Senior Associate, Healthcare Issues

Adelphi Group•New York, NY

8d•$68,000 - $78,000•Hybrid

About The Position

Weber Shandwick’s New York office is seeking a Senior Associate to join the healthcare specialty of its Global Crisis and Issues Practice, part of the Weber Advisory group. The team helps organizations manage breaking issues and reputation-impacting events while developing the culture and infrastructure to anticipate, prepare for, and navigate crises. It advises healthcare clients across pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, medical devices and MedTech, health systems, advocacy, and nonprofit organizations. The Senior Associate will help drive communications for complex, high-profile issues and crisis projects. The role provides day-to-day leadership for Associate-level staff and works with senior leaders on research, materials development, project staffing and scoping, vendor management, budget tracking, and shifting priorities. The position also involves client engagement, monitoring and analysis, strategic recommendations, and coordinating with cross-functional and multi-office teams. The successful candidate will bring healthcare curiosity, strong writing and analytical skills, knowledge of current healthcare news and trends, and experience in issues management. The role participates in an on-duty rotation covering evening and weekend hours for critical reports, research, and emerging crises. The position is based in New York. Employees are required to work in the office at least three days per week, unless more in-office days are directed by the agency or manager. The stated salary range is $68,000–$78,000.

Requirements

2–3 years of professional experience at an agency or strategic consulting firm, political campaign or organization, or company in the healthcare sector.
BA or BS; Political Science, history, journalism, International Relations, or a similar field is preferred.
Knowledge of basic public relations skills and client service.
Crisis communications, issues management, and/or public affairs experience.
Strong understanding of social analytics and fluency across social and digital platforms, with awareness of industry trends and developments.
Clear understanding of media relations and the media landscape’s influence on public perception.
Ability to develop strategic, actionable recommendations based on research.
Familiarity with the healthcare sector.
Strong writing skills and meticulous attention to detail.
Strong oral and written communication skills.
Ability to prioritize multiple tasks and consistently manage deadlines.
Ability to ask for help and provide direction to team members.
Ability to take ownership of projects and manage them through completion.
Resourceful problem-solving skills, curiosity, analytical ability, initiative, quick-learning ability, and a strong work ethic.
Fluency in Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, and Excel.
Proficiency with research, media, and social monitoring platforms such as Brandwatch, Sysomos, Cision, Muckrack, TV Eyes, Critical Mention, and Lexis-Nexis.

Nice To Haves

Degree in Political Science, history, journalism, International Relations, or a similar field.

Responsibilities

Support complex, high-profile corporate issues and crisis communications, including pricing and access issues, product safety and recalls, natural disaster response, executive leadership changes, and policy shifts.
Draft and review press releases, crisis plans, media strategies, reactive media statements, talking points, FAQs, memos, crisis simulations, and other deliverables.
Develop and review media and stakeholder materials based on outlines or direction from supervisors.
Support monitoring and triage of client issues, including preparing coverage reports and using industry measurement and listening tools to identify opportunities for growth and strategic evolution.
Liaise with clients and assist with client communications, including developing and coordinating routine account management materials.
Prepare for and participate in client meetings, provide detailed recaps, and lead resulting action steps.
Partner with cross-functional teams to execute client business objectives.
Lead small teams conducting time-sensitive research, review information, and prepare executive summaries or analyses with strategic, actionable recommendations.
Model high-quality work, update managers on activity progress, contribute to an inclusive team culture, and support integration.
Participate in the A-Team’s on-duty rotation, covering evening and weekend hours to handle critical client reports, ad hoc research, and emerging crises.