Director, Key Thought Leader Strategy & Professional Organizations – US Pain

Vertex Pharmaceuticals•Boston, MA

3d•Hybrid

About The Position

Vertex is seeking a strategic and collaborative leader to join the US Pain Business Unit to support our journey to bring forth new options for the treatment of pain. The Director, Key Thought Leader (KTL) Strategy & Professional Organizations will play a critical role in shaping and executing Vertex’s engagement strategy with key thought leaders and professional organizations to support the continued launch and growth of JOURNAVX, a novel selective pain signal inhibitor of NaV1.8 in acute pain. This role will be responsible for building and leading a comprehensive KTL engagement strategy, strengthening partnerships with professional societies, and advancing initiatives that shape clinical understanding, advocacy, and adoption within the evolving acute pain landscape.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree
10+ years of experience in healthcare/biopharmaceuticals across marketing, medical affairs, or related functions
Experience developing and executing KTL/KOL engagement strategies and professional organization partnerships
Experience working cross-functionally in a matrixed organization
Deep understanding of KTL/KOL engagement models and external stakeholder strategy
Strong strategic thinking with the ability to translate insights into actionable plans
Excellent relationship-building and influencing skills with both internal and external stakeholders
Strong communication skills, including ability to engage senior leaders and external experts
Ability to operate effectively in a fast-paced, evolving environment
Strong project management and organizational skills

Nice To Haves

Experience supporting product launches or market development initiatives
Experience working with professional societies or leading external partnerships
Familiarity with compliance requirements related to external engagement and HCP interactions

Responsibilities

Lead KTL Strategy Development & Execution: Shapes and implements our key thought leader strategy and seeks deeper understanding of the market landscape to shape the future of the acute pain market & Vertex’s role within it.
Develop and execute a comprehensive KTL engagement strategy aligned to brand and market development priorities.
Identify, segment, and prioritize national, regional, and emerging thought leaders across key specialties.
Build tailored engagement plans to deepen relationships and drive advocacy, education, and influence.
Drive Professional Organization Strategy: Lead Vertex’s engagement strategy with key professional organizations and societies.
Identify opportunities to shape scientific exchange, educational initiatives, and presence within priority organizations.
Partner cross-functionally to ensure coordinated and compliant engagement across meetings, committees, and collaborations.
Enable Scientific & Clinical Advocacy: Partner closely with Medical Affairs and Marketing to ensure aligned and impactful KTL engagement.
Support development of clinical advocacy strategies, including advisory boards, expert input, and external insights.
Leverage KTL insights to inform brand strategy, market development, and future opportunities.
Integrate Across HCP Engagement Ecosystem: Ensure alignment between KTL strategy, speaker programs, congress strategy, and broader HCP engagement efforts.
Partner with P2P, HCP Marketing, and Field teams to maximize impact and consistency across touchpoints.
Insights Generation & Strategic Input: Gather and synthesize insights from KTL interactions to inform: Brand strategy and positioning, Educational priorities, Market landscape evolution.
Translate insights into actionable recommendations for senior leadership.
Execution Excellence & Governance: Establish clear processes and governance for KTL identification, engagement, and tracking.
Ensure all activities are conducted in compliance with legal, regulatory, and ethical standards.
Manage agency partners and external vendors as needed to support execution.
Responsible for developing and implementing governance related to all KTL engagement activity through guidance documents and implementation guides.
Cross-Functional Leadership: Partner closely with Marketing, Medical Affairs, Market Access, HEOR and Field teams to drive aligned external engagement strategy.
Serve as a key contributor to launch readiness and ongoing commercialization efforts.
Influence stakeholders across functions to ensure cohesive and effective execution.