Account Director, Advocacy (Healthcare Communications)

Real Chemistry • Chicago, MA

1d • $95,000 - $115,000 • Hybrid

About The Position

At Real Chemistry, making the world a healthier place isn’t just an aspiration—it’s our everyday reality. Our drive to transform healthcare is informed by our blend of deep scientific expertise, human-centred creativity, and AI-driven insights, fostering a unique environment where innovation thrives and our people are impact-obsessed. As a global agency, we provide a full suite of services across healthcare communications and marketing to our clients, including top players in the pharmaceutical and biotech industries. Our #LifeatRealChem culture is rooted in our people—we believe we are best together and are committed to excellence for both our clients and colleagues. Whether you're a seasoned professional or just starting your career, if you share our passion for healthcare and connection, we invite you to explore our opportunities. Discover your purpose. Embrace innovation. Experience #LifeatRealChem. Job Summary: Real Chemistry is looking for an Account Director, Advocacy to join our growing team! The Account Director, Advocacy & Patient Engagement is a trusted client-facing partner responsible for shaping and delivering integrated advocacy and patient-led programs for US-focused and global healthcare clients. The role combines deep experience working with US patient advocacy organizations with strong account leadership, operational management, and strategic counsel. The Account Director helps drive advocacy strategy, enabling meaningful patient collaboration, and ensuring high-quality delivery across complex, multi-stakeholder programs. This is a hybrid role, based in any of our US offices—including New York City, Lambertville, Boston, Chicago, Carmel, or San Francisco—or remotely within the US, depending on team and business needs.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in communications, marketing or a related field or equivalent experience is required.
• Typically 8–12+ years’ experience in healthcare communications, advocacy, public affairs, or patient engagement.
• Demonstrated experience working directly with US patient advocacy organizations (essential).
• Strong understanding of the US advocacy ecosystem, including compliance considerations and best practices.
• Proven track record leading complex client accounts and senior stakeholders.
• Strong financial and operational management skills; agency experience strongly preferred.
• Some management experience of junior staff required – interns, associates.
• High energy, able to effectively operate in fast-paced, growing and evolving environment

Responsibilities

• Support the development of advocacy and patient engagement strategies aligned to brand, policy, access, and disease-area objectives.
• Serve as a trusted advisor to clients on working credibly and compliantly with US patient advocacy organizations.
• Build, manage, and sustain strong, trusted relationships with patient groups, coalitions, and advocacy leaders.
• Guide clients on best-practice models for patient collaboration, including co-creation, advisory boards, summits, and patient-led initiatives.
• Support the design and delivery of patient-centric programs, including education, awareness, policy engagement, and community-based initiatives.
• Ensure patient engagement approaches are authentic, ethical, and aligned with the evolving US advocacy landscape.
• Act as the central connector between patients, advocacy groups, clients, and internal Real Chemistry teams.
• Manage complex stakeholder environments involving patients, NGOs, policy influencers, clinicians, and industry partners.
• Advise on stakeholder mapping, engagement prioritization, and long-term relationship building in the US context.
• Anticipate stakeholder risks and sensitivities, providing proactive guidance to clients.
• Serve as the day-to-day senior client partner, owning the relationship and overall account health.
• Lead the development of integrated advocacy and engagement plans (annual, quarterly, or campaign-based).
• Provide counsel on advocacy trends, patient dynamics, and the broader healthcare and policy environment.
• Identify opportunities to evolve and expand client programs across advocacy, policy, communications, and engagement.
• Own delivery across multiple workstreams, ensuring timelines, quality control, and flawless execution.
• Lead budget management, forecasting, and financial stewardship across advocacy and engagement programs.
• Oversee resourcing and workflow across cross-functional teams including advocacy, policy, communications, creative, digital, and analytics.
• Ensure programs are delivered efficiently, compliantly, and to Real Chemistry standards.
• Lead and mentor junior team members, fostering advocacy expertise, strategic thinking, and delivery excellence.
• Create a collaborative, high-performing team culture that balances empathy, rigor, and accountability.
• Act as an internal advocate for patient-centric ways of working across the wider Real Chemistry organization.
• Support new business development, pitches, and proposals, particularly those with a patient, advocacy, or policy lens.
• Identify white-space opportunities where advocacy and patient engagement can unlock additional client value.
• Help position Real Chemistry as a partner of choice for patient-centered and advocacy-led programs in the US.

Benefits

• Real Chemistry offers a comprehensive benefit program and perks, tailored to your region. Globally, this includes offices in our key markets with free snacks to keep you running all day long, generous holiday and paid time off, options for private medical, dental, and vison plans, and support in saving for the future.
• Other perks include mental wellness coaching and support and access to more than 13,000 online classes with LinkedIn Learning.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level