Government Affairs Manager

Johnson & Johnson Co.; Taplow; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine UK seeks a strategic Government Affairs leader to steer external policy engagement across medicines and life sciences. You will liaise with senior government and ABPI bodies to shape the external environment and support patient access strategies across therapeutic areas.

You will guide cross‑functional teams, develop briefing materials, and manage external agencies to deliver policy plans aligned with corporate priorities.

Qualifications

• More than 5 years of Government Affairs experience.
• Experience in a multinational pharmaceutical company or NHS/government/consulting sectors is desirable.
• Knowledge of Whitehall and its departments and ability to translate policy into briefing documents.
• Excellent writing and stakeholder engagement skills.
• Ability to manage cross-functional teams and external agencies.

Responsibilities

• Strategically appraise external environment and interact with senior government and policy stakeholders to shape external environment for medicines and life sciences.
• Lead and design Government Affairs plans within therapeutic areas.
• Identify policy developments and create compliant engagement plans aligning with strategic objectives.
• Develop briefing documents and communications for internal and external audiences.
• Maintain relationships with UK senior stakeholders and harmonise cross‑functional approaches.

Skills

Policy development

Stakeholder management

Strategic thinking

Leadership

Project management

Negotiation

Strong writing

Education

Degree in relevant field

Job description

Strategically appraise the external environment and interact with senior external government and policy stakeholders, and represent J&J Innovative Medicine UK with external bodies (e.g. ABPI), to shape the external environment for medicines and life sciences to achieve and maintain patient access across individual therapeutic areas, while also driving the broader Government Affairs strategy for J&J. Key Role Activities Brand Government Affairs - CVT / Therapeutic Areas

• Become a core member of therapeutic area cross-functional teams and design, lead and manage the implementation of impactful Government Affairs and policy plans/projects.
• Interpret key developments in government and health policy (national and regional), identify the opportunities and threats to the business, and develop appropriate plans to compliantly engage in health policy development, in line with the cross-functional team's strategic and commercial objectives.
• Manage risk by providing expert counsel and identifying specific actions related to government policy for identified issues to J&J Innovative Medicine UK senior management.
• Develop briefing documents, presentations and other communication materials for internal and external audiences.
• Maintain relationships with senior colleagues across the UK operating company, cross-sector and enterprise to ensure that synergies in the J&J Government Affairs approach can be harmonised, leveraged and best practice shared.

Above Brand Government Affairs

• Support the Director of Health Affairs to build and execute a coherent, integrated Health Affairs strategy for J&J Innovative Medicine, aligned to corporate priorities and the wider EMEA J&J IM Government Affairs strategy.
• Keep senior colleagues up to date on J&J Innovative Medicine Government Affairs and policy initiatives and relationships, thus ensuring an integrated external affairs approach.
• Lead on, as agreed with the Director of Health Affairs, and support colleagues where required on J&J IM above-brand projects such as overall industrial strategy, VPAG, etc.; align and collaborate on cross-sector issues where appropriate.
• Actively contribute to wider Patient Access team discussions to shape the J&J Innovative Medicine UK patient access strategy.
• Develop effective networks and relationships with key external stakeholders including, but not restricted to, Ministers, Civil Servants, Parliamentarians, Political Advisers and Officials, Think Tanks and Academia.
• Ensure the company takes advantage of opportunities to shape the external environment and "drive the debate".
• Raise the profile of J&J Innovative Medicine to positively create an understanding of the company's impact on the healthcare and wider economic environment in the UK.

Other Activities

• Manage third-party agencies to deliver on time and budget.
• Review literature; refer to websites; subscribe to email alerts; attend conferences and courses; and discuss developments with colleagues to keep up to date on the latest NHS, Government and third-sector policies.
• Keep abreast of changes in the health system and understand implications for our current and future products.

Key Line Management Activities

• Conduct formal performance and career conversations with all direct reports according to the framework set (applicable to people leaders only).

Key Compliance Requirements

• Ensure safety reporting requirements, including timely AE/PQC reporting, as set out in company policies and SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures), are met and appropriately managed when planning projects, developing materials, executing projects and contracting vendors.
• Ensure HCC and legal requirements, including Fair Market Value, Transfer of Value rules, Promotional Materials rules, Party Conferences and the Scottish Lobbying Register, are fully understood, appropriately managed and complied with when planning projects, developing materials, executing projects, paying for and attending external events, and contracting vendors.
• Ensure inspection readiness with respect to personal training compliance and availability of a recent CV and individualized Job Description.
• If commissioning contractors or third-party organisations, put contracts in place and provide training so these individuals also act in accordance with Johnson & Johnson HCC requirements when interacting with Healthcare Professionals and report adverse events and complaints as required.

Role Dimensions External Stakeholders

• Parliamentarians and policy makers
• Patient groups and other third-sector organisations
• Agencies and contractors
• Think Tanks
• Academic institutions
• ABPI
• NHS Commissioners and Providers
• Government departments including DHSC, DBT, HMT, DSIT and OLS

Internal Stakeholders

• UK Managing Director
• Senior Director, Patient Access
• Director of Health Affairs
• Communications Director and team
• Business Unit Directors
• Commercial Leads
• Medical Affairs
• Regulatory
• Legal
• R&D
• Relevant subject matter experts in Government Affairs and beyond, in-country and above-country

Resource Management

• Responsible for operating within budget.

Decision-Making Autonomy

• Responsible for choosing agency suppliers.
• Experience of policy development as it relates to medicines/pharmaceuticals and life sciences.
• Strong technical competencies relevant to Government Affairs.
• Ability to translate complex policy issues into comprehensive briefing documents.
• Knowledge of Parliamentary processes.
• Knowledge of the workings of Whitehall and the relevant Government departments.
• Excellent people and writing skills.
• Collaboration and cross-functional team working.
• Negotiating and influencing skills.
• Project management skills.
• Strong prioritisation and results-driven approach, with a focus on delivery to tight timelines., A degree qualification is necessary.
• More than 5 years of experience working in Government Affairs is essential.
• More than 5 years of experience working in Government Affairs and patient engagement is desired.
• Experience of working in a multinational pharmaceutical company or in relevant NHS, Government, academic or consulting sectors.
• Deep understanding of the external UK healthcare environment.

At Johnson & Johnson, we believe health is everything. Our strength in healthcare innovation empowers us to build a world where complex diseases are prevented, treated, and cured, where treatments are smarter and less invasive, and solutions are personal. Through our expertise in Innovative Medicine and MedTech, we are uniquely positioned to innovate across the full spectrum of healthcare solutions today to deliver the breakthroughs of tomorrow, and profoundly impact health for humanity. Learn more at jnj.com.

As guided by Our Credo, Johnson & Johnson is responsible to our employees who work with us throughout the world. We provide an inclusive work environment where each person is considered as an individual. At Johnson & Johnson, we respect the diversity and dignity of our employees and recognize their merit.