Vice President, Federal Government Affairs & Policy

BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc.; Washington (District of Columbia); Hybrid; USD 250,000 - 360,000; Full time

Job summary

BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc. is seeking a Vice President of Federal Government Affairs & Policy to develop and execute the company’s federal advocacy strategy in Washington, DC.

The role reports to the SVP of Global Government Affairs & Policy and guides policy positions impacting the company’s pipeline, reimbursement, and rare-disease portfolio. The ideal candidate has 15+ years in federal policy, a strong network with Congress and agencies, and a track record of influencing legislation.

Qualifications

• 15+ years of experience in federal government affairs, public policy, or healthcare advocacy.
• Experience working with senior officials in Congress and federal agencies, and with C‑suite executives.
• Proven ability to influence complex healthcare legislation.

Responsibilities

• Develop and own a comprehensive federal government affairs strategy aligned with corporate objectives.
• Influence federal legislation and Executive Branch policy and regulation related to drug pricing, FDA frameworks, and orphan drug policy.
• Lead and manage policy briefing materials, white papers, and data-driven positions.
• Build relationships with Members of Congress, key staff, committees, and federal agencies.
• Lead strategic engagement plans for priority legislation and executive actions.
• Lead a high-performing policy team with strong advocacy and communication capabilities.
• Coordinate with internal leads across Market Access, Legal, Compliance, Medical Affairs, Regulatory, Communications, Investor Relations, and Finance.
• Oversee BioMarinPAC governance, reporting, and compliance.
• Represent BioMarin in industry associations and coalitions.
• Ensure policy messaging consistency across stakeholders.

Skills

Federal policy

Healthcare policy

Executive communication

Relationship building

Education

Bachelor's degree

Advanced degree (JD/MPP/MPH/MBA)

Job description

Who We Are

BioMarin is a leading rare disease biotechnology company focused on genetically defined conditions.

Who We Are

BioMarin is a leading rare disease biotechnology company focused on genetically defined conditions. Guided by our purpose to develop medicines that make a profound impact on people’s lives, our global teams have delivered a portfolio of therapies since our founding in 1997. Our revolutionary treatments for conditions like achondroplasia (the most common form of dwarfism), PKU (phenylketonuria), CLN2, a form of Batten disease, and a number of forms of MPS (mucopolysaccharidosis) offer new possibilities for patients and families who previously had few, if any, available options. More recently, with the close of the Amicus acquisition, our portfolio has expanded to include therapies for Fabry disease and Pompe disease, expanding our ability to reach more people living with rare genetic conditions. Our success comes from our unwavering commitment to excellence, our deep understanding of patient needs, our scientific expertise, and our world-class manufacturing capabilities. At the heart of BioMarin is a dedicated team of the brightest minds in the industry working together to deliver innovative therapies to patients and families around the world.

About Corporate Groups

It takes a village, and at BioMarin, our general and admin teams are the village behind our success. From the IT experts who manage our technology to the human resources professionals who hire the people who make it all possible, these teams support our organization and span all areas of operations.

Position Summary

Position is hybrid, requiring a minimum of 2 days/per week onsite in Washington DC offices. The Vice President of Federal Government Affairs & Policy is responsible for developing and executing the company’s federal advocacy strategy to advance US Federal policy priorities that support innovation, patient access, preservation of development incentives, and growth in the rare disease market. This role reports into the SVP of Global Government Affairs & Policy and serves as a key advisor to executive leadership, translating complex federal policy developments into strategic business insights and actions. This role leads engagement with Congress to shape legislation impacting the company’s pipeline and commercial portfolio and the broader rare disease ecosystem. The VP ensures alignment between federal advocacy, corporate strategy, and patient-focused objectives.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and own a comprehensive federal government affairs strategy aligned with corporate objectives, including driving development of and support for favorable policy actions.
• Influence and shape federal legislation and Executive Branch policy and regulation related to:
• Drug pricing, coverage and reimbursement, and patient access policy, including with respect to Medicaid and Medicare
• FDA regulatory frameworks
• Tax and trade policy impacting R&D, supply chains, and innovation, particularly for rare disease medicines
• Orphan drug policy and rare disease legislation, and
• Other emerging healthcare reforms.
• Oversee the development of policy briefing materials, white papers, and comment letters, as well as the marshalling of evidence and data to support policy positions.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with: Members of Congress and key staff, relevant Congressional committees, and relevant federal agencies, the White House, and Executive Branch officials.
• Lead strategic engagement plans for priority legislation and executive actions.
• Build and lead a high-performing team with strong policy expertise, and robust stakeholder engagement, advocacy, and communication capabilities (both oral and written).
• Drive opportunities for BioMarin executive participation in hearings, briefings, and policy forums. Ensure BioMarin leadership is prepared for Congressional meetings and testimony, and meetings with Executive Branch officials.
• Represent the company in select industry associations and ensure engagement of other key BioMarin employees in other relevant associations and coalitions.
• Lead coalition/alliance strategy on shared policy priorities, including those with patient advocacy groups, while aligning external advocacy with internal corporate positions.
• Partner with internal leads in relevant areas, including Market Access (PAVE), Legal, Compliance, Medical Affairs, Regulