Director, Brand Communications

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

📋 Description

• Take charge of the development and implementation of the Brand Communications strategy, which encompasses disease awareness, market shaping, and launch narratives aimed at HCPs, patients, advocacy groups, media, and scientific audiences.

• Create and oversee the content calendar for Brand PR, ensuring consistency in messaging, sequencing across channels, and compliance within earned and owned media.

• Manage the paid amplification strategy for earned content, including the enhancement of media coverage, publication announcements, and disease education resources, all within pre-approved legal and regulatory guidelines.

• Lead the media strategy for specific products and plan launch communications, outlining key milestones, narrative arcs, and channel sequencing in collaboration with Brand, Corporate Communications, and Medical teams.

• Collaborate with commercial, digital, and brand teams to ensure a coherent narrative across paid, owned, and earned channels.

• Spearhead disease-state education and awareness initiatives, including storytelling around unmet needs and pre-launch market seeding targeted at HCPs and patients.

• Oversee the strategy for congress and data communications, including collaboration on press release creation, on-site media engagement, KOL interview logistics, and post-congress amplification.

• Collaborate on the KOL and DOL engagement strategy, integrating clinical perspectives into PR planning.

• Work alongside Medical Affairs and Brand Marketing to establish and execute advocacy partnerships within cardiology, hypertension, primary care, and health-equity organizations, creating original co-developed initiatives beyond mere sponsorships.

• Develop and implement programs featuring celebrity and patient ambassadors, including identification, vetting, onboarding, content creation, channel planning, speaker preparation, and compliance with MLR/PRC guidelines.

• Create and manage patient story initiatives linked to the disease experience, encompassing the identification of storytelling opportunities, content development, speaker preparation, channel planning, and compliance measures.

• Control the brand and disease-state social media strategy and content calendar, coordinating with Digital and MarTech for channel planning, content amplification, and reuse across approved platforms.

• Establish a real-time flag-and-act system for monitoring brand-relevant media, social, advocacy, and competitive events, which includes oversight, tiered escalation, internal routing, and rapid approval procedures.

• Develop an issue-preparedness framework, involving scenario planning, pre-approved holding statements, and response protocols in collaboration with Legal and Corporate Communications, aligned with corporate issues-management standards.

• Lead and manage the Brand PR agency comprehensively, including daily direction, briefing, feedback, budget management, performance oversight, and quarterly planning.

• Act as the primary liaison between Brand Marketing, Corporate Communications, Medical Affairs, Legal, Regulatory, Investor Relations, and external agency partners on all communications issues.

• Actively engage in MLR/PRC processes, ensuring Brand PR materials navigate reviews efficiently, with robust version control, clear approvals, and minimal revisions.

• Evaluate message effectiveness, coverage quality, share of voice, engagement, advocacy progress, and provide recommendations for optimization.

• Oversee the Brand Communications budget and manage relevant external vendor and agency relationships.

⛳️ Requirements

• MBA or a bachelor’s degree with 10+ years of experience in pharmaceutical, biotech, or healthcare communications, including a minimum of 6 years in brand PR or communications in contexts facing HCPs or patients.

• Proven track record of overseeing brand communications strategy within a regulated pharmaceutical or biotech setting.

• Experience in cardiovascular and/or launch contexts is highly preferred.

• History of managing agencies effectively in an MLR/PRC-governed environment.

• Experience in establishing or scaling an advocacy engagement program, with preferred knowledge of the cardiology and hypertension association landscape.

• Familiarity with developing celebrity or patient ambassador programs, including compliance and legal considerations.

• Strong understanding of MLR/PRC processes and a demonstrated ability to navigate reviews efficiently without compromising quality.

• A proactive mindset characterized by high accountability, resourcefulness, and a collaborative approach.

• Proven capability to lead through uncertainty and provide direction in a dynamic, pre-launch environment.

• Strong cross-functional leadership skills and the ability to influence without formal authority.

• Exceptional writing, messaging, and communication capabilities.

🏝️ Benefits

• Health insurance

• Dental coverage

• Vision insurance

• Paid time off

• 401K plan