Associate Director, Patient Engagement & Advocacy

This is a fully remote position, open to applicants in Massachusetts.

📋 Description

• Develop and execute the patient advocacy and engagement strategy for a designated region.

• Create and implement thorough regional advocacy plans.

• Build and nurture lasting relationships with patient advocacy organizations, advocates, patients, caregivers, and community leaders.

• Lead initiatives focused on collaboration, education, awareness, and patient engagement.

• Offer patient advocacy expertise and strategic insights to marketing, market access, HEOR, medical affairs, government affairs, and corporate communications.

• Oversee the regional patient advocacy sponsorship budget and grant-review process.

• Represent the organization at patient and health policy conferences, meetings, and briefings.

• Assess the patient advocacy, policy, and industry landscapes to identify trends, needs, risks, and opportunities.

• Influence engagement with national organizations and formulate advocacy strategies that support pipeline, clinical development, and product priorities.

• Educate patient and grassroots advocacy communities about clinical research and clinical trials.

• Lead intricate cross-functional initiatives and matrixed teams.

• Ensure that patient and caregiver insights are integrated into company strategies, programs, policies, and communications.

• Foster relationships with allocated national patient advocacy organizations.

• Report directly to the Director of Patient Engagement and Advocacy.

⛳️ Requirements

• Candidates must reside in the Eastern Region (NE, SE, E).

• A BS/BA degree in public health, public policy, communications, business, life sciences, social sciences, or a related field, along with 10+ years in the pharmaceutical or biotech industry, or experience in patient advocacy.

• Alternatively, a Master’s degree is preferred with 8+ years of relevant experience.

• Alternatively, a PhD is preferred with 6+ years of relevant experience.

• Strong background in patient engagement, advocacy, and/or relations.

• Experience in developing communications and educational materials.

• Proven commitment to understanding and representing the needs and perspectives of patients and caregivers.

• Experience in creating and implementing patient advocacy strategies with advocacy organizations, achieving measurable outcomes and organizational alignment.

• Willingness to travel within the US 50–60% of the time.

• Capability to independently lead complex, high-impact initiatives across various disease states, programs, and cross-functional stakeholder groups.

• Ability to establish, cultivate, and maintain working relationships with advocacy organizations, patients, caregivers, community leaders, and senior internal stakeholders.

• Proven track record of developing and executing complex patient advocacy programs while adhering to timelines, budgets, governance requirements, and success measures.

• Ability to quickly build credibility and expertise in new or emerging disease areas.

• Extensive knowledge in patient advocacy and patient engagement.

• Understanding of patient advocacy processes, governance, systems, and their integration with Medical Affairs, Clinical Development, Commercial, Market Access, Government Affairs, Corporate Communications, Legal, and Compliance.

• Ability to synthesize and communicate the priorities, public policy positions, and unmet needs of the patient and caregiver community.

• Demonstrated discretion, sound judgment, adaptability, and attention to detail.

• Exceptional interpersonal, organizational, written, verbal, presentation, negotiation, and influencing skills.

🏝️ Benefits

• Annual bonus with a target of 30% of the earned base salary.

• Eligibility to participate in an equity-based long-term incentive program.

• Retirement savings plan with company match.

• Paid vacation.

• Paid holidays and personal days.

• Paid caregiver/parental and medical leave.

• Medical, prescription drug, dental, and vision coverage.

• Remote work arrangement.