Senior Director, Advocacy Strategy & Research

Company Description

About Discovery

Discovery is a Publicis Health (PH) company that is focused on identifying and implementing key collaborative advocacy and community engagement strategies for pharmaceutical companies. We believe in helping the industry live its vision of improving the lives of the patients and communities that serve them in ways that go beyond product development and delivery. Entire communities can benefit from initiatives that raise awareness, expand access, address disparities, and support improved standards of care. The Discovery advocacy team has been at the forefront of development in the healthcare advocacy and community engagement field since 2006, working with clients to develop internal advocacy structures, as well as collaborative initiatives in education, awareness, access, policy, and other key areas. We think beyond traditional parameters and develop innovative solutions to stay ahead of the evolving political, regulatory, legislative, medical, and economic environments.

Job Description

Key Responsibilities

The Director, Advocacy Strategy and Research is responsible for oversight of strategic development, content development, and research aspects of Advocacy deliverables and for providing therapeutic, landscape, and advocacy expertise to advocacy clients. 

This role is client facing and may require moderate travel.

Strategy

•         Identifies the broad advocacy landscape opportunities across clients and therapeutic areas

•         Demonstrates expert ability to proactively monitor, research, understand, and translate the therapeutic and advocacy landscape into to advocacy strategy

•         Demonstrates expert ability to translate data into insights, and pulling recommendations from insights

•         Acts as therapeutic and landscape expert for the Advocacy team and the client

•         Provides recommendations on advocacy community stakeholder prioritization.

•         Leads internal, client, and advocacy community stakeholder meetings

•         Communicates  Advocacy findings during meetings, brainstorming, and strategic discussions with the Advocacy team, clients, and advocacy community stakeholders

Content development

•         Responsible for the development and completion of Advocacy deliverables, including content development for tools/resources, writing, editing, and obtaining Advocacy team and client approvals

o   Conducts or guides landscape analyses

o   Advisory board meetings

§  Guides development of or develops pre-meeting and meeting content (e.g. objectives, agenda, discussion guide, slides, etc)

§  Manages slide review and editorial needs for live and virtual meetings

§  Guides preparation of or prepares full range of meeting summaries

§  Pulls findings through to present implications and strategic recommendations

o   Develops and administers surveys and conducts advocacy thought leader and organizational interviews, and translates findings into strategic recommendations

o   Medical or community meeting coverage

§  Identifies sessions of strategic interest at medical meetings and congresses and community meetings

§  Attends appropriate meetings to support client needs

§  Participates in on-site and/or virtual meetings with key stakeholders

§  Develops meeting summaries and follow-up recommendations

•         Ensures that all Discovery Advocacy deliverables accurately reflect and integrate landscape research findings

•         Responsible for quality and overall and therapeutic and landscape accuracy and integrity

•         Demonstrates adherence to project parameters including deadlines, budget, and content specifications; tracks content throughout the development process to ensure on-time delivery

•         Addresses potential barriers to successful project completion that may arise, keeping Advocacy leadership team informed in a timely manner

Business development

·       Works with Advocacy colleagues to develop recommendations for organic growth with existing Advocacy clients

·       Represents advocacy internally in the Publicis Health network

·       Proactively identifies opportunities for advocacy growth with existing agency clients and engages appropriate account teams

·       Participates in new business pitches for advocacy division, and represents advocacy in agency pitches

Client relationships

·       Primary client contact for content, and TA advocacy strategy

·       Acts as landscape expert for clients, proactively providing insights and recommendations

·       Establishes and maintains key relationships with advocacy clients and clients’ medical and marketing counterparts as well as community leads where appropriate

People management

·       Partners with other advocacy account management colleagues to support mutual growth and development

·       Encourages and engages in personal and professional development

Qualifications

Requirements

•         Expert ability to research, analyze, and interpret data and other information

•         Ability to hold and demonstrate knowledge of client and/or patient advocacy organizations through consultative and strategic interaction

•         Excellent client relationship skills; ability to professionally interact with clients and/or other external stakeholders

•         Cultural sensitivity/humility

•         Ability to satisfactorily handle multiple, diverse projects, and tight deadlines

•         Ability to deal with ambiguity

•         Demonstrated ability to adapt innovation and best practices from other areas to support advocacy growth and benefit advocacy stakeholders

•         Demonstrated ability and willingness to provide leadership/mentorship within the department

•         Exceptional organizational, analytical, and interpersonal skills

•         Exceptional verbal and written communication skills

•         Adherence to all Discovery policies and procedures

Education and experience

·       Bachelor’s degree in communications or health-related discipline

·       Advanced degree in science/medicine, public health/health policy, or related fields preferred

·       7 years of experience in healthcare communications, academic, and/or pharmaceutical industry experience preferred

·       2 years of advocacy experience preferred

Additional Information

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.