Published at 14 May 2024
Joinrs meets Jed, Associate Market Access Consultant at OPEN Health
Joinrs meets Jed, Associate Market Access Consultant at OPEN Health
Who is Joinrs?
Joinrs is the meeting point between students, junior profiles and companies: thanks to our AI model, we help job seekers identify and discover the best ads in line with their ambitions. At the same time, more than 150 client companies carry out employer branding and talent acquisition strategies on our platform with the aim of attracting candidates most compatible with the company's values. If you are a company and would like to learn more, click here.
A Joinrs conversation with
At Joinrs, we go beyond just matching candidates with opportunities. In addition to facilitating connections, we conduct insightful interviews with professionals from diverse backgrounds and industries. Through these conversations, we provide valuable insights and perspectives to our users, enriching their knowledge and experience on our platform. Join us in exploring the depth and breadth of expertise across various fields to enhance your career journey.
Jed's story
With a foundation in Biological science, Jed seamlessly transitioned into the role of Associate Market Access Consultant at OPEN Health, where he has thrived for nearly two years. Jed's journey underscores his ability to bridge the gap between complex scientific concepts and practical market strategies. His tenure at OPEN Health speaks volumes about his adaptability and his commitment to making meaningful contributions in the healthcare sector. We thank him again for taking the time to participate in this project. Now it is time to read the interview!
1. Tell us a little about yourself: What is your background and what inspired you to take the career you are currently pursuing?
I completed my BSc in Biological Sciences at the University of Warwick and MSc in Integrated Immunology from the University of Oxford. Like many new graduates, I was suddenly faced with the reality of deciding what career I wanted to pursue and securing my first full-time job. I knew from my studies that while a lab-based career wasn’t for me, I wanted to stay within the Life Science field and use my degree. My continued fascination with the science underlying the development of diseases and novel interventions to treat and manage these conditions lead me to discover the world of Scientific Communications (SciComms) and Market Access. My role in market access consulting satisfied my desire to use my science background while working with many of the top pharmaceutical companies in the world to help make a meaningful improvement in patient access to novel drugs and medical technologies.
2. You currently work as an "Associate Market Access Consultant" for OPEN Health, could you briefly describe your typical day and what are the main long-term goals you aim to achieve?
With a large variety of different projects available, there’s no such thing as an average day in my role. As an associate, my key responsibility is the content creation of deliverables across a range of projects, working in close collaboration with the team lead (usually a senior consultant) to attend client calls and deliver deliverables fit to the brief and within timelines. In my first few months I had already worked across global, UK/EU and US-based projects. Recently, I have worked with the team to develop value messages for a novel drug, generate a targeted literature review report, develop a simply excel calculator to estimate the number of patients with a certain disease in different localities and conduct desk research to generate novel insights about the market.
I start a typical day with checking my emails and planning my to-do list. As I am often involved in several projects at any one time, I need to balance the workload and prioritise projects based on timelines. Most of the day is typically dedicated to cracking on with research and content creation. Today, I had an internal call before lunch with the project leader to discuss my progress on one of my projects - developing a discussion guide to be used in interviews with NHS stakeholders to assess the best-practice for implementing a novel medical device. This call provided an opportunity to ask any questions I had and identify a plan of action. After lunch, I continued progressing the development of my projects before attending a client meeting where we discussed our progress, timelines and next steps.
My long-term goals are to develop my client communication and management skills, effectively lead projects within budget and continue to win business with new pharmaceutical companies through business development and expand our offerings.
3. For prospective students that want to join your firm, what are the opportunities and support offered for them when joining an entry level position at OPEN Health?
On top of excellent live training sessions, OPEN Health has a tailored and comprehensive online learning platform which provides 24/7 access to relevant resources and recorded sessions. This provides a useful archive for in-depth tips and tricks for tackling any project you may encounter and helps get you started and continue your OPEN Health journey. Both the SciComms and Market Access teams also have more focused development programmes, which support your on-the-job learning. There is also the opportunity to attend external courses and network with peers.
