Senior medical writer

Overview

Cactus Life Sciences partners with the global biopharma industry to drive innovation and elevate patient outcomes through agile, science-driven medical communications. We transform complex data into actionable insights, bridging the critical gaps between research, decision-making, and real-world healthcare impact.

This role operates on a hybrid model, with one day per week in our Meggen, Switzerland office. We welcome applications from candidates based outside the region who are open to relocating — though please note that relocation support is not provided as part of this position.

Job Responsibilities

• Take ownership for developing (write, review, proofread, and data-check) high-quality, client-ready scientific and medical materials like manuscripts, abstracts, posters, congress and meetings materials, and literature searches and reviews according to client and audience needs with excellent attention to detail.
• Actively involve in reviewing materials developed by scientific writers to ensure strategic alignment and scientific accuracy as needed and provide clear constructive feedback, support, and supervision to writers.
• Develop a deep understanding of product/accounts to enable meaningful interactions with clients and authors, including consultancy where necessary.
• Build and maintain long-standing relationships with international pharma clients, healthcare professionals, and key stakeholders like authors, reviewers and KOLs across therapeutic areas, while anticipating their needs and providing strategic guidance to improve scientific content and data dissemination.
• Effectively and proactively communicate with team members, authors/faculty, clients and vendors.
• Apply your scientific and creative knowledge and work closely with client directors on developing effective medical communications initiatives in the digital space, including publication extenders, creation of infographics, interactive assets, website content, patient narratives, and medical information engagement plans.
• Support the creation of visual content through effective data visualization techniques and contribute to innovative “out of the box” solutions for medical writing projects.
• Ensure all materials align with client requirements, style guides, templates, preferences, and CACTUS internal SOPs, updating documents consistently to keep all content current and compliant.
• Perform as a document specialist, provide intellectual input across document types, and contribute to making cutting-edge research accessible to specific audiences as appropriate, by maintaining current awareness of developments across therapeutic areas or disciplines.
• Support with pitches, both during the preparation phase and the actual pitch.
• Attend workshops/seminars/training to hone your skills and contribute to organizational objectives.
• Attend client and other external meetings and support senior team members as needed.

Qualifications and Prerequisites

• Must have bilingual German–English proficiency at a native or near-native level, with strong scientific writing skills.
• PhD in medical, life or health sciences, or pharmacy or Masters degree in life sciences
• At least 3 years’ experience as a medical writer within the pharmaceutical industry, ideally within a medical communications agency
• Clear, concise, scientific style of writing, with a high level of attention to detail and excellent language skills.
• Literature reviewing and evaluation capabilities.
• Ability to adapt writing style to different materials and target audiences.
• Basic knowledge of biostatistics.
• Ability to multi-task and work under tight timelines.

Benefits of the role

• 6 weeks of annual leave plus public holidays
• Flexible working hours based on a 41-hour full-time week
• Full employer-paid coverage for non-occupational accident insurance and daily sickness benefits
• A company mobile phone to keep you connected
• Business travel insurance
• Free office parking
• SBB Half-Fare Pass for hybrid workers

Application Process

Before applying, please ensure you meet the role requirements listed above and have legal authorization to work in the country where this role is advertised. Our selection process includes a Technical Interview with the hiring manager, followed by a Technical Assessment, where candidates will have agreed upon timeline to complete the task. If you progress to the final stage, we would love to welcome you to our Meggen office to meet the broader team in person followed by the HR interview.

AI at Cactus Life Sciences

The life sciences industry is undergoing a fundamental shift in how scientific knowledge is created, communicated, and delivered. We are building our work around it.

AI is embedded meaningfully across everything we do, through proprietary platforms purpose-built for life sciences and generative tools that deliver measurable value to our clients. It is core to how we operate, and an expected way of working for everyone who joins us.

We believe in Human-Anchored AI™: whatever your discipline - science, communications, strategy, or operations, you will work in an environment where AI augments your expertise rather than replaces it.

You will build skills that are in genuine demand and still taking shape across the industry. If you are curious and focused on building capabilities for the world where human intelligence meets artificial intelligence, this is where you belong.

Equal Opportunity

Our hiring practices reflect our commitment to providing equal opportunities and creating an environment where everyone can thrive, develop, and succeed. We celebrate the uniqueness of our team members and prohibit discrimination of any kind, based on race, color, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, marital status, disability, or any other protected characteristic.

About Us

At Cactus Life Sciences (cactuslifesciences.com), we believe the future of medical communications lies at the intersection of science, technology, and human connection. Headquartered in Princeton, New Jersey, with teams in Switzerland, the United Kingdom, India, and Japan, we help biopharmaceutical organizations redefine scientific exchange—leveraging AI, automation, and innovation while keeping patients at the heart of everything we do.

Our expertise spans medical strategy, scientific content development, and medical education across therapeutic areas and the product lifecycle. By blending scientific rigor, agile operational models, and future-ready technologies, we partner with medical affairs teams to catalyze their transformation, adapt to a changing landscape, and drive meaningful outcomes for healthcare communities worldwide.