External Affairs Director

AbbVie; Maidenhead; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

An established industry player is seeking a dynamic External Affairs Director to strategically lead their integrated External Affairs function. This role is pivotal in shaping the external environment to support sustainable patient access to medicines while enhancing the company’s profile among key stakeholders. The ideal candidate will have a robust background in legislative advocacy and stakeholder management, with a proven ability to influence policy and drive impactful communication strategies. Join a forward-thinking company that values innovation and collaboration, and make a meaningful contribution to healthcare in the UK.

Benefits

Comprehensive Compensation Package

Career Development Opportunities

Hybrid Working Model

Qualifications

• Experience in parliamentary or political roles related to healthcare.
• Proven track record in influencing legislation and policy.

Responsibilities

• Lead the External Affairs function to align with corporate priorities.
• Build relationships with key external stakeholders and policymakers.

Skills

Stakeholder Management

Legislative Advocacy

Communication Skills

Team Leadership

Policy Development

Education

Degree in Political Science or Related Field

Postgraduate Qualification (Preferred)

Job description

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Company Description

AbbVie's mission is to discover and deliver innovative medicines and solutions that solve serious health issues today and address the medical challenges of tomorrow. We strive to have a remarkable impact on people's lives across several key therapeutic areas – immunology, oncology, neuroscience, and eye care – and products and services in our Allergan Aesthetics portfolio. For more information about AbbVie, please visit us at www.abbvie.com. Follow @abbvie on X, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn and Tik Tok.

Company Description

AbbVie's mission is to discover and deliver innovative medicines and solutions that solve serious health issues today and address the medical challenges of tomorrow. We strive to have a remarkable impact on people's lives across several key therapeutic areas – immunology, oncology, neuroscience, and eye care – and products and services in our Allergan Aesthetics portfolio. For more information about AbbVie, please visit us at www.abbvie.com. Follow @abbvie on X, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn and Tik Tok.

Job Description

Director of External Affairs at AbbVie UK

• Based in our HQ office in Maidenhead (hybrid working model)
• Part of the UK Affiliate Leadership Team
• Comprehensive compensation and benefits package, with excellent opportunities for career development within AbbVie
  
  

Role Overview

This critical, senior leadership role, holds accountability for strategically leading the integrated External Affairs function within AbbVie UK to deliver impactful programmes in full alignment with AbbVie brand and corporate priorities, shaping our external environment to best support sustainable patient access to medicines. Your function will build AbbVie’s external profile among key stakeholder groups across the UK, positioning the company for sustained future success, meaningful contributions to UK healthcare and the safeguarding of our reputation. Actively nurture the AbbVie culture and employee engagement through thoughtful internal communications and employee-wide events. Join the Affiliate Management Team, contributing to Affiliate wide leadership and decision-making, whilst recruiting, retaining and developing talented and committed individuals to support an industry leading External Affairs capability.

Responsibilities And Objectives

The External Affairs function has three core teams, each led by a member of your Leadership Team:

• Government Affairs
• Corporate Communications (inclusive of internal communications)
• Brand Communications and Patient Relations
  
  

Your broad responsibilities will include:

Delivering impact:

• Lead the Function, assigning activities and ensuring with your Leadership Team the development of aligned, integrated, strategies and platforms that make a valuable contribution to healthcare delivery, create consensus with stakeholders and demonstrate AbbVie’s commitment
• Ensure AbbVie is developing robust, transparent and effective working relationships with key external stakeholders, including policymakers, patient organisations and communication professionals, striving for consensus on priority topics
• Drive alignment across team strategies and tactical plans, distributing key priority topics across the team and delivering impact in policy, corporate or brand areas you have been assigned
• Maximize AbbVie’s contribution and impact to Trade Association and membership bodies
• ESG Commitment Fulfilment and Net Zero Leadership: Ensure all country ESG commitments are met relating to both policy and product supply and lead the UK affiliate’s journey to Net Zero in line with the requirements of PPN 06/21.
  