4. What is the culture like in your firm? What is the best part of your job?
The people at OPEN Health are its biggest strength – all my co-workers, including senior employees and line managers are passionate, friendly, and welcoming. Building a cohesive and friendly team environment is central to the company’s ethos, with many social events throughout the year providing a great opportunity to integrate with the wider team i.e., Christmas parties, quiz nights, pub nights, Easter egg hunts and more. There is also opportunity for overseas travel to develop team building with global employees. For example I will soon be visiting Rotterdam with the UK market access team for an in-person meeting with the wider EU and Indian market access employees. In my team there is also a great emphasis on maintaining a healthy work-life balance, with weekly capacity meetings to identify instances where an employee is at risk of exceeding their capacity and pulling in additional resources to prevent this.
What I love most about my role is the opportunity to work on many different types of projects so one day is never the same as the next and there is always something new, fresh and exciting to learn and develop your skills in. Additionally, being able to work with some of the biggest pharmaceutical clients in the world on fascinating new drugs and medical devices that have the potential to change the health care setting and improve outcomes for patients is highly motivating and rewarding, with the knowledge you are contributing to making a meaningful difference.
5. What are your application tips for those in our community who aspire to build a career within your field?
For individuals interested in a career in this field, I would recommend highlighting in your applications not only how your studies have equipped you with the necessary skills for the job, but also any extracurricular activities that demonstrate your passion for this field. For example, in my final year, I started a Twitter blog disseminating new COVID-19 research in layman’s terms to promote scientific outreach and tackle fake news. This gave me a unique discussion point in applications and interviews to differentiate from other candidates. It is also important to do your research on the company, what they offer, and what you like about that company over others that provide similar offerings.
The career trajectory in the life-science industry is extremely flexible, with many people changing positions and departments as they learn more about other offerings. For example, after starting in medical writing at OPEN Health I discovered my affinity towards more strategic based consulting work and I later transferred to market access consulting. I therefore encourage students to not worry over having a defined career plan, there is always opportunity to change and grow in this industry.
Interview conducted by Thomas Gigante
Who is Joinrs?
Joinrs is the meeting point between students, junior profiles and companies: thanks to our AI model, we help job seekers identify and discover the best ads in line with their ambitions. At the same time, more than 150 client companies carry out employer branding and talent acquisition strategies on our platform with the aim of attracting candidates most compatible with the company's values. If you are a company and would like to learn more, click here.
A Joinrs conversation with
At Joinrs, we go beyond just matching candidates with opportunities. In addition to facilitating connections, we conduct insightful interviews with professionals from diverse backgrounds and industries. Through these conversations, we provide valuable insights and perspectives to our users, enriching their knowledge and experience on our platform. Join us in exploring the depth and breadth of expertise across various fields to enhance your career journey.
Jed's story
With a foundation in Biological science, Jed seamlessly transitioned into the role of Associate Market Access Consultant at OPEN Health, where he has thrived for nearly two years. Jed's journey underscores his ability to bridge the gap between complex scientific concepts and practical market strategies. His tenure at OPEN Health speaks volumes about his adaptability and his commitment to making meaningful contributions in the healthcare sector. We thank him again for taking the time to participate in this project. Now it is time to read the interview!
1. Tell us a little about yourself: What is your background and what inspired you to take the career you are currently pursuing?
I completed my BSc in Biological Sciences at the University of Warwick and MSc in Integrated Immunology from the University of Oxford. Like many new graduates, I was suddenly faced with the reality of deciding what career I wanted to pursue and securing my first full-time job. I knew from my studies that while a lab-based career wasn’t for me, I wanted to stay within the Life Science field and use my degree. My continued fascination with the science underlying the development of diseases and novel interventions to treat and manage these conditions lead me to discover the world of Scientific Communications (SciComms) and Market Access. My role in market access consulting satisfied my desire to use my science background while working with many of the top pharmaceutical companies in the world to help make a meaningful improvement in patient access to novel drugs and medical technologies.
