European Patient Advocacy and Public Affairs Director

Job content

BeiGene continues to grow at a rapid pace with challenging and exciting opportunities for experienced professionals. When considering candidates, we look for scientific and business professionals who are highly motivated, collaborative, and most importantly, share our passionate interest in fighting cancer.

NO AGENCIES

Preferable location - Switzerland

General Description

BeiGene is a global, science-driven biotechnology company focused on developing innovative and affordable medicines to improve treatment outcomes and access for patients worldwide. With a broad portfolio of more than 40 clinical trial candidates, we are committed to expediting the development of our diverse pipeline of novel therapies through collaborations or our own internal capabilities, with the aspirational goal of radically improving access to medicines for billions more people by 2030. BeiGene is a headquarter-less company by design, with a growing global team of approximately 6,000 colleagues across five continents.

Under the direction of the Executive Director, Global Advocacy and Public Health Policy, the Director, European Patient Advocacy and Public Affairs will help represent BeiGene before public health, pan-tumor, and therapeutic area patient advocacy & public sector organizations at the regional level across the European Union (EU) and within local countries, where appropriate. This team member will engage to understand opportunities for BeiGene to work with organizations focused on patient unmet needs, services, research, and public health priorities. The role will require significant work on cross-functional teams to support the development and execution of EU advocacy, public affairs and policy initiatives on a variety of issues, including but not limited to awareness raising, market shaping and reputation.

As the patient advocacy representative for BeiGene, this role will build trust with external stakeholders through active engagement, thoughtful communication, and consistency over time. This role will work actively and directly with the EU commercial brand teams to support their efforts and elevate the patient voice in all product launches as well as engaging with employees to share the patient experience internally. Additionally, this role is essential to help establish and maintain BeiGene’s reputation in the cancer community as a company that centers patient needs in all that we do.

Essential Functions Of The Job

• Create and oversee the execution of a multi-year European patient advocacy, public affairs and policy plan, including but not limited to stakeholder mapping, policy mapping, and budget management
• Maintain, steward, build and manage relationships, through in-person and virtual meetings, phone calls, and emails, with national patient advocacy organizations as well as public health policy key opinion leaders and stakeholders
• Serve as the single point of contact for public health, pan tumor and therapeutic area advocacy organizations in the EU, that work regionally and support country-specific engagement as needed
• Represent the Company’s public health policy interests on an ongoing basis through participation in relevant health policy, pan-tumor and therapeutic area meetings, congresses, and committees as well as proactive outreach to organizations with shared priorities and values
• Prepare memos, communication materials, and presentations to share BeiGene’s strategic priorities internally and externally in support of the Company’s mission
• Create and build partnerships and programming with relevant external stakeholders founded on trust, strategic alignment and shared goals in the pan-tumor, therapeutic area and public health policy space
• Prepare regular updates and track metrics on the Company’s EU patient advocacy engagement efforts as well as public health policy updates for presentation to senior leaders
• Work actively with internal stakeholders across market access, regulatory, EU government affairs, commercial and legal to integrate and advance the Company’s patient advocacy engagement strategy and public health policy priorities
• Manage consultants and/or agencies, as needed, to deliver against the patient advocacy and affairs strategic plan
• Contribute to the development of BeiGene’s support materials, presentations, briefing materials, relevant reports, and other materials to further the Company’s thought leadership agenda
• Coordinate and engage with partner organizations and coalitions to build support for BeiGene’s mission
• Partner with Corporate Affairs Lead, EU/New Markets on strategy for EU government affairs to understand and engage regionally and on a country level on existing and proposed oncology, prescription drug pricing, intellectual property, and public health policy legislation that impacts people with cancer and BeiGene’s efforts in Europe
• Coordinate across the Patient Advocacy and Public Health Policy team as well as the broader Corporate Affairs team to develop engagement plans, strategic programming, PR activities, awareness days/months and policy efforts
• Support collaboration with trade organizations, in collaboration with Corporate Affairs EU/New Markets Lead, to better understand priorities as well as share the patient advocacy and public health policy perspective on behalf of BeiGene
• Ability to plan and execute forums, events, panels, meetings with external stakeholders to share or gather information, discuss, and align on relevant topics
• Position BeiGene’s leaders in key advocacy and public health policy forums at the European Parliament – driving thought leadership and reputation on behalf of the Company
• Ability to host internal meetings, as needed, to brief, update and align with key internal stakeholders representing a united BeiGene perspective to the external environment
  
  

Supervisory Responsibilities

• This position does not have managerial responsibility but does require strong cross-functional matrix management skills
  
  

Competencies

Ethics - Treats people with respect; Inspires the trust of others; Works with integrity and ethically; Upholds organizational values.

