Director, Patient Marketing

Neurelis•San Diego, CA

23h•Onsite

About The Position

The Director, Patient Marketing is a critical role responsible for shaping how the VALTOCO brand connects with patients and caregivers across the treatment journey. This individual translates the core consumer strategy and narrative into clear, cohesive branded experiences that drive engagement, consideration and long-term connection to the brand. Operating within a highly cross-functional environment, this role partners closely with omnichannel, patient advocacy, and broader commercial stakeholders to ensure the branded strategy is consistently and effectively activated. Success in this role requires strong strategic thinking, the ability to translate data and insights into clear decisions and a focus on driving measurable impact and return on investment. The individual must be able to influence across stakeholders to drive alignment and momentum and identify new approaches to strengthen branded patient engagement and business impact. This role reports to the Executive Director of Marketing/Marketing Operations.

Requirements

Experience owning patient-facing marketing strategy and execution for pharmaceutical or biotech products in the US
Expertise in branded strategy development, including patient journey design, messaging architecture and campaign development
Demonstrated ability to translate patient insights, market research and data into a clear strategic direction
Strong understanding of performance measurement and analytics, with the ability to connect marketing activities to patient behavior and business outcomes
Demonstrated track record of leading agency partners and driving high-quality strategic and creative output
Proven ability to influence without authority and work cross-functionally to align and deliver brand strategy
Strong written and communication skills with the ability to clearly articulate strategy and rationale
Ability to operate independently in a fast-paced environment, balancing multiple priorities while maintaining strategic clarity
Flexibility and the ability to adapt strategy and approach in response to evolving business needs
Motivated by patient focus, urgency and personal commitment to high performance, results and compliance.
Proven self-starter with a hands-on, results-driven approach; proactively identifies opportunities, removes barriers, and delivers outcomes with minimal supervision.
High emotional intelligence and collaborative leadership: adept at leading cross-functional teams, mentoring colleagues, and adapting style—knowing when to lead, coach, or support to maximize team performance.
Strong program and project management capability: track record of managing multiple concurrent initiatives, setting priorities, meeting deadlines, and consistently delivering high-quality results on time and within scope.
Strategic thinker with operational discipline: translates long-term strategy into executable plans while maintaining rigorous attention to detail and measurable KPIs.
Comfortable operating in high-visibility environments: performs effectively under pressure, embraces stretch assignments, and navigates changing priorities with resilience.
Exceptional communicator and active listener: persuasive presenter with polished written and verbal communication skills tailored to diverse audiences, from field teams to senior leadership.
Rapid learner with the ability to simplify complexity: quickly assimilates technical or scientific information and distills it into clear, actionable messages.
Strong analytical orientation: uses data and market insights to drive decisions; demonstrated success competing in high-intensity pharmaceutical/biotech markets.
Influential collaborator and negotiator: builds strong internal and external relationships, navigates stakeholder dynamics, and secures alignment and commitment across functions
Demonstrates strong work ethic.
Shows initiative and holds themselves accountable.
Lives and advances the Neurelis culture and values.
Always operates with a high degree of integrity and tact.
Demonstrates sound judgment and decision-making ability.
Bachelor’s degree required, preferably in Marketing, Communications, Business, Life Sciences, Public Health, or a related field.
Minimum of 10+ years of experience in the US with pharmaceutical, biotech, healthcare, or patient-focused marketing, including at least 5+ years of experience in strategic patient marketing, disease education, healthcare ecosystems, and applicable regulatory and compliance requirements.

Nice To Haves

Advanced degree (MBA, MPH, or other relevant graduate degree) preferred.
Marketing experience in epilepsy or neuroscience.

Responsibilities

Own, develop and deliver short and long-term direct-to-patient strategies and initiatives, including campaigns and patient materials, ensuring alignment to patient journey strategy and business objectives
Define branded success metrics and translate insights and performance data into strategic decisions, driving ongoing optimization and measurable business impact
Effectively translate market research insights into promotional strategies and tactics
Own and evolve the branded messaging architecture, including core claims, and content strategy, ensuring ongoing differentiation, clarity and consistency
Identify critical moments and barriers within the patient journey and develop strategies to drive engagement, consideration, and persistence
Coordinate closely with the Director of omnichannel marketing to build an effective customer engagement ecosystem
Support the annual brand planning process, including development of the branded tactical roadmap, ensuring alignment to business priorities and patient strategy
Lead agency partners and collaborate closely with internal team members, providing clear direction, feedback, and decision-making to drive high-quality execution and reduce rework
Represent branded strategy in cross-functional and leadership settings, clearly articulating rationale to drive alignment and accelerate decision making
Own the Patient Agency of Record (AOR) relationship, setting strategic direction and ensuring high-quality execution across patient initiatives
Develop and deliver presentations to a range of internal team members (i.e, executives, leadership team, sales)
Ensure compliance with all relevant laws, regulations, and policies
Manage patient promotional budgets to ensure efficient allocation of resources and maximize impact
Strive for continuous improvement and embrace innovative ideas in daily work.