An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Director of Government Affairs (Public Policy and Patient Advocacy) in Europe with a major pharmaceutical business, focusing on their consumer health care business.
You will:
- Identify the key policy priorities and levers for business strategy. Develop government affairs, advocacy and public policy agenda in full alignment with short and long-term business goals;
- Monitor external environment in region and across category responsibility to track policy trends, and spot risks and opportunities for business; deliver coherent and sophisticated environmental analysis and policy insight to business; provide monthly reports on trends, and progress against annual objectives;
- Be the internal thought leader in proposing company positions on key issues affecting the consumer health care business and industry, and achieve senior management sign-off;
- Collaborate with region and area leads, and business to develop government affairs, policy, and advocacy strategies, activities and implementation plans to support consumer health care regional, local and franchise business objectives;
- Build annual GA engagement plans for regional and local consumer health care heads in collaboration with the Vice President, consumer health care, including EU Institutions;
- Represent company in interactions with external political, policy NGO and consumer organisations within the organisations “one voice” approach;
- Educate regional and country leadership, and category teams on external trends and development of effective strategies;
- Support training of country heads and GA heads on policy issues and management of political audiences and participation on industry boards.
Requirements:
- A master's in public health, public policy, international affairs, political science, and/or a Law degree;
- Strong experience of policy development, analysis and influencing;
- Strong political grasp – graduate with extensive experience, preferably across disciplines (government affairs, issues management, policy development), with proven track record of effective leadership, including cross-functional leadership of government affairs strategies and programmes to support business objectives and build trust;
- Understanding the external environment and political decision-making process;
- Skilled judgement on positioning and tone of sensitive and complex issues is essential;
- Ideally, experience working within pharmaceutical or health care industry, or of working within a highly-regulated sector;
- Ability to grasp complex technical information and “translate” it for non-expert audiences;
- Effective, flexible approach to team working. Strong management, leadership, coaching and motivation skills that build high performing individuals and teams. Ability to work across cultures and lead teams of geographically dispersed people;
- Proven ability to influence others at both peer and senior level;
- Strong communication, networking, collaboration and interpersonal skills – ability to build relationships of trust with a wide range of individuals and organisations;
- Strategic and flexible thinking – ability to multi-task, project management, handle complex issues, and translate insights into sound analysis and advice to the business.