Planning/Organizing - Prioritizes and plans work activities; Uses time efficiently. Completes administrative tasks correctly and on time. Follows instructions and responds to management direction.

Communication - Listens and gets clarification; Responds well to questions; Speaks clearly and persuasively in positive or negative situations. Writes clearly and informatively. Able to read and interpret written information.

Teamwork - Balances team and individual responsibilities; Gives and welcomes feedback; Contributes to building a positive team spirit; Puts success of team above own interests; Supports everyone’s efforts to succeed. Contributes to building a positive team spirit; Shares expertise with others.

Adaptability – Able to adapt to changes in the work environment. Manages competing demands. Changes approach or method to best fit the situation. Able to deal with frequent change, delays, or unexpected events.

Technical Skills - Assesses own strengths and development areas; Pursues training and opportunities for growth; Strives to continuously build knowledge and skills; Shares expertise with others.

Dependability - Follows instructions, responds to management direction; Takes responsibility for own actions; Keeps commitments; Commits to long hours of work when necessary to reach goals; Completes tasks on time or notifies appropriate person with an alternate plan.

Quality - Demonstrates accuracy and thoroughness; Looks for ways to improve and promote quality; Applies feedback to improve performance; Monitors own work to ensure quality.

Analytical - Synthesizes complex or diverse information; Collects and researches data; Uses intuition and experience to complement data.

Problem Solving - Identifies and resolves problems in a timely manner; Gathers and analyzes information skillfully.

Project Management - Communicates changes and progress; Completes projects on time and budget.

Education Required

• Bachelor’s degree required; graduate degree preferred. Preference for degrees in business, marketing, political science, public relations, communications, public policy, pre-medicine, or public health.
• 10 - 15 years relevant professional experience preferred
• Knowledge of and/or previous work in the pharmaceutical industry, oncology, external engagement or public policy environment preferred
  
  

Computer Skills

• Proficiency with Microsoft Office including Teams, PowerPoint, Excel, and Word, WhatsApp, Zoom and general computer skills
  
  

Knowledge, Skills And Abilities Required

• Proven ability to work independently
• Assumes accountability and responsibility for actions and decisions
• Strong soft skills imbued with humility, kindness and self-awareness
• Excellent leadership organizational, interpersonal and communication skills
• Demonstrated ability to manage competing deadlines
• Works well under pressure in a fast-paced environment
• Strong sense of humor and ability to not take yourself too seriously
• Deep understanding of and demonstrated commitment to public health issues preferred
• Passion for BeiGene’s mission
• Demonstrated commitment to BeiGene’s values of diversity, equity, and inclusion
• Required knowledge of the legislative process and the administrative rulemaking process in Europe
• Understanding of the European Parliament, including and not limited to key issues including intellectual property, labor, taxes, and trade and other issues specific to Oncology
• Familiarity with the Lobbying Disclosure Act and the formation and management of political programs
  
  

Other Qualifications

• Previously led public affairs and/or public policy leadership positions with demonstrated success created and driving strategies, programs, and external engagement
• Understand of the prescription drug regulatory environment in Europe on a regional and local level
• Ability to work in a complex, fast moving, highly matrixed organization in constant change
• Understanding of the importance and responsibility of advancing BeiGene’s reputation in the patient advocacy and public health policy community in each interaction
• Ability to hold composure, be engaged and present adeptly to senior BeiGene leadership when needed
• Scientific acumen – ability to understand pharmaceutical products profiles, mechanisms of action and basic clinical trial information
• Business acumen - ability to understand business priorities, the competitive oncology market, create strategic plans
• The highest respect for compliance and compliant behaviors in sponsorship, grant giving and external engagement activities
• High attention to detail and ability to summarize and communication complex concepts to all levels of the organization both verbally and in written documents
• A global perspective and how Europe fits into the global advocacy and public health policy conversation
  
  

Travel

• Up to 35%, mostly in Europe, occasionally internationally, as needed
  

We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer and we value diversity. BeiGene does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, non-disqualifying physical or mental disability, national origin, veteran status or any other basis covered by appropriate law. All employment is decided on the basis of qualifications, merit, and business need.