedule.
Strategic internal and external relationships are built and leveraged to identify opportunities and partnerships that improve quality of care for patients.
The assigned territory is managed, and commitments are consistently delivered.
Time, actions, and resources are prioritized to meet goals.
Approximately 60% travel in region and nationally is required, with overnight travel as needed.
Practical notes
Typical interview steps
Hiring processes usually combine a screening conversation with one or more interview rounds. Candidates can expect questions about their experience, a scenario or case, and a chance to ask their own questions. Preparation and specific examples from past work carry the most weight. Whatever the role, preparation is visible. Reviewing the company's product, the job description, and your own past work before the conversation is the strongest step.
Good to know
Medical science liaisons connect scientific data with clinical insights to support research and education.
Rare disease roles often require deep therapeutic area knowledge and strong collaboration with specialized centers.
Field-based medical affairs engage with healthcare professionals through presentations, advisory activities, and trial support.
Compliance with regulations and CRM tools is standard in medical affairs functions.
Travel is a common requirement for medical science liaison positions.
Questions to ask
Useful questions for the interview: what a typical week looks like, how work is assigned, what tools the team uses, and how feedback works. Asking how the role has changed recently and what the team wishes it had known when joining is also reasonable. Questions about the manager's priorities are especially valued.
Career growth
Careers in this field grow through a mix of experience, responsibility, and demonstrated results. Early years build skills; later years build ownership. Many professionals switch focus areas or companies to keep growing. Growth in any career comes from scope, results, and reputation. Take on work that is slightly uncomfortable, and make sure others can see the outcomes.