Director, US Brand Communications

AstraZeneca•Boston, MA

2d•$152,122 - $228,182

About The Position

The Director, US Brand Communications serves as the communications business partner for the Alexion U.S. portfolio and launch agenda. The role leads integrated communications strategy for assigned marketed brands and pipeline assets, connecting brand and therapeutic-area milestones to Alexion’s U.S. narrative and relevant global communications plans. Embedded with therapeutic-area and launch teams, the Director provides strategic counsel to senior leaders and coordinates compliant communications across external, employee, executive, advocacy and digital channels. The position oversees portfolio and launch communications, milestone and news-flow planning, leadership counsel, integrated internal and external activation, reputation and issues support, patient and advocacy engagement, cross-functional alignment, AI-enabled communications innovation, agency and resource leadership, and measurement and continuous improvement. Duties are generally conducted in an office environment, with business travel as needed for meetings, medical congresses and launch activities.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in communications, journalism, public relations, marketing, life sciences or a related field.
8+ years of progressive communications experience, including significant responsibility for brand, product, therapy-area or launch communications in a regulated environment.
Demonstrated ability to apply generative AI and emerging digital tools to communications strategy, content development, audience insights and optimization, with sound judgment around accuracy, human oversight, responsible use and compliance.
Experience leading integrated communications strategies across media, digital/social, employee and executive channels.
Ability to counsel senior leaders, influence cross-functional teams and operate effectively in complex matrix organizations.
Strong scientific and business writing skills, including the ability to translate complex clinical and technical information into clear, audience-relevant communications.
Experience with issues management, media strategy, spokesperson preparation, agency leadership, budgeting and communications measurement.
Strong project leadership, judgment and organizational skills, with the ability to manage overlapping milestones and shifting priorities.
Working knowledge of pharmaceutical or biotechnology legal, regulatory and compliance review requirements.
Ability to travel for business meetings, medical congresses and launch activities as needed.
Ability, with or without a reasonable accommodation, to use a computer; communicate by phone, video and electronic messaging; engage in problem-solving, analysis and dialogue; collaborate with others; and maintain general availability during standard business hours.

Nice To Haves

Rare disease experience and knowledge of patient and advocacy communities.
Experience supporting regulatory approvals, new indications, major data milestones or product launches.
Experience working across U.S. market and global product communications teams.

Responsibilities

Lead integrated U.S. communications strategies for assigned brands, indications and pipeline assets, including pre-launch shaping, launch readiness, lifecycle milestones and disease-awareness priorities.
Own the communications milestone map and news-flow plan across regulatory, clinical-data, congress and launch moments; identify opportunities, dependencies and issues early, and coordinate readiness plans.
Serve as a trusted communications advisor to therapeutic-area, franchise, brand and launch leaders; translate business priorities and complex scientific information into narratives, messages, proof points, Q&A and leader materials.
Plan coordinated communications across media, executive, employee, advocacy, policy and digital/social channels in partnership with channel owners.
Develop proactive external and thought-leadership approaches, support spokesperson preparation, and lead brand-level issues preparedness and response in alignment with U.S. and enterprise Corporate Affairs teams.
Partner with Patient Advocacy and cross-functional colleagues to incorporate patient and community perspectives into disease education, launch and lifecycle communications, consistent with compliance requirements.
Collaborate with Marketing, Medical Affairs, Regulatory, Compliance, Market Access, Patient Services, Global Product Communications and U.S. Corporate Affairs to align market plans with enterprise narratives and review processes.
Use approved AI and emerging digital tools to strengthen communications strategy and execution, accelerate content development and adaptation, optimize audience engagement and improve workflow efficiency, with human oversight and compliance safeguards.
Set agency objectives, scopes, budgets, deliverables and success measures; direct agency work and ensure high-quality, efficient execution.
Define communications objectives and measures, evaluate performance and stakeholder response, and apply insights to improve portfolio and launch communications.
Travel as needed for business meetings, medical congresses and launch activities.
Perform office-based duties requiring computer use, communication by phone, video and electronic messaging, problem-solving, analysis, dialogue and collaboration, and maintain general availability during standard business hours.