Sr. Director, Public Affairs - Mars Veterinary Health

Banfield Pet Hospital•New York City, NY

13d•Onsite

About The Position

As part of the Mars Petcare family of businesses, Mars Veterinary Health is a global network of veterinary practices made possible by 75,000 Associates who care for millions of pets across nearly 3,000 clinics in more than 20 countries each year. We are committed to leveraging our reach to make a long-term positive impact on people, pets, and the planet and know our Purpose – A BETTER WORLD FOR PETS – starts with the people who care for them. We strive to offer unparalleled veterinary care for pets by first and foremost enabling and empowering our Associates to do what they love, whether in primary, specialty, and emergency care or management and leadership. This role requires associates to work out of a MVH North America hub location in New York City, NY. Why This Role Matters: The Public Affairs Senior Director, North America and Rapid Growth Markets serves as a trusted strategic advisor and business partner to MVH Business Unit Leaders and Medical Affairs leadership. This role shapes and advances the external policy, regulatory, and professional environment necessary for MVH’s businesses to operate, innovate, and grow responsibly in the US and Canada. This role will also play an important role in helping to manage and establish policy and advocacy programs in key international countries (Rapid Growth Markets) where MVH has a presence. The role is critical to protecting MVH’s license to operate, enabling industry-leading patient care, and strengthening MVH’s reputation as a purpose-driven leader in veterinary medicine.

Requirements

Live and exemplify the Five Principles of Mars, Inc.
How this role shows up as a strategic business partner
Embedded in business and medical strategy, not downstream execution
Converts policy complexity into commercial and clinical advantage
Protects and expands MVH’s license to operate
Shapes the future of veterinary medicine alongside CA, BU and Medical leaders
Ability to work at a computer for long periods of time.
Must have mental processes for reasoning, remembering, mathematics and language ability (reading, writing, and speaking the English language) to perform the duties proficiently.
Ability to carry out instructions furnished in written, oral, or diagram form and to solve problems involving several variables.
The noise level in the work environment is normally moderate.
Environment where pets are present.

Responsibilities

Strategic Business Partnership Act as a core strategic partner to MVH Business Unit Leaders and Medical Affairs leaders, embedding public affairs expertise into business strategy, market entry, growth initiatives, and innovation pipelines.
Translate complex policy and regulatory developments into clear business implications, risks, and opportunities to inform executive decision-making.
Co-develop proactive public affairs strategies that support BU priorities, medical innovation, workforce sustainability, and evolving models of veterinary care.
Public Affairs & Policy Strategy Develop and execute an integrated North American public affairs strategy aligned with MVH’s Purpose, values, and commercial objectives.
Lead the development and alignment of MVH’s public policy positions across the U.S. and Canada, in close partnership with Legal, Medical Affairs, Corporate Affairs, and global Mars stakeholders.
Work with leadership and CA in Rapid Growth Market (RGM) countries to establish as relevant monitoring and policy support programs.
Establish and activate an Associate-driven engagement and advocacy program, building internal capability and mobilizing credible voices across the MVH network in NA and RGMs as relevant.
Build and upskill a distributed network of Public Affairs Champions across MVH North America.
External Stakeholder Leadership Build, manage, and sustain senior-level relationships with key external stakeholders, including: State and provincial veterinary medical associations Legislators and regulators Industry bodies and professional organizations Non-governmental and quasi-governmental institutions
Partner with Medical Affairs and BU leaders to ensure MVH is viewed as a credible, science-led, and collaborative veterinary industry leader.
Represent MVH in high-impact external forums, industry meetings, and profession-facing events.
Policy Monitoring, Risk Mitigation & Opportunity Shaping Lead issue mapping and horizon scanning across legislative, regulatory, and professional trends affecting veterinary medicine and corporate ownership.
Provide timely, actionable insights and mitigation strategies to senior leaders and functional partners, including Legal, Medical Affairs, Global CA/PA, and Business Units.
Shape policy outcomes proactively by engaging early with decision-makers and influencing frameworks that enable high-quality, accessible veterinary care.
Reputation, Professional Relations & Communications Develop and execute a strategy that positions MVH as: A trusted partner to the veterinary profession A thought leader on industry evolution and medical excellence An employer of choice for veterinary professionals
Partner closely with key teams to align messaging, campaigns, partnerships, and announcements with public affairs objectives.
Activate strategic industry partnerships, sponsorships, and collaborations that advance MVH priorities and strengthen professional trust.
Lead MVH’s North American public affairs program, including strategic plan and execution tied to business priorities.
Ensures there is fit for purpose tracking, shaping, and strategic reporting on legislative and regulatory developments impacting MVH NA operations.
Act as the primary conduit between MVH businesses, veterinary stakeholders, and the broader Mars and Mars Petcare ecosystem on profession-facing policy initiatives.
Partner with MVH team and industry organizations on strategic initiatives that advance patient care, veterinary profession sustainability, and business outcomes.
Foster strong, trust-based relationships with industry executives, key opinion leaders, and professional bodies.
Lead relationship building and policy engagement plans and activations for industry meetings and events.
Other duties as assigned.

Benefits

Competitive salary with paid time off & holidays so you can spend time with the people you love.
Medical, dental, and vision insurance for you and your loved ones.
Fertility and family-building assistance.
Paid Parental leave.
Practice Paid Basic Life Insurance.
Practice Paid Short- and Long-Term Disability.
Automatic enrollment 401(k) Savings Plan after 60 days of employment with generous company match.
Commuter Benefits.
Legal Plan.
Health Savings Account & Flexible Spending Account.
Mental health support and resources.
Paid Volunteering.
Optimum Wellness Plans® for up to three pets.
Continuing Education allowance & MED hours for eligible positions.
Student Debt Relief (for full-time DVMs).
A Variety of discounts including Mars, PetSmart, Royal Canin, fitness, cellular and so much more.