Head of Patient Advocacy Engagement, US AIR and CARE

Date:  Dec 6, 2024
Department:  Corporate Affairs
Job Type:  Direct Employee
Team:  Public Affairs, Communications & CSR
Contract Type:  Permanent
Location: 

Cary, NC, US

About us

Based in Parma, Italy, Chiesi is an international research-focused pharmaceuticals and healthcare group with over 85 years’ experience, operating in 30 countries with more than 6,000 employees (Chiesi Group). To achieve its mission of improving people’s quality of life by acting responsibly towards society and the environment, the Group research, develops and markets innovative drugs in its three therapeutic areas: AIR (products and services that promote respiration, from new-born to adult populations), RARE (treatment for patients with rare and ultra-rare diseases) and CARE (products and services that support special care and consumer-facing self-care).
We are proud to be the largest global pharmaceutical group to be awarded B Corp Certification, a recognition of high social and environmental standards. We are a reliable company that adopts and promotes transparent ethical behavior at all levels. 
We are committed to embrace diversity, inclusion and equal opportunities. In fact, we are a global family made up of different cultures, different genders, generations, ethnicities, abilities, sexual identities and many other enriching diversities. 

 

Chiesi USA

Chiesi USA is a specialty pharmaceutical company focused on developing and promoting products for the hospital, adjacent specialty and rare disease markets. We are a B Corp™ and Benefit company awarded Top Employer status for six consecutive years and certified as a Great Place to Work. 
At Chiesi, we share an entrepreneurial spirit and act as a force for good, pursuing high social and environmental standards, to ensure the wellbeing of our people, patients, and communities. We offer a work environment where professionals have the opportunity to build a purposeful career focused on helping others while achieving a fulfilling work-life balance, meeting exciting challenges, and engaging in important and rewarding work.

 

What we offer

Chiesi offers competitive benefits, services, and programs that enrich the personal and professional lives of our employees.   Our shared values of passion, innovation, trust and integrity bring out the individual talents and diverse perspectives of each of our colleagues.  Our environment encourages each individual to reach his or her full potential and drive outstanding results. We celebrate that “Every one of us is different. Every one of us is Chiesi."

 

Who we are looking for

Purpose

As the expert in US patient insights, the person in this position will be the face of Chiesi to patient advocacy organizations and will champion the patient voice to educate internal cross-functional teams and drive patient-centered ideas and programs. This person will be responsible for establishing a US AIR/CARE patient advocacy engagement philosophy and strategy, managing productive relationships with patient advocacy groups in therapeutic areas covered within the AIR and CARE business units, and developing and executing patient advocacy engagement strategies in the US. Current disease and therapeutic areas include asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, pulmonary arterial hypertension, neonatology and neurology, and these could expand as the company grows. 

Main Responsibilities

  • Enhance the Function: Refine Chiesi’s AIR and CARE patient advocacy group engagement philosophy and goals. Contribute to functional creation including development of procedures, relevant internal policies, and KPIs. Liaise with the Global AIR, RARE and CARE patient advocacy teams to exchange best practices. 
  • Build & Execute the Strategy: Create and execute annual US AIR and CARE patient advocacy group engagement objectives, strategies tactics and budget plans. Propose and implement patient advocacy programs and partnerships that include educational programs, patient experience surveys, advisory boards, patient speaker engagement, clinical trial awareness, and policy advocacy.
  • Connect with Advocacy Stakeholders: Serve as primary point of contact with US patient advocacy groups. Build and maintain collaborative, productive, long-term partnerships. Work with patient organizations to compliantly support their growth and development into high-functioning and sustainable entities.
  • Connect Across Chiesi USA: Partner with cross-functional teams (communications, shared value and sustainability, public affairs, commercial, medical, R&D, etc.), to enhance business goals. Coordinate and facilitate patient stories in compliance with policies and procedures to support communications and internal meetings.  
  • Share Insights: Implement stakeholder mapping of patient advocacy organizations connected to therapeutic areas and disease states within the US AIR and CARE business units. Monitor the stakeholder environment and make strategic recommendations to identify new opportunities for partnership or emerging risks and gaps. Remain current of new developments in US regulations, policies, and laws that impact the function and portfolio.
  • Budgetary Management: Manage patient advocacy engagement functional budget and execute sponsorships with key patient advocacy groups.

Experience Required

Required:

  • Bachelor’s degree and 5-8 years of experience in the healthcare industry with at least 3 years of relevant experience in patient advocacy engagement either as a full-time job or working on projects with patient communities.
  • Strong communication, networking, and interpersonal skills; ability to establish, build and enhance relationships of trust with a wide range of stakeholders.
  • Demonstrated strong skills in strategic planning, program management and execution.
  • Good listening skills and ability to identify and navigate needs from multiple stakeholders; ability to translate terms and concepts to audiences with different perspectives and levels of understanding.
  • Experience collecting and applying insights from both qualitative and quantitative assessments.
  • Ability to work collaboratively across all functions and levels of influence both internally and externally.
  • Experience proposing, directly managing, and operating within budget requirements. 
  • Demonstrated passion for supporting patients and underserved communities.
  • Willing and able to travel (approx. 30%), primarily domestically but potentially internationally. 
     

Preferred:

  • Bachelor’s degree in communications, public policy, social science, public health, science related field; advanced degree a plus
  • 5 or more years of direct experience working in patient advocacy engagement for a pharmaceutical, biotech or healthcare company
  • Past experience employed or volunteering with a patient advocacy organization
  • Understanding of US drug research and development, regulatory, compliance and disclosure guidelines, and familiarity with applicable patient advocacy sponsorship disclosure requirements 
  • Based in or willing to relocate to Cary, NC
     

Chiesi USA is an equal opportunity employer committed to hiring a diverse work force at all levels of our business.  All qualified applicants receive consideration for employment without regard to race, national origin, age, sex, religion, disability, sexual orientation, marital status, veteran status, gender identity or expression or any other basis protected by local, state or federal law. This policy applies with regard to all aspects of one’s employment, including hiring, transfer, promotion, compensation, eligibility for benefits and termination.

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