Senior Vice President, Corporate Healthcare, Ruder Finn

Ruder Finn•New York, NY

13d•$160,000 - $240,000•Hybrid

About The Position

Ruder Finn is seeking a forward-thinking Senior Vice President, Corporate Healthcare to support strategic communications, corporate reputation, thought leadership, narrative and content development, executive visibility support, patient advocacy engagement, issues counsel, and more for a portfolio of key clients in the health and life science verticals. The Senior Vice President will serve as a senior client advisor, connecting enterprise and franchise level narratives and storytelling to organizational strategy, stakeholder priorities, and reputational goals. This person will collaborate across the organization to deliver integrated communications programs that strengthen corporate credibility, elevate executive voices, deepen digital presence and storytelling, and support strategic business objectives.

Requirements

12+ years of experience in public relations, corporate communications, health communications, or a related field
Strong background in corporate communications, thought leadership, executive positioning, narrative development, and content strategy for pharmaceutical healthcare clients
Exceptional writing, editing, and message development skills, with the ability to translate complex scientific and business information into clear, persuasive communications
Strong understanding of corporate reputation, stakeholder engagement, regulated communications environments, and the broader healthcare landscape
Experience preparing executives for speaking engagements, media opportunities, conferences, panels, internal events, and stakeholder meetings
Proven ability to lead complex accounts and guide integrated teams across multiple workstreams
Strong strategic judgment, attention to detail, and ability to navigate fast-moving, complex environments
Experience managing and mentoring teams, with a commitment to developing talent and maintaining high-quality work
Curiosity and comfort with integrating AI into communications and workflows

Nice To Haves

Agency experience preferred; in-house communications experience also valued

Responsibilities

Lead corporate communications strategy, with a focus on corporate reputation, thought leadership, executive visibility, stakeholder engagement, and narrative development aligned to clients’ business goals/metrics and KPIs
Develop compelling corporate narratives, messaging frameworks, content strategies, and executive platforms aligned with client business objectives and reputational priorities
Translate complex scientific, clinical, R&D, pipeline, and business information into accessible communications for internal and external audiences
Bring knowledge of, and support, executive thought leadership programs, including bylined articles, speeches, op-eds, LinkedIn content, conference platforms, and speaking engagement preparation
Partner with clients to identify and shape timely points of view on industry issues, innovation, access, policy, stakeholder expectations, patient needs, and the future of the health care industry
Lead communications programs related to R&D, scientific platforms, corporate positioning, and enterprise storytelling
Provide senior-level counsel on messaging, reputation, issues management, stakeholder dynamics, and communications opportunities
Oversee content development across strategic plans, message maps, executive remarks, Q&As, backgrounders, digital content, white papers, presentations, and internal communications
Partner cross-functionally across the organization to develop and deliver integrated communications programs that are strategically sharp, aligned with client objectives, and are executionally excellent
Guide teams in developing high-quality work, ensuring strategic rigor, strong writing, scientific accuracy, and alignment with client goals
Support new business efforts, including strategy development, proposal writing, pitch participation, and organic growth opportunities
Mentor and manage junior and mid-level team members, fostering strong strategic thinking, writing, client service, and communications expertise