Director US Patient Advocacy Liaison

Lundbeck•Deerfield, IL

2d•$240,000 - $260,000•Hybrid

About The Position

The Director, U.S. Patient Advocacy Liaison leads the development and execution of Lundbeck's U.S. patient engagement strategy, driving meaningful partnerships with patient advocacy organizations and ensuring patient perspectives inform business strategy across the organization. This role provides strategic leadership and oversight of the Patient Advocacy Liaison (PAL) function, establishes engagement priorities and operational excellence, and cultivates high-impact external relationships that advance patient-centered outcomes. Partnering cross-functionally with Corporate Affairs, Medical Affairs, Commercial, Market Access, Clinical Development, HEOR, and other stakeholders, the Director serves as a trusted advisor on patient advocacy, stakeholder engagement, and emerging patient needs.

Requirements

Accredited bachelor's degree
Minimum of 8+ years of progressive experience in patient advocacy, patient engagement, external affairs, medical affairs, corporate affairs, market access, or related healthcare/pharmaceutical functions.
People leadership experience, including coaching, performance management, and development of direct reports.
Collaborative, team-oriented leader with a commitment to patient-centered decision-making and organizational excellence.
Demonstrated experience developing and executing patient engagement or advocacy strategies within the biopharmaceutical, healthcare, or nonprofit sectors.
Proven success building and managing strategic relationships with national and regional patient advocacy organizations and other external healthcare stakeholders.
Experience leading cross-functional initiatives and influencing senior leaders across Medical Affairs, Commercial, Market Access, Corporate Affairs, Government Affairs, Clinical Development, HEOR, Legal, Compliance, and other matrixed functions.
Strong strategic planning, project management, and operational execution skills, including development and measurement of KPIs and business outcomes.
Excellent communication, presentation, facilitation, and executive influence skills.
Demonstrated ability to synthesize patient and stakeholder insights into actionable business recommendations.
Strong understanding of healthcare compliance requirements, including applicable FDA regulations, PhRMA Code, Sunshine Act, and company policies governing interactions with patient organizations.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor's degree in Life Sciences, Public Health, Healthcare Administration, Communications, Public Policy, Business, or a related field or Advanced degree (MBA, MPH, MS, PharmD, PhD, or other relevant graduate degree).
Experience in neuroscience, rare disease, or other specialty therapeutic areas.
Minimum of 3+ years of people leadership experience, including coaching, performance management, and development of direct reports.
Established network and credibility within the U.S. patient advocacy and healthcare advocacy community.
Experience managing budgets, grants, sponsorships, and strategic partnership investments.

Responsibilities

Develop and execute the annual U.S. patient engagement strategy, including priorities, partnership objectives, resource allocation, performance measures, and PAL goals. Establish annual KPIs and Return on Engagement (RoE) measures and conduct regular reviews to assess progress and optimize performance.
Lead, coach, and develop Patient Engagement Liaison(s). Establish clear performance expectations, conduct regular coaching and development discussions, support individual growth plans, and ensure consistent execution of engagement standards and best practices.
Directly manage a portfolio of strategic patient advocacy organizations and serve as Lundbeck's senior relationship lead for priority partnerships. Develop engagement plans, conduct regular partnership reviews, identify opportunities for expanded collaboration, and ensure partnerships support both patient and organizational objectives.
Oversee the collection, synthesis, and communication of patient, caregiver, and community insights across PEL(s). Ensure actionable insights are translated into recommendations that inform advocacy strategies, asset planning, patient support initiatives, and cross-functional decision-making.
Collaborate effectively with Corporate Affairs, Medical Affairs, HEOR, Commercial, Market Access, Clinical Development, and other internal stakeholders to align patient engagement activities with enterprise priorities and to ensure patient perspectives are incorporated into planning processes and organizational initiatives.
Lead the planning and strategic utilization of patient advocacy-related conferences, roundtables, advisory meetings, and community events. Ensure event participation, partnership activities, and stakeholder engagements are aligned with defined objectives and measured against established success criteria.
Monitor PEL performance and portfolio effectiveness through established KPIs, engagement metrics, partnership assessments, and RoE measures. Utilize data and stakeholder feedback to identify opportunities for continuous improvement and strategic refinement.
Maintain oversight of patient advocacy funding, partnership investments, and engagement activities to ensure alignment with organizational priorities, budget expectations, and governance requirements.
Ensure all patient engagement activities, partnerships, funding requests, and external interactions are conducted in accordance with applicable legal, regulatory, ethical, and company policies. Maintain appropriate documentation, reporting, and compliance oversight.