Director, Patient Ambassador Strategy

ruderfinn; New York (NY); On-site; USD 150,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Ruder Finn is seeking a Director, Patient Engagement to lead the rf.voices team, managing day-to-day planning and delivery of patient ambassador programs for pharmaceutical and healthcare clients. The role involves collaborating with clients, patients, caregivers and cross-functional agency teams to translate approved strategies into authentic, compliant and measurable engagement programs.

The Director will oversee ambassador programs across the lifecycle and help prepare patients and caregivers

Responsibilities

• Execute approved patient ambassador program strategies and translate them into detailed workplans, timelines and deliverables.
• Document program audiences, ambassador eligibility criteria, participant roles, and engagement channels and activation models.
• Contribute to recommendations regarding branded, unbranded or blended approaches based on program objectives, patient needs and regulatory considerations.
• Build and maintain detailed activation plans across live, virtual, digital, social and peer-to-peer channels.
• Incorporate approved disease-state information, patient-journey insights, health literacy principles and audience considerations into materials and activities.
• Manage timelines, deliverables, and status reports; track KPIs and compile information for program reporting.
• Monitor execution, ambassador feedback and audience response; flag concerns and propose tactical adjustments for leadership review.

Job description

Director, Patient Engagement, Ruder Finn

Ruder Finn is one of the world's largest independent global communications and integrated marketing agencies, known for bold ideas, sharp strategy, and a culture that pushes what's next. Ruder Finn continues to earn recognition for its industry leadership, creativity, and continued growth, including being named Large Agency of the Year at the 2026 PRWeek U.S. Awards and one of PRWeek's Best Places to Work.

We're looking for a Director, Patient Engagement to join our growing rf.voices team. This role will manage the day-to-day planning and delivery of patient ambassador programs for pharmaceutical and healthcare clients. Working directly with clients, patients, caregivers and cross-functional agency teams, the Director will translate approved strategies into authentic, compliant and measurable engagement programs.

The Director will manage programs across the ambassador lifecycle, including identification, assessment, onboarding, story development, training, activation and ongoing engagement. They will help prepare patients and caregivers to communicate confidently and authentically through videos, advertising, blogs, social media, live events, peer-to-peer programs and other approved channels.

Key Responsibilities

Program Execution and Management

• Execute approved patient ambassador program strategies and translate them into detailed workplans, timelines and deliverables.
• Document program audiences, ambassador eligibility criteria, participant roles, and engagement channels and activation models.
• Contribute to recommendations regarding branded, unbranded or blended approaches based on program objectives, patient needs and regulatory considerations.
• Build and maintain detailed activation plans across live, virtual, digital, social and peer-to-peer channels.
• Incorporate approved disease-state information, patient-journey insights, health literacy principles and audience considerations into materials and activities.
• Manage timelines, deliverables, and status reports; track KPIs and compile information for program reporting.
• Monitor execution, ambassador feedback and audience response; flag concerns and propose tactical adjustments for leadership review.

Ambassador Identification and Relationship Management

• Support ambassador identification, recruitment, screening, onboarding and readiness assessments using established program criteria.
• Conduct patient and caregiver interviews to understand lived experiences, motivations, communication abilities, boundaries and support needs.
• Maintain accurate ambassador profiles, participation records, consent documentation and engagement preferences.
• Serve as an ongoing point of contact for assigned ambassadors, coordinating program communications and addressing routine questions or concerns.
• Escalate changes in an ambassador's health, comfort, availability or readiness that may affect participation.

Training and Coaching

• Deliver individual and group training that prepares patients and caregivers to share their experiences confidently, authentically and within approved program parameters, tailoring training for each ambassador's uniqueness
• Help ambassadors develop their stories by identifying meaningful experiences, decisions and insights rather than simply recounting a medical chronology.
• Coach ambassadors on presentation skills, message delivery, interviews, media readiness, approved messaging and message delivery, audience engagement and responding to difficult or unexpected questions.
• Prepare ambassadors for participation in videos, advertising, blogs, social media, live events, internal meetings and peer-to-peer programs.
• Help ambassadors distinguish their individual experiences from general medical or product claims.
• Observe selected live or virtual engagements and provide constructive feedback and follow-up coaching.

Story and Content Development

• Conduct interviews and story-mining sessions, working directly with patients and caregivers to uncover the emotional meaning and broader relevance within their lived experience
• Draft or coordinate scripts, narratives and interview guides, collaborating with editorial and creative teams
• Review materials for health literacy, sensitivity, accessibility and accuracy
• Maintain ambassador's voice throughout execution
• Preserve each ambassador's authentic voice while ensuring content remains accurate, appropriate and aligned with approved information.

Regulatory and Compliance Support

• Apply working knowledge of promotional and non-promotional communications, FDA requirements, FTC disclosure expectations, privacy and consent, adverse-event and product-complaint reporting, and fair-market-value considerations.
• Incorporate medical, legal and regulatory requirements into program plans, training materials and ambassador activities.
• Participate in client medical/legal/regulatory review processes and coordinate required revisions.
• Ensure ambassadors are appropriately briefed on their responsibili