Director, Specialty & Pharma Communications – New Products (Ophthalmology)

Responsibilities

• Manage branded and unbranded communications activities in support of the ophthalmology portfolio, with heavy emphasis on milestone communications (regulatory approvals, data releases, medical meeting communications).
• Act as strategic counselor on strategy and issues management, in coordination with Executive Director, peers and other team members.
• Provide strategic oversight and drive ongoing support and execution of signature U.S. unbranded patient/consumer programs including engagement with patient advocacy organizations; work closely with country communicators to enable local activations of unbranded campaigns.
• Serve as primary liaison with the Patient Innovation & Engagement team and U.S./global Marketing teams, Research Labs and other cross-functional stakeholders.
• Responsible for communication to internal and external audiences in alignment with the corporate narrative and Specialty & Pharma business strategy while partnering with stakeholders to develop strategic communications aligned with key business priorities.
• Proactively evaluate innovative and creative omni-channel strategies to engage with internal and external stakeholders aligned with key priorities; ensure strategies are robust and complementary.
• Develop and communicate strategies, programs and materials for use by markets, regions and subsidiaries worldwide; help advise regions and subsidiaries for franchise and product communications issues.
• Serve as a liaison to third party groups (including advocacy organizations) and external experts (including researchers) and to trade and local news media.
• Directly manage public relations agencies and related budgets; directly and/or indirectly manage team members.

Qualifications

• Requires a minimum of eight (8) years' experience in a communications or public relations role within the pharmaceutical industry (agency or in-house).
• Deep pharmaceutical product communications experience – including background managing communications for a new product launch – strongly preferred; experience in the ophthalmology space highly desirable.
• Ability to confidently lead and provide strategic counsel to executives to support business goals, while simultaneously delivering at the tactical level.
• Ability to handle crisis communications, provide long-term strategic communications counsel and deliver on short-term communication tactics and objectives.
• Excellent written and oral communications skills across a variety of mediums/channels (e.g., print, digital, presentation); keen eye for detail.
• Strong project management skills and the ability to juggle multiple tasks, stakeholders and competing priorities.
• Team player, collaborative spirit, ability to succeed in a fast-paced, high-visibility role.
• Experience managing and mentoring team members; strong agency and budget management experience.
• Minimum of a BA required.