Associate Director, Health Policy

at  Syneos Health Commercial Solutions

DESCRIPTION

Syneos Health PR & External Affairs
Associate Director, Health Policy
Do you want to be part of a team developing sophisticated policy and external affairs strategies for leading pharmaceutical companies and influential organizations in the field of health policy and life sciences?
Do you have strong, proven experience in health policy, and are you looking for an opportunity to develop your consultancy and leadership expertise in UK, European and global health policy in a thriving, international consultancy?
Are you interested in taking a leading role in helping to develop a global health policy offering?
If so, read on to see if you’d be a good fit for our team!
Role overview
We are seeking an experienced Associate Director to help lead and shape our growing health policy offering. The successful candidate will be responsible for securing, maintaining and growing business. They will provide strategic counsel and guidance to clients on achieving policy and business objectives. They will be a self-starter with a strong business network, have extensive experience of leading and managing teams, and overseeing the development and delivery of high-quality UK, European and global health policy programmes, engagement and counsel.
As a member of the Leadership Team, this role encompasses the strategic, commercial, and management skills outlined in the Associate Director role, while also focusing on health policy communications to enhance client services and drive our vision of becoming the leading PR and External Affairs consultancy.
Candidate Profile:
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- Bachelor’s degree in social sciences, public affairs, communications, or a related field. Advanced degrees are a plus.
- Working experience in the private sector, a consultancy, not-for-profit organisation, a government institution (or a combination of any of the above). Experience of working specifically within global pharmaceutical health policy communications preferred.
- Strong established network of clients within large pharmaceutical companies and life science biotechs, and contacts within health policy and communications sector.
- Proactive approach, willingness to take the initiative and ownership of an assignments
- Demonstrated success in business development and ability to grow business network.
- Consistent ability to develop, manage, and implement client strategies.
- Ability to manage up by ensuring client strategy leads have necessary and current information; manage down by imparting knowledge to more junior team members; and manage across by ensuring that relevant expertise across the Syneos network is coordinated.
- Strong skills in organisation, research, writing, editing, and client interaction, while thriving under pressure and fostering teamwork.
- Proven ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously and serve as an internal hub for clients work and a working level point of contact for clients.
- Digital literacy with social and digital tools, channels, and platforms that drive public affairs activities with clients.
- Curiosity in how health systems and policymaking processes work
- Ability to work flexibly and efficiently in a fast-paced, remote environment.
Overview of Role:

The responsibilities and tasks are likely to include the following:

• Taking a leading role in working to develop a UK and EU health policy offering, as well as working closely with Syneos colleagues across the global footprint to leverage opportunities with existing clients
• Identifying and leading on both organic growth and new business development.
• A focus on regional and global health policy, engagement, and advisory programmes for clients.
• Providing strategic counsel to clients on relevant health policy challenges and opportunities and coordinating teams to deliver public affairs strategies.
• Development of research and analysis on various health policy issues, including briefings, reports, updates and other forms of client counsel.
• Exhibiting excellent communication, written and project management skills.
• A details focused individual with an eye for detail, a passion for healthcare, and proven experience and understanding of regional and global healthcare policy.
• Work closely with other business units to ensure a cohesive approach to client servicing.
• Focus on building and nurturing a team capable of delivering excellence in policy communications.

How will success be defined in this role?

Business objectives:

• Achieve a specified percentage increase in client acquisition through the policy offering.
• Active leadership in identifying and driving new business pitches that incorporate policy strategies.
• Develop and implement a measurable strategy for expanding policy communications and services within existing client accounts.

Personal objectives:

• Establish visibility internally and as able, externally
• Create high levels of proactivity among teams – leaning into teams to understand how your team can support their overall programmes
• Creation of networks with communications colleagues, both in Europe and with our American colleagues
• Additional personal objectives candidate driven, based on personal growth and development aspirations.

At Syneos Health, we are dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive and authentic workplace. If your past experience doesn’t align perfectly, we encourage you to apply anyway. At times, we will consider transferable skills from previous roles. We also encourage you to join our Talent Network to stay connected to additional career opportunities.
At Syneos Health Public Relations, the possibilities are infinite. Because of our “no walls, no limits” philosophy and entrepreneurial spirit, our employees have the opportunity and potential to work on projects beyond their years of experience. The only limitations here are those that are self-imposed, and we make sure to reward staff based on talent, not title.
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Syneos Health companies are affirmative action/equal opportunity employers (Minorities/Females/Veterans/Disabled

• Taking a leading role in working to develop a UK and EU health policy offering, as well as working closely with Syneos colleagues across the global footprint to leverage opportunities with existing clients
• Identifying and leading on both organic growth and new business development.
• A focus on regional and global health policy, engagement, and advisory programmes for clients.
• Providing strategic counsel to clients on relevant health policy challenges and opportunities and coordinating teams to deliver public affairs strategies.
• Development of research and analysis on various health policy issues, including briefings, reports, updates and other forms of client counsel.
• Exhibiting excellent communication, written and project management skills.
• A details focused individual with an eye for detail, a passion for healthcare, and proven experience and understanding of regional and global healthcare policy.
• Work closely with other business units to ensure a cohesive approach to client servicing.
• Focus on building and nurturing a team capable of delivering excellence in policy communications