Vice President, Healthcare Communications

We. Communications•New York, NY

5d•$147,000 - $188,000•Hybrid

About The Position

We are seeking an experienced Vice President to lead client accounts and play an important role in the growth of our Health Sector. The VP will report to the EVP of Global Growth & Integration and will support select new business initiatives and sector operations. The VP will also work closely with our EVP of the NA Heath Sector, SVP of Health Media and partner with leaders across the agency to drive integrated work and greater collaboration, including with our Consumer Sector, Tech Sector, Corporate Reputation & Brand Purpose (CRBP) Sector and We. Studio, the creative hub of our agency. The ideal candidate is a seasoned agency professional with deep experience working in healthcare, navigating the complexities of a highly regulated industry across several different therapeutic and/or service areas, with clients of all stages and sizes. Must have experience working with pharmaceutical companies, with a demonstrated ability to counsel clients and guide teams through FDA regulatory milestones, data communications, promotional campaigns, and digital/social initiatives. The ideal candidate also has experience working across other parts of the healthcare ecosystem, plus a strong understanding of the policy issues affecting the industry at large. Come join us at a different kind of healthcare practice and be part of a leadership team helping clients communicate their advancements in science, technology and more in bold, unconventional ways. The preference is for this candidate to be based on the East Coast, ideally in New York City or Boston. Consideration will be given to candidates outside this region.

Requirements

8-10+ years of experience, ideally in a PR agency overseeing teams. Client-side experience also relevant, provided there is foundational experience working within an agency
Minimum of 4 years direct experience working in pharmaceuticals or biotechnology, whether agency-side or client-side
Minimum of 3 years team management experience, including experience developing a team

Nice To Haves

Travel: may on occasion need to travel, up to 20%
Solid organizational and project management skills
Experience in strengthening employee engagement and morale
Track record of building deep, broad relationships
Demonstrated aptitude for expanding existing accounts and securing new accounts
Passion for doing great work and being part of a growing organization where creativity and collaboration are valued
Strong presentation and consulting skills along with the ability to read, write and speak English
Ability to lift up to 15 lbs.

Responsibilities

Lead 2-3 mid-to-large client engagements, serving as day-to-day client lead
Demonstrate success in nurturing, growing and sustaining client relationships
Recommend strategic communications approaches based on deep healthcare knowledge and experience with key audiences, including patients, doctors, payers, regulators, policymakers, patient advocates, investors, employees and media
Develop creative campaign programming and continually look for ways to improve client programs to achieve objectives
Manage and track budgets ensuring programs are delivered on budget and within client’s expectations
Ensure flawless execution of all program elements across multichannel programs that incorporate digital and social media communications
Establish strong collaboration and communication across account teams and cross-agency teams
Be a problem hunter – identify client pain points and proactively offer or develop solutions
Understanding of “best practice” communications approaches within an FDA-regulated environment and ability to counsel the internal team on what we can/cannot do, and converse knowledgeably on this topic with clients
Established experience working within pharma/biotech companies’ legal, medical and regulatory review (LMR) processes and Veeva (or other similar) software programs, including guiding/training teams on proper document referencing processes and sourcing from peer-review journals, navigating/responding to comments from reviewers and overseeing the entire process from soup to nuts to ensure quality and excellence from teams
Excellent project management skills – keeping all trains moving on time and on budget. Forecasting what’s to come, staying steps ahead of clients
Strong writing/editing skills. Ability to develop complicated documents such as data press releases, scenario plans and messaging, comprehensive Q&As
Strong deck/PPT development skills. Developing strategic recommendations and creating a story flow within decks. Knowledge of how to set up slides so they are visually appealing and easy to read/look at for busy client executives
Strong presentation skills including slide presentations in front of clients and new business prospects and well as leading client calls and in-person meetings
Some experience with media relations is preferred. If not, you must have a solid understanding of earned media best practices and experience working with earned media specialists to deliver results. Our philosophy is that the best people to pitch media are the account team, because they know the business the best. You will need to guide the team and media specialists on media relations strategy.
Mentor and motivate staff with the goal of retention and development
Supervise direct reports and take ownership of career planning and growth
Inform resource allocation across team including monthly client budget management and staffing assignments
Model and hold team accountable to demonstrate agency values
Participate in L&D activities, both sharing your knowledge and experience, as well as engaging in agency-provided learning opportunities
Build new statements of work
Manage and track team utilization
Support organic growth opportunities and new business efforts
Participate in cross-agency initiatives
Set and meet client expectations within budget parameters

Benefits

Comprehensive benefits program including medical, dental, and vision coverage
Pretax accounts including HSA (company match), Medical & Dependent Care FSA
Generous time off including PTO, Holidays, Annual Wellness Break, Summer Fridays and Personal Days
Short & Long-Term Disability, paid by company
Parental Leave, up to 12 weeks for birthing and non-birthing parent
Caregiver Leave, up to 2 weeks to help eligible family member with serious health condition
Community Engagement, up to 24 hours
Bi-annual Wellness Credits, up to $300 per year
Support with home office equipment
Monthly Technology Credit (to offset internet / phone costs)
401(k) Traditional and Roth options with company match
Learning and Development Programs for our employees