Director - Public Affairs

Job Description

At Gilead, we’re creating a healthier world for all people. For more than 35 years, we’ve tackled diseases such as HIV, viral hepatitis, COVID-19 and cancer – working relentlessly to develop therapies that help improve lives and to ensure access to these therapies across the globe. We continue to fight against the world’s biggest health challenges, and our mission requires collaboration, determination and a relentless drive to make a difference.

We empower our leaders to step up, share ideas, listen, learn, and lead. We’re welcoming bright, diverse, and imaginative minds; we’re nurturing them to foster an environment of inclusion and growth where innovation is encouraged. We expect our people leaders to model that environment, and to focus on creating inclusion, developing talent, and enabling teams.

Every member of Gilead’s team plays a critical role in the discovery and development of life-changing scientific innovations. Our employees are our greatest asset as we work to achieve our bold ambitions, and we’re looking for the next wave of passionate and ambitious people ready to make a direct impact. Join Gilead and help create possible, together.

Job Description

Director Public Affairs, BeNeLux

Location: Netherlands

Gilead Sciences, Inc. is a research-based biopharmaceutical company that discovers, develops, and commercialises innovative medicines in areas of unmet medical need. With each new discovery and investigational drug candidate, we seek to improve the care of patients living with life-threatening diseases around the world. Gilead’s therapeutic areas of focus include HIV/AIDS and emerging viruses, liver diseases, cancer, and inflammation. Gilead has 18 000 employees globally and over 100 are based in the BeNeLux cluster.

The Position

Reporting to the Public Affairs head of Australia, Canada & Europe Mid-Sized Markets (ACE MM), this role is responsible for corporate and brand communications of the BeNeLux cluster (Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxemburg), based in Amsterdam. This includes the conception and delivery of strategic branded and unbranded communication programmes, community engagement, patient advocacy, corporate giving, plus corporate and employee communication intended to protect and enhance Gilead’s corporate reputation while helping us to become the biotech employer and partner of choice.

This role sits on the BeNeLux Leadership Team and works closely with the General Manager of the BeNeLux cluster and will work in collaboration with the cross-functional team (including Medical Affairs, Marketing, Government Affairs and Market Access).  In addition, the role works closely with Public Affairs colleagues in ACE and globally, to communicate the value that our medicines deliver throughout their lifecycle.

Job Duties

• Responsible for the development and execution of Gilead’s communications strategy for the BeNeLux cluster, in alignment with global direction and local leadership, in support of the product portfolio and business objectives. Components include: media relations, digital, reputation management, leadership communications, issues and crisis management, brand/therapeutic area communications, corporate communications, and employee engagement.

• Design and implement strategic programmes and narratives that proactively communicate Gilead’s perspective and shape corporate reputation.

• Coordinate with cross-functional colleagues to ensure alignment and collaboration on business priorities, execution, and messaging across different stakeholders
• Examine complex issues from a broader organization perspective, determine communications opportunities and develop and implement risk mitigation strategies
• Prepare communication materials, including strategic programmes, key messages, Q&A documents, press releases and presentations
• Develop/strengthen relationships with a wide variety of community advocates and organizations, championing patient engagement in appropriate cross-functional projects

• Enhance Gilead’s profile among industry associations, media, and other influential organizations across the three markets

• Develop strong relationships with key media and respond to media requests and arrange interviews with management and opinion leader spokespeople, as appropriate

• Responsible for Gilead’s corporate giving initiatives in the three markets
• Drive internal communications and employee engagement by proactively driving ideas and programmes that support culture evolution
• Effectively manage all aspects of public relations agency relationships, including direction and project management
• Manage budgets to target

• Understand the regulatory framework in the three markets and compliantly manage internal approvals and interactions with the review team

Knowledge, Experience and Skills

• significant, demonstrable and proven experience in communications, product communications, media, and patient advocacy group relations
• Experience in pharmaceutical industry or biotech companies would be preferred.
• Must have experience implementing public relations plans and understand the relationship of those plans to other roles and functions, including Marketing, Medical Affairs, Government Affairs and Market Access
• Demonstrated experience in media relations (traditional and social), issues management; knowledge of healthcare and industry media.
• Experience managing multiple projects (timelines, budgets, priorities) simultaneously; flexibility and results-oriented focus are essential.
• Strong cross-functional collaboration skills, both in the role of team member and as a project manager, preferably with experience working in a matrix setting
• Excellent verbal, written and interpersonal communication skills.
• Ability to interact with senior management and high-profile experts appropriately, with confidence and ease.
• Knowledge of the political/health policy environment, including processes and key stakeholders across the three markets
• Fluency in English
• Typically requires a BA degree in communications, liberal arts, business, or science-oriented field (or International Equivalent) proven relevant experience, which includes ten years healthcare public relations experience.

Behaviours

• Ability to engage and manage multiple stakeholders to achieve objectives.
• Curious with a strong learning agility (the ability to rapidly study, analyse and understand new situations and business problems)
• Operationally excellent and resilient in the context of a rapidly changing environment
• Organised with systematic approach to prioritisation.
• Collaborative attitude and process orientated to achieve the business objectives.

Gilead Core Value

• Integrity (always doing the right thing),
• Teamwork (collaborating in good faith),
• Excellence (working at a high level of commitment and capability)
• Accountability (taking personal responsibility).
• Inclusion (encouraging diversity)

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