Thought Leader Liaison, Nephrology, Northeast

Keenova; Philadelphia (Philadelphia County); Hybrid; USD 160,000 - 228,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive pay

Total Rewards package

Bonus eligibility

Job summary

Keenova is looking for a Thought Leader Liaison in Nephrology, based in Philadelphia. This role involves building and managing relationships with key opinion leaders and requires extensive travel. Ideal candidates will have over eight years in the pharmaceutical industry and strong communication skills. The position offers a competitive salary and benefits.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of experience in pharmaceutical, biotech, or related industry.
• 5+ years of experience in thought leader engagement.
• 3+ years working within Nephrology.

Responsibilities

• Develop and manage relationships with KOLs in targeted specialties.
• Attend and manage brand activity at key conferences.
• Coordinate KOL engagement plans with the sales team.

Skills

Relationship-building skills

Strong decision-making skills

Excellent written and verbal communication skills

Organizational awareness

Critical thinking

Education

Bachelor’s degree

MBA or advanced degree (desired)

Job description

Job Title

Thought Leader Liaison, Nephrology, Northeast

Requisition

JR000015847 Thought Leader Liaison, Nephrology, Northeast (Open)

Location

Philadelphia, PA

Additional Locations

Bridgewater, NJ

Job Description Summary

Keenova is seeking a highly motivated and experienced individual to fill the role of Thought Leader Liaison. As a Thought Leader Liaison, you will play a crucial role in building and maintaining relationships with key opinion leaders (KOLs) within Nephrology.

Job Description

The Thought Leader Liaison (TLL) is responsible for developing, managing, and engaging with Key Opinion Leaders throughout their assigned geography, reporting to the Thought Leader Liaison Lead and Specialty Brands Marketing. The role works closely with commercial colleagues and other staff to help build advocacy for Keenova’s products with KOLs, manages speakers, and captures KOL beliefs/insights. This field‑based position requires independent work and effective operation with limited direction, aligning with the Immunology Business Unit and involving frequent U.S. travel and periodic corporate office visits.

Essential Functions

Strategic KOL Development and Management

• Identify, cultivate, and maintain professional relationships with established and emerging regional Key Opinion Leaders in targeted specialties.
• Support deep engagement of KOLs (e.g., navigating IDNs / Centers of Excellence, Professional Organizations).
• Identify, map, and manage relationships with key national associations and large treatment facilities, including referral pattern mapping.
• Coordinate and lead one‑to‑one exchanges between Keenova team and KOLs across key initiatives and events.

Congress / Key Event Management

• Attend and manage brand activity at key regional and national conferences (e.g., Rheumatology, Nephrology, Pulmonology, Ophthalmology).
• Manage overall regional sponsorships, securing sponsorships and owning the regional congress plan.
• Coordinate executive meetings with KOLs at national conferences.
• Support all necessary conference and speaker contract requirements timely.
• Coordinate with marketing to ensure timely delivery of congress materials.

Cross Functional Coordination

• Work cross‑functionally to develop aligned external engagement strategies across medical, training, marketing, and sales teams.
• Coordinate with the sales team to align conference KOL engagement plans and other KOL/account engagement.
• Provide market insights to marketing and input into P2P development, advisory boards, and strategy.
• Act as a resource for the Marketing team to develop board strategy, content, advisory recommendations, and attend advisory boards as appropriate.
• Coordinate with Market Development Manager and Speaker Programs Management on KOL speaker bureau relationships, including supporting speaker training.
• Provide insights summary from key congresses to the marketing team.

Additional Information

• Business travel is regularly required (50% - 65%).
• Willingness to work evenings and select weekends is required.
• Located near a hub airport is recommended.

Preferred Qualifications

• 8+ years of experience in pharmaceutical, biotech, or related industry in customer‑facing roles.
• 5+ years of experience in thought leader engagement; medical affairs, marketing, sales, or clinical experience.
• 3+ years working within Nephrology.
• Experience developing and executing HCP key strategies.
• Proven ability to develop and execute KOL mapping and plans, and build KOL advocacy in targeted therapeutic areas.
• Clinical, technical, and scientific knowledge and proficiency in complex disease states.
• Existing relationships with KOLs (opinion leaders, centers of excellence, etc.).
• Strong relationship‑building skills, with proven ability to build and maintain lasting relationships with KOLs and navigate strategic accounts.
• Ability to exercise strong decision‑making skills and live up to the highest ethical standards.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including confident executive presence.
• Ability to build productive partnerships and collaborate effectively in a matrix organization.
• Ability to creatively address problems in an organized, systematic way.
• High degree of organizational awareness, ability to connect the dots to understand all interdependencies and the big picture.
• Exceptional critical thinking to help identify educational gaps, analyze findings, and make recommendations while articulating next steps.
• Strong understanding of legal and regulatory environment in pharmaceutical promotional activities, pharma industry guidelines, and other compliance‑related issues.
• Bachelor’s degree. MBA or advanced degree desired but not required.
• Extensive field travel required.

Location: Northeastern US

Keenova offers employees a Total Rewards package which includes competitive pay and benefits. To learn more about our Total Rewards benefits please visit: Keenova Careers | Serve and Grow with Purpose | Keenova.

The expected base pay range for this position is $160K - $228K. Please note that base pay offered may vary depending on factors including job‑related knowledge, skills, and experience.

This position is eligible for a bonus in accordance with the terms of the applicable program. Bonuses are awarded at the Company’s discretion.

Disclaimer: The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work performed by employees assigned to this job. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities, and qualifications. Management reserves the right to change or modify such duties as required.