Senior Vice President, Product, Healthcare, Ruder Finn

Ruder Finn•New York, NY

8d•$160,000 - $240,000•Hybrid

About The Position

Ruder Finn is seeking an exceptional Senior Vice President, Health account lead to join our healthcare team. This senior leader will provide strategic counsel and oversee the planning and execution of high-impact communications programs for clients across the healthcare sector, with a strong focus on product communications. The ideal candidate brings deep experience leading complex healthcare accounts, a strong understanding of pharmaceutical and biotech product communications, and an integrated mindset across earned media, digital, social, advocacy, corporate reputation, executive visibility, and stakeholder engagement. This individual should be energized by breakthrough healthcare communications, skilled at building trusted senior client relationships, and experienced in driving growth within an agency environment.

Requirements

Minimum 12+ years of public relations or communications experience, with a strong emphasis on healthcare communications
Bachelor’s degree in Public Relations, Communications, Journalism, or a related field
Significant experience in pharmaceutical, biotech, healthcare product, and/or patient advocacy communications
Deep product communications experience, including marketed products, product launches, lifecycle communications, data milestones, regulatory milestones, disease awareness, and competitive positioning
Experience leading large, complex healthcare accounts or multi-product portfolios, ideally within an agency environment
Strong integrated communications mindset with experience connecting earned media, digital, social, advocacy, corporate reputation, executive visibility, and stakeholder engagement strategies
Experience with data and regulatory milestone communications is required
Experience working with patient advocacy groups, patients, and influencers is required
Demonstrated track record of developing and executing successful communications programs for healthcare brands
Strong client relationship-building skills, including the ability to earn trust with senior-level clients
Strong writing, presentation, organizational, and team leadership skills
Ability to manage multiple workstreams, lead large teams, and provide sound strategic counsel in a fast-paced agency environment
Curiosity and comfort with integrating AI into communications and workflows
Passion for working across the healthcare space and helping clients tell meaningful stories that advance understanding, engagement, and impact

Responsibilities

Serve as a senior, trusted client lead for pharmaceutical healthcare accounts, overseeing strategy, execution, client service, team management, and account growth
Manage large, complex accounts and multi-workstream programs, ensuring strong organization, quality control, financial stewardship, and seamless team coordination
Provide strategic counsel on product communications, including data milestones, regulatory moments, disease awareness, branded and unbranded campaigns, lifecycle communications, and competitive positioning
Develop long-term client plans, strategic recommendations, program scopes, budgets, staffing models, and organic growth plans
Develop communications strategies, goals, media targets, messaging, pitch angles, and integrated campaign approaches with KPIs and measurement top of mind
Serve as an expert leader on client teams, bringing healthcare industry, therapeutic area, regulatory, product, and media knowledge to client work
Identify and nurture opportunities for organic growth and support new business efforts
Demonstrate prowess of the healthcare landscape, emerging communications trends, and regulatory changes that could impact clients
Ensure an exceptional level of client service by keeping senior agency leaders and client stakeholders informed, anticipating issues, managing priorities, and maintaining clear communication across teams
Manage, mentor, and develop junior and mid-level talent, helping build a best-in-class healthcare communications team