Sr. AD, Patient Advocacy & Professional Relations - Rheumatology

The base salary range for this position is $170,000 to $269,000. The position may be eligible for a role specific discretionary bonus, relocation, and/or other compensation elements. We continuously review market data and may adjust salary ranges as needed in the future. Actual compensation will be based on job-related factors such as skills, experience, and qualifications, and other factors permitted by law. For an overview of our benefits please click here.​

As an employee of Boehringer Ingelheim, you will actively contribute to the discovery, development, and delivery of our products to our patients and customers. Our global presence provides opportunity for all employees to collaborate internationally, offering visibility and opportunity to directly contribute to the companies' success. We realize that our strength and competitive advantage lie with our people. We support our employees in several ways to foster a healthy working environment, meaningful work, mobility, networking, and work-life balance. Our competitive compensation and benefit programs reflect Boehringer Ingelheim's high regard for our employees.

This role is based on-site at our Ridgefield, CT location with hybrid flexibility of 2-3 days per week on-site.

The Senior Associate Director, Patient Advocacy & Professional Relations serves as the strategic lead for Boehringer's patient advocacy organization partnership for the assigned assets/disease states. The incumbent serves as the face of Boehringer to the patient advocacy organizations and specified professional medical associations for the assigned assets/disease states. The position holder must be knowledgeable about the external advocacy landscape in this space.

The SR AD, Patient Advocacy & Professional Relations is responsible for the assigned assets/disease states and collaborate with Early Asset/TA Asset teams across the entire life cycle of the products (from research through commercialization) with a high degree of influence and alignment with the global organization. The incumbent is responsible for creating innovative strategic programs that align with the company’s strategic objectives and specific therapeutic franchise and product goals. Therapeutic area tailored advocacy and collaborations may include patient educational programs, disease awareness initiatives, patient advisory boards, patient speaker engagements, clinical trial awareness opportunities and other initiatives as they arise.

This therapeutic advocacy landscape is vast, and the incumbent must use their extensive knowledge of the space to determine direction and influence key stakeholders, including working closely with Corporate to provide expertise and input into the global assigned assets/disease states strategies. The position holder must have a deep understanding of the disease state(s) associated with this therapeutic area(s).

• Serves as primary point of contact and expert to identified asset teams but also other company personnel such as patient excellence, marketing, medical, and clinical operations teams.
• Advises key internal stakeholders to define and build the PA strategy.
• Responsible for educating these internal partners about the issues in the specific therapeutic patient advocacy space and helps to identify opportunities to impact the business.
• Maintains strong business partnership and ensures strategic alignment with alliance counterparts.
• Leads the patient engagement annual strategic planning and development for priority products and indications.
• Manages strategic relationships with patient advocacy associations and specified medical associations for TA to leverage patient insights learned from the patient community to influence and shape US and global programs as it relates to the patient.
• Serves as internal consultant US and globally, to champion and incorporate patient perspectives into all appropriate initiatives and areas of business including disease education programs, clinical trial design, research collaborations.
• Ensures close strategic collaboration with functional senior leaders in all areas of business (medical and marketing) as appropriate.
• Acts as Boehringer’s ambassador for the patient perspective; recognizing the significance of ensuring a patient centric mindset and relevant engagement.
• Co-creates overall vision and strategy (with Director, Patient Advocacy & Professional Relations) as it relates to the specific therapeutic market, with emphasis on business-defined disease states within the area.
• Develops initiatives to support the products through effective advocacy relations, emphasizing shared goals between Boehringer and priority groups which align business objectives and realities.
• Participates in product and franchise planning process and team meetings as a full team member and co-creates one-year and multiple-year strategies and tactical operating plans that account for advocacy opportunities for approved and pipeline compounds and relevant company concerns.
• Co-ordinates and collaborates with Patient Connection and Culture team for patient recruitment for their events.
• Accountable for execution of patient advocacy strategy for assigned assets/disease states alongside other team members.
• Accountable for collaboration with Patient Culture and Connection team to advise on patient recruitment, contracting and execution of Patient Care Networks for assigned assets/disease states.

• Bachelor’s degree required; Advanced degree or MBA preferred in health care administration, public health, social work with a focus on healthcare or patient advocacy or related field.
• Seven-plus (7+) years in the advocacy, pharmaceutical, biotech, device or diagnostic industry, including three-plus (3+) years in advocacy relations or equivalent experience.
• Expert knowledge in the following areas is preferred: patient advocacy, professional relations, government relations, marketing, and philanthropy.
• Must work well in teams and invest in developing collaborative internal and external relationships.
• Ability to implement strategies and solve problems within a defined scope.
• Stakeholder management, communication and relationship building within their specific TA.
• Strong Project and event management skills.
• Strategic thinker.
• Exceptional verbal and written communication skills.
• Strong presentation skills.
• Pharmaceutical/healthcare experience in areas relevant to the company’s current portfolio.
• Understanding of and experience with social and digital media.
• Domestic and international travel = up to 20%.

Eligibility Requirements:

• Must be legally authorized to work in the United States without restriction.
• Must be willing to take a drug test and post-offer physical (if required).
• Must be 18 years of age or older.