External Affairs Director – Netherlands

AbbVie; Hoofddorp; On-site; EUR 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

AbbVie Netherlands seeks a senior External Affairs leader to direct the integrated external affairs function, shaping policy and patient access initiatives. The role reports to the General Manager and sits on the Affiliate Management Team.

You will build key relationships with government, healthcare bodies, and patient organizations, and guide communications, events, and strategic advocacy to support AbbVie's priorities. Fluency in English and Dutch is required.

Qualifications

• Master's degree or equivalent in a relevant field.
• 15+ years of professional experience, including ≥5 years in healthcare.
• Extensive senior-level network across Dutch government, policy, and healthcare.
• Proven track record influencing legislation, policy, and coalitions in the Netherlands.
• Deep knowledge of Dutch healthcare environment: payer/provider, funding, legislation.
• Exceptional networking, diplomacy and advocacy skills with senior stakeholders.
• Ability to develop and execute multiple concurrent strategies with alignment.
• Proven experience building and leading high-performing teams in a regulated environment.
• Fluency in English and Dutch (written and spoken).

Responsibilities

• Define, develop, and lead AbbVie's Dutch External Affairs strategy and stay current with healthcare policy developments.
• Build and maintain relationships with government members, officials, civil servants, healthcare bodies, think tanks, and patient and medical associations.
• Provide strategic political counsel to the GM and leadership team, including horizon scanning and policy positions.
• Drive cross-functional engagement to improve pricing and reimbursement environment for medicines and participate in trade associations.
• Partner with brand, market access, medical, and commercial teams to align external affairs with business priorities.
• Oversee budget management, ethics, compliance, and talent development within External Affairs.
• Advise the GM and AMT on emerging policies and environmental trends; foster internal communications and culture.

Skills

Senior stakeholder management

Policy advocacy

Strategic leadership

Cross-functional collaboration

Dutch healthcare knowledge

Fluent English and Dutch

Education

Master's degree (Public Health, Political Science, Economics, Law, Business, or related field)

Job 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 including immunology, oncology and neuroscience - and products and services in our Allergan Aesthetics portfolio. For more information about AbbVie, please visit us at www.abbvie.com . Follow @abbvie on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, X and YouTube.

Job Description

2nd line leadership role and member of the Affiliate Management Team

Reporting directly to the General Manager

Position Overview:

This senior leadership role is accountable for strategically directing AbbVie's integrated External Affairs function in the Netherlands. You will shape the external policy environment, deliver impactful programs aligned to AbbVie's brand and corporate priorities, and champion sustainable patient access to medicines.

You will build AbbVie's external profile with key stakeholders, strengthen the company's reputation, and support meaningful contributions to Dutch healthcare. As a member of the Affiliate Management Team (AMT), you will drive affiliate-wide leadership and decision-making, nurture a positive internal culture through thoughtful communications and events, and attract, develop, and retain top External Affairs talent.

Highlight Responsibilities:

Strategy & External Engagement

• Define, develop, and lead AbbVie's Dutch External Affairs strategy, maintaining a rigorous and current understanding of the healthcare environment, stakeholder landscape, and policy developments affecting the affiliate and its brands.
• Build and sustain robust, trusted relationships with key external stakeholders — including government members, elected officials, civil servants, healthcare bodies, think tanks, academic associations, industry bodies, and patient and medical associations — to drive consensus on priority topics and safeguard AbbVie's freedom to operate.
• Provide strategic political counsel to the GM and leadership team, including horizon scanning, policy monitoring, issue analysis, and development of policy positions and responses to government consultations.
• Drive cross-functional engagement plans to improve the pricing and reimbursement environment for innovative medicines and maximize AbbVie's contribution and influence through trade association and coalition membership.

Cross-functional Collaboration & Alignment

• Partner closely with brand, market access, medical, and commercial teams to align policy, advocacy, and external affairs strategies with business priorities, ensuring external insights inform internal decision-making through effective matrix working.
• Ensure close collaboration with Area and Global Government and Public Affairs teams, maintaining full awareness of how local affiliate decisions impact AbbVie's wider business and aligning local and global strategies accordingly.
• Oversee flawless budget management across the team, identifying and realizing resource efficiencies while maintaining the highest standards of ethics and compliance.
• Set a high-performance standard for the External Affairs team by providing clear direction, ensuring accountability, and consistently challenging ambition. Recruit, develop, and retain talented individuals who build an industry-leading capability.
• Actively support the growth and development of direct reports' competencies, foster a positive team culture, and champion employee wellbeing.
• Support line reports in building their external networks and hold full accountability for the External Affairs team's activities, performance, and impact.

Affiliate Management Team Contribution

• Serve as an active and collaborative member of the Dutch Affiliate Management Team, contributing to strategic decisions on business planning, market potential, and talent development, while modelling AbbVie's values and supporting strategic health initiatives.
• Advise the GM and AMT on emerging policies, environmental trends, and employee engagement topics. Nurture AbbVie's culture through thoughtful internal communications and employee-wide events.

Qualifications

• Master's degree in Public Health, Political Science, Economics, Law, Business, or a related field.
• Minimum 15 years' professional experience, including at least 5 years in the healthcare sector.
• Extensive and relevant senior-level network across Dutch government, policy, and healthcare stakeholder communities.
• Proven track record of influencing legislation, policy, and coalition-building in the Netherlands, driving both business and societal value through multi-stakeholder initiatives.
• Deep knowledge of the Dutch and broader healthcare environment: payer and provider mechanisms, political systems, funding flows, and pharmaceutical legislation.
• Exceptional networking, diplomacy, and advocacy skills, with the ability to influence senior internal and external stakeholders with credibility and integrity.
• Demonstrated ability to develop and execute multiple concurrent strategies, managing integration, delegation, and business alignment without loss of focus.
• Proven track record of building and leading high-performing teams; skilled at motivating colleagues, raising ambition, and navigating change and uncertainty with confidence.
• Senior-level experience managing compliance and ethics topics within a regulated environment.
• Skilled in providing political and strategic counsel at the highest levels of the organization.
• Fluent in both English and Dutch (written and spoken).

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.

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