Senior Director, Public Relations & Advocacy

JOB SUMMARY:

The Senior Director of Public Relations and Advocacy is responsible for the creation of innovative strategies and tactical execution relating to public relations, media engagement and partnerships with patient advocacy organizations. Tailored public relations and advocacy strategies and collaborations may include patient and caregiver educational programs, leveraging internal and external spokespeople for media events, awareness initiatives, patient advisory boards, patient speaker engagements, school/school nurse programs, and programs for patients without access and other initiatives as they arise.

This position will report to and partner closely with the Chief Commercial Officer and Chief Business Officer to ensure strategies, tactical plans, and decisions are aligned to achieve corporate and brand objectives. This role will work cross-functionally with other internal functions, including marketing, market access, medical, and legal, to ensure alignment and progress around our corporate goals and objectives.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Creates overall vision and strategy as it relates to public relations and advocacy, including tactical plans for corporate public relations, media engagement related to disease and product awareness, and partnerships/educational initiatives with advocacy groups, including Public Service Announcement campaign.

• Participates in the planning process as a Commercial team member and creates strategies and tactical plans to ensure successful commercialization and that short tern revenue goals are achieved.
• Oversee media strategy for client announcements through the development of press releases, Q&A documents, media targets, pitches, and other supporting assets.
• Collaborates with agency partners to build and enhance relationships with external media outlets including news, business, and industry trade publications, with both traditional and digital media, garner local, regional, and national coverage.
• Prepare company spokespeople for media interviews and other engagements and ensure that the company's most frequent spokespeople are prepared to address key issues as they emerge.
• Collaborates with the internal cross-functional team and state government affairs agency partners to support the execution of the strategic and tactical plan and identify opportunities for engagement with external partners.
• Mitigates areas of risk by monitoring key issues and trends and develops strategies to protect and enhance corporate goodwill and reputation.
• Builds and maintains collaborative, mutually beneficial partnerships with key patient advocacy and professional medical associations, increasing external awareness of ARS Pharma and neffy™.
• Manages strategic patient engagement for neffy™ and leverages patient insights learned from the patient community to influence and shape educational awareness and product adoption in the US.
• Acts as an ambassador for the patient perspective, recognizing the significance of ensuring a patient-centric mindset and relevant engagement.
• Develops initiatives to support the products through effective advocacy relations, emphasizing shared goals between ARS Pharma and priority groups that align business objectives and market dynamics.
• Collaborates with Marketing on social media community relationships and trust to support community education about neffy™, including celebrity spokespersons, social media influencers, etc.
• Ensure compliant and transparent stakeholder engagement.
• Responsible for budget management of Public Relations and Advocacy.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:

• A bachelor's degree in the sciences, Business Administration, or related field (or 5+ years of equivalent experience in the area of focus or discipline); master's degree preferred.
• 12 or more years of relevant experience, 5+ years within the pharmaceutical, biotech, device, or diagnostic industry.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES:

• Detail-oriented, self-initiating, well-organized, and capable of managing multiple projects simultaneously.
• Must be well-versed and able to apply and integrate organizational dynamics on a regional and national level.
• Must have the business acumen and professionalism to achieve internal agreement on strategies and manage interpersonal dynamics.
• Understanding of brand needs, including relevant scientific, medical, economic, and policy-related matters related to relevant therapeutic areas.
• Proven ability to prioritize, exhibit critical decision-making, possess learning agility, build relationships, and influence outcomes both with and without authority.
• Excellent writer, editor, and storyteller; superior verbal communication skills; proven ability crafting media statements, reports, articles, press releases, educational materials, visual presentations, digital assets, etc.
• Possesses strong executive presence and proven experience as a trusted communications advisor to executive leadership.
• Able to travel up to 15% to attend advocacy meetings and medical conferences. Some weekend may apply.

Disclaimer: Please note that this position could be contingent on FDA approval of neffy® (ARS-1) epinephrine nasal spray.