2. You currently work as an "Associate Market Access Consultant" for OPEN Health, could you briefly describe your typical day and what are the main long-term goals you aim to achieve?
With a large variety of different projects available, there’s no such thing as an average day in my role. As an associate, my key responsibility is the content creation of deliverables across a range of projects, working in close collaboration with the team lead (usually a senior consultant) to attend client calls and deliver deliverables fit to the brief and within timelines. In my first few months I had already worked across global, UK/EU and US-based projects. Recently, I have worked with the team to develop value messages for a novel drug, generate a targeted literature review report, develop a simply excel calculator to estimate the number of patients with a certain disease in different localities and conduct desk research to generate novel insights about the market.
I start a typical day with checking my emails and planning my to-do list. As I am often involved in several projects at any one time, I need to balance the workload and prioritise projects based on timelines. Most of the day is typically dedicated to cracking on with research and content creation. Today, I had an internal call before lunch with the project leader to discuss my progress on one of my projects - developing a discussion guide to be used in interviews with NHS stakeholders to assess the best-practice for implementing a novel medical device. This call provided an opportunity to ask any questions I had and identify a plan of action. After lunch, I continued progressing the development of my projects before attending a client meeting where we discussed our progress, timelines and next steps.
My long-term goals are to develop my client communication and management skills, effectively lead projects within budget and continue to win business with new pharmaceutical companies through business development and expand our offerings.
3. For prospective students that want to join your firm, what are the opportunities and support offered for them when joining an entry level position at OPEN Health?
On top of excellent live training sessions, OPEN Health has a tailored and comprehensive online learning platform which provides 24/7 access to relevant resources and recorded sessions. This provides a useful archive for in-depth tips and tricks for tackling any project you may encounter and helps get you started and continue your OPEN Health journey. Both the SciComms and Market Access teams also have more focused development programmes, which support your on-the-job learning. There is also the opportunity to attend external courses and network with peers.
4. What is the culture like in your firm? What is the best part of your job?
The people at OPEN Health are its biggest strength – all my co-workers, including senior employees and line managers are passionate, friendly, and welcoming. Building a cohesive and friendly team environment is central to the company’s ethos, with many social events throughout the year providing a great opportunity to integrate with the wider team i.e., Christmas parties, quiz nights, pub nights, Easter egg hunts and more. There is also opportunity for overseas travel to develop team building with global employees. For example I will soon be visiting Rotterdam with the UK market access team for an in-person meeting with the wider EU and Indian market access employees. In my team there is also a great emphasis on maintaining a healthy work-life balance, with weekly capacity meetings to identify instances where an employee is at risk of exceeding their capacity and pulling in additional resources to prevent this.
What I love most about my role is the opportunity to work on many different types of projects so one day is never the same as the next and there is always something new, fresh and exciting to learn and develop your skills in. Additionally, being able to work with some of the biggest pharmaceutical clients in the world on fascinating new drugs and medical devices that have the potential to change the health care setting and improve outcomes for patients is highly motivating and rewarding, with the knowledge you are contributing to making a meaningful difference.
5. What are your application tips for those in our community who aspire to build a career within your field?
For individuals interested in a career in this field, I would recommend highlighting in your applications not only how your studies have equipped you with the necessary skills for the job, but also any extracurricular activities that demonstrate your passion for this field. For example, in my final year, I started a Twitter blog disseminating new COVID-19 research in layman’s terms to promote scientific outreach and tackle fake news. This gave me a unique discussion point in applications and interviews to differentiate from other candidates. It is also important to do your research on the company, what they offer, and what you like about that company over others that provide similar offerings.
The career trajectory in the life-science industry is extremely flexible, with many people changing positions and departments as they learn more about other offerings. For example, after starting in medical writing at OPEN Health I discovered my affinity towards more strategic based consulting work and I later transferred to market access consulting. I therefore encourage students to not worry over having a defined career plan, there is always opportunity to change and grow in this industry.