  

Team management:

• Raise the bar on performance, providing direction to the Function and your Leadership Team, whilst ensuring robust accountability from direct line reports, challenging where appropriate to increase our ambition
• Support the development of key talent and the continued evolution of line reports competencies and skills
• Develop a positive functional culture and support employee wellbeing
• Maintain the highest standards of ethics and compliance across the team
  
  

Affiliate Leadership Team:

• Become an active and collaborative member of the UK Affiliate Management Team, contributing and shaping decisions to support business success and a positive culture
• Advise the AbbVie GM, and wider ALT, on emerging policies, environmental trends and employee engagement topics
• Join the Entity Leadership Forum, actively contributing to the management and culture of the full UK wide entity footprint including close coordination and alignment with Area and Global colleagues based in the UK, inclusive of therapeutics and Allergan Aesthetics colleagues
• Sustainability Leadership and Strategic Influence: Provide leadership and strategic direction for sustainability through external influence at a policy level around ESG matters related to both procurement and broader external and internal ESG perception
• Be accountable for the External Affairs team’s activities, ambition and impact
  
  

Key Responsibilities

• Support the coordination and management of AbbVie’s engagement across our stakeholder base, enhancing our reputation and supporting line reports to build their networks
• Guide the team to deliver impactful strategies, maintaining a focus on competent tactical delivery that build consensus within our community and progress core objectives
• Ensure external insights and expertise are heard and understood by business colleagues through matrix working for the continued refinement of our business approach
• Through your work, and that of your team, maintain coverage of all identified priority areas, resulting in active AbbVie contribution and consistent above brand and therapy area advocacy
• Own a robust planning process across the team that builds on team insights, continually anticipating trends and refining our approaches as appropriate
• Flawless budget management adopted throughout the team. Identify and bring forward opportunities for resource efficiencies
• Network with leadership peers throughout the business, at above country level also with Area and Global leadership within Government Affairs and Public Affairs, enhancing functional and line report representation and ensuring fully aligned strategies and tactical plans across your work and that of your team
• Ensure all country ESG commitments are met relating to both policy and product supply and lead the UK affiliate’s journey to Net Zero in line with the requirements of PPN 06/21. Provide leadership and strategic direction for sustainability through external influence at a policy level around ESG matters related to both procurement and broader external and internal ESG perception
  
  

Qualifications

Experience

• Direct experience of working in a parliamentary, political, advocacy or legislative role, preferably from a previous healthcare or life sciences focused role
• Demonstrated success in the influencing of legislation, policy and / or communication campaigns
• In-depth knowledge of the UK health care system, including the National Health Service, Department of Health and Devolved Nations issues
• Demonstrated experience in building relationships with senior external contacts including health care policy makers, politicians, patient and patient group leadership stakeholders, journalists and other influencers
• Proven track record of coalition building and driving multi stakeholder initiatives
• Demonstrated experience of leading and developing teams
• Experience of managing compliance-based topics at a senior level
• Multi budget management experience
  
  

Competencies

• Proven communication skills and the ability to influence senior leadership and motivate reports
• The ability to develop, execute and realise the impact of multiple strategies concurrently, realising integration efforts, assigning activities and delegating key projects without losing business alignment or focus
• Flawless external stakeholder management, creating durable, transparent and meaningful relationships.
• Clear understanding of how to motivate colleagues, raising ambition and challenging performance; proven track record of contributing to team culture with drive and enthusiasm whilst managing uncertainty and adapting to change
  
  

Additional Information

AbbVie is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to operating with integrity, driving innovation, transforming lives and serving our community. Equal Opportunity Employer/Veterans/Disabled.

US & Puerto Rico only - to learn more, visit https://www.abbvie.com/join-us/equal-employment-opportunity-employer.html

US & Puerto Rico applicants seeking a reasonable accommodation, click here to learn more:

https://www.abbvie.com/join-us/reasonable-accommodations.html

Seniority level

• Seniority level

  Director

Employment type

• Employment type

  Full-time

Job function

• Job function

  Other

• Industries

  Pharmaceutical Manufacturing and Biotechnology Research

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