Advocacy and External Relations

Sobi - Swedish Orphan Biovitrum AB (publ); Washington (District of Columbia); On-site; USD 150,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(k) match

Tuition reimbursement

Wellness reimbursement

Medical, dental, and vision coverage

Recognition awards

Job summary

Sobi is seeking a seasoned external relations and advocacy professional in Washington, DC area to shape and drive engagement with patients, policymakers, and partners across the product lifecycle. You will coordinate with cross-functional teams and ensure advocacy activities align with corporate priorities and patient needs.

Ideal candidates have 5+ years in pharma advocacy, strong communication skills, and the ability to travel up to 30% as needed.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of relevant advocacy/external relations experience
• Experience supporting advocacy across pharma lifecycle
• Experience with rare diseases
• Strong written and oral communication
• Excellent relationship-building with stakeholders
• High emotional intelligence and cross-cultural sensitivity

Responsibilities

• Support development and execution of external relations and advocacy plan across development and commercialization continuum
• Cultivate relationships with patient advocacy groups, policymakers, and professional organizations
• Lead day-to-day execution of initiatives with external stakeholders
• Collaborate with internal cross-functional teams to meet enterprise priorities
• Represent Sobi's commitment to patients and caregivers in policy matters
• Coordinate with partner orgs and manage logistics for joint activities
• Manage agencies/vendors supporting advocacy programs and ensure timely deliverables
• Ensure advocacy materials comply with internal review processes
• Monitor policy landscape and flag relevant developments

Job description

Company Description

At Sobi, we believe diversity drives innovation and inclusion creates stronger teams. We are committed to building a workplace where everyone feels valued and empowered to contribute.

At Sobi, each person brings their unique talents to work as a team and make a difference. We are dedicated to developing and delivering innovative therapies to improve the lives of people who live with a rare disease. Our edge comes from our team of people and our commitment to patients.

Our Mission And Culture At Sobi North America Get Us Excited To Come To Work Every Day, But Here Are a Few More Reasons To Join Our Team

• Competitive compensation for your work
• Generous time off policy
• Opportunity to broaden your horizons by attending popular conferences
• Emphasis on work/life balance
• Collaborative and team-oriented environment
• Making a positive impact to help ultra-rare disease patients who are in need of life saving treatments

Job Description

Essential Responsibilities / Scope of the Job

• Support the development and execution of the strategic external relations and advocacy engagement plan across the development and commercialization continuum, partnering with the Director on program design and budget management.
• Identify and cultivate relationships with key external partners — including patient advocacy groups, policymakers, and professional organizations — and help identify critical programs and partnership opportunities.
• Lead day-to-day execution of initiatives and collaborations with external stakeholders that serve the needs of patients and caregivers, ensuring alignment with corporate values and goals.
• Collaborate closely with internal cross-functional teams to execute against agreed-upon enterprise priorities.
• Communicate and represent Sobi's commitment to patients and caregivers, supporting the organization's positioning on relevant policy issues.
• Support relationships with partner organizations by tracking their policy priorities, coordinating logistics for joint meetings and initiatives, and helping align messaging and priorities across partner groups.
• Coordinate and manage relationships with agencies and vendors supporting advocacy programs, ensuring deliverables are met on time and within scope.
• Ensure advocacy materials and activities comply with internal review processes.
• Monitor the external policy and advocacy landscape, flagging relevant developments to the Director of Advocacy and External Relations and the broader team.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications

• BS/BA degree. Master's degree (e.g., public health, public policy, or related field) preferred.
• 5+ years of relevant experience supporting advocacy, external relations, or patient engagement, within the pharmaceutical, biotech, or healthcare industries
• Experience supporting advocacy across the pharmaceutical product lifecycle (development through commercialization).
• Experience in rare disease.
• Demonstrated experience building and maintaining relationships with advocacy organizations, policymakers, and professional/medical societies, and identifying opportunities to advance mutual objectives.
• Working knowledge of the healthcare policy landscape affecting pharmaceutical companies and the patients they serve.
• Exceptional written and oral communication and presentation skills.
• Strong project management skills, with the ability to manage multiple initiatives and stakeholders simultaneously and prioritize to deliver on critical outcomes.
• Experience managing or coordinating with external agencies/vendors.
• High level of emotional intelligence, demonstrated through strong relationships with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders.
• Culturally sensitive, with a keen ability to engage appropriately with people of diverse backgrounds.
• A well-respected team player who operates with productive, agile decision-making.
• Strong alignment with Sobi's core values of Care, Ambition, Urgency, Ownership and Partnership.
• Ability to travel up to 30% of the time, as needed.

Additional Information

Compensation and Total Rewards at Sobi

At Sobi, we are dedicated to providing our employees with a comprehensive and industry-competitive total rewards package. Our compensation philosophy is designed to recognize and reward talent, ensuring that your contributions are valued and reflected in your overall rewards.

Benefits

Your total compensation at Sobi goes beyond just your base salary and annual bonus. It also includes a robust suite of benefits, such as:

• A competitive 401(k) match to support your financial future.
• Tuition and wellness reimbursements to invest in your personal and professional growth.
• A comprehensive medical, dental, and vision package to prioritize your health and well-being.
• Additional recognition awards to celebrate your achievements.

The base salary range for this role is $150,000 - $180,000. Each individual offer will be determined based on several factors, including your experience, qualifications, and location. Additionally, this role is eligible for both short-term and long-term bonuses, as outlined in the plan details.

All Sobi employees need to demonstrate behaviors in line with Sobi's core values: Care, Ambition, Urgency, Ownership and Partnership. Are you ready to be on the Sobi team? Come join a culture that empowers every person to be the person that makes a difference for rare disease.

Why Join Us?

We are a global company with over 1,900 employees in more than 30 countries and are committed to the societies where we operate. With a deeply skilled management team directing our day-to-day wins, and a Board with a stellar track record, we’re ready to take on the world’s diseases, ailments and adversity. Our people believe they have the power to make a positive impact in others’ lives because that’s exactly what we do here. If you’re seeking a career that taps into your talents in a way that makes the world a better, healthier place, we just may have a job for you.

We know our employees are our most valuable asset, and our culture conveys that. We offer a competitive benefits package, to support the health and happiness of our staff.

Sobi Culture

At Sobi, we refuse to accept the status quo. This is because we have witnessed first‑hand the challenges facing those affected by rare diseases, and have used this knowledge to shape our business to find new ways of helping them.

As a specialized biopharmaceutical company, we are dedicated to rare diseases. And we see this focus as a strength. By effectively turning our research into ground-breaking treatments, we help make medicine more accessible and open up more possibilities for patients and more opportunities for those caring for them. This has been our approach since day one, but we know we can’t change the world of rare diseases on our own. Accomplishing this requires strong partnerships with patients, partners and stakeholders across the entire value chain. Together, we define how our business can create solutions that serve the needs of those affected by rare diseases while facilitating sustainable growth.

An Equal Opportunity Employer

Sobi is an Equal Opportunity Employer and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any kind. All employment decisions at Sobi are based on business needs, job requirements and individual qualifications, without regard to race, color, religion or belief, national, social or ethnic origin, sex (including pregnancy), age, physical, mental or sensory disability, HIV Status, sexual orientation, gender identity, protected veterans and/or expression, marital, civil union or domestic partnership status, past or present military service, family medical history or genetic information, family or parental status, or any other status or protected groups by the laws or regulations in the locations where we operate.

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