Associate Director, Policy and Access

Syneos Health, Inc.; Greater London; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Syneos Health in London is seeking an Associate Director to shape and scale the Policy & Access practice within PR & External Affairs. The role focuses on European-facing policy, access and healthcare system challenges, delivering integrated solutions with policy, access, advocacy and stakeholder engagement expertise.

The successful candidate will lead client programs, provide strategic counsel and help grow the practice while collaborating across Syneos teams to maximize impact in evolving

Qualifications

• Significant experience in health policy, market access, healthcare systems or public affairs.
• Experience leading client programs and strategic counsel to pharma/biotech organizations.
• Intellectual curiosity and ability to tackle complex healthcare challenges.
• Comfortable operating in ambiguity and navigating uncertainty.
• Strong relationships with clients, colleagues and external stakeholders.
• Experience leading, mentoring and developing teams.
• Proactive growth mindset and identifying opportunities beyond the brief.
• Strong communication, research, analytical and consultancy skills.
• Ability to collaborate across disciplines, functions and geographies.
• Open to emerging technologies, including AI-enabled tools.

Responsibilities

• Lead strategic policy and access programs for pharmaceutical and biotechnology clients.
• Provide high-quality strategic counsel on healthcare policy, market access and health system challenges.
• Identify and lead organic growth and new business development.
• Contribute to the growth of the Policy & Access practice.
• Collaborate with colleagues across PR & EA, Medical Communications and other units to deliver integrated solutions.
• Support coaching, mentoring and leadership development within the team.
• Monitor policy trends and translate them into actionable client insights.
• Contribute to thought leadership, capability development and innovation across the practice.

Skills

Health policy

Market access

Public affairs

Leadership

Stakeholder engagement

Team mentoring

Strategic thinking

Communication

Business development

Cross-functional collaboration

Job description

Updated: July 24, 2026
Location: London, England, United Kingdom
Job ID:16459

Do you want to help shape the future of healthcare policy and access for some of the world's leading pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies?

Are you passionate about understanding how healthcare systems, policy and access environments evolve, and helping clients navigate increasingly complex challenges?

Are you looking for an opportunity to help build a growing Policy & Access practice within a thriving international consultancy?

If so, we'd love to hear from you.

Role Overview

We are seeking an experienced Associate Director to help shape and scale our growing Policy & Access practice within PR & External Affairs.
This role is an opportunity to help strengthen and expand a Europe-based practice that supports clients navigating complex policy, access and healthcare system challenges. The successful candidate will work closely with colleagues across the Syneos network to develop integrated solutions that bring together policy, access, communications, advocacy and stakeholder engagement expertise.

The successful candidate will bring expertise in health policy, market access or healthcare systems, combined with strong consultancy, leadership and relationship-building skills. They will provide strategic counsel to clients, play a leading role in business growth and practice development, as well as strengthening the role of policy and access expertise across the wider PR & External Affairs business.

We are looking for someone who enjoys solving complex problems, working collaboratively with colleagues and clients, and identifying opportunities to create greater impact. This role will suit an individual who combines intellectual curiosity with commercial awareness and who is excited by the opportunity to help build a growing practice and develop the next generation of consultants.

As a member of the leadership team, this individual will contribute to client growth, team development, thought leadership and operational excellence, while helping to strengthen Syneos Health's position as a trusted partner to clients navigating an increasingly complex healthcare environment.

Candidate Profile

We're looking for someone who:

• Has significant experience in health policy, market access, healthcare systems, public affairs or a related field.
• Has experience leading client programs and providing strategic counsel to pharmaceutical, biotechnology or healthcare organizations.
• Is intellectually curious and enjoys tackling complex healthcare challenges.
• Is comfortable operating in ambiguity and helping clients navigate uncertainty.
• Can build trusted relationships with clients, colleagues and external stakeholders.
• Has experience leading, mentoring and developing teams.
• Demonstrates a proactive, growth-oriented mindset and the ability to identify opportunities beyond the immediate brief.
• Brings strong communication, research, analytical and consultancy skills.
• Enjoys working collaboratively across disciplines, functions and geographies.
• Demonstrates an openness to emerging technologies, inc. the application of AI-enabled tools to enhance strategic thinking, client solutions and ways of working.

Experience in the following areas would be advantageous:

• Health policy, health systems and access environments in one or more of Europe, LATAM and APAC regions.
• Market access, HTA, reimbursement or evidence-generation programs.
• Business development and organic growth.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead strategic policy and access programs for pharmaceutical and biotechnology clients.
• Provide high-quality strategic counsel on healthcare policy, market access and health system challenges.
• Identifying and leading on both organic growth and new business development.
• Contribute to the continued development and growth of the Policy & Access practice.
• Work collaboratively with colleagues across PR & EA, Medical Communications, Commercial, Clinical and other Syneos business units to develop integrated client solutions.
• Support the development of team members through coaching, mentoring and leadership.
• Monitor emerging healthcare policy and access trends and translate them into actionable client insights.
• Contribute to thought leadership, capability development and innovation across the practice.

How Success Will Be Defined

Client Impact

• Deliver high-quality strategic counsel and programs that help clients achieve their objectives.
• Build trusted relationships with clients and become a valued advisor.

Practice Growth

• Contribute to revenue growth through organic expansion and new business opportunities.
• Support the development of new capabilities, services and thought leadership.
• Help strengthen and expand the Policy & Access practice within PR & External Affairs.
• Build strong relationships across the Syneos network and contribute to integrated client solutions.
• Actively support collaboration across European and international teams.

Leadership

• Develop and support team members to achieve their potential.
• Contribute positively to the culture, reputation and long-term success of the practice.

Personal Development

• Continue to build expertise, networks and leadership capabilities.
• Develop a personal profile aligned to the growth ambitions of the practice and broader business.

At Syneos Health, we are dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive and authentic workplace. If your past experience doesn’t align perfectly, we encourage you to apply anyway. At times, we will consider transferable skills from previous roles. We also encourage you to join our Talent Network to stay connected to additional career opportunities.

At Syneos Health Public Relations, the possibilities are infinite. Because of our “no walls, no limits” philosophy and entrepreneurial spirit, our employees have the opportunity and potential to work on projects beyond their years of experience. The only limitations here are those that are self-imposed, and we make sure to reward staff based on talent, not title.

W o r k H e r e M a t t e r s E v e r y w h e r e | How are you inspired to change lives?

Syneos Health companies are affirmative action/equal opportunity employers (Minorities/Females/Veterans/Disabled)

Discover what our more than 25,000 employees already know: work here matterseverywhere. We work hard,and smart, all in the name of getting much-needed therapies to thosewho need them most. A career with Syneos Health means your everyday workimprovespatients’ lives around the world. Selecting us as an employer secures acareer inwhich you’re guaranteed to:

Syneos Health® is a leading fully integrated biopharmaceutical solutions organization builtto accelerate customer success. We translate unique clinical, medical affairs and commercialinsights into outcomes to address modern market realities. To learn more visit syneoshealth.com .

Syneos Health is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

All qualified applicants will receiveconsideration for employment without regard to race, color, age, religion, marital status,ethnicity, national origin, sex, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, protectedveteran status, disability or any other legally protected status and will not bediscriminated against.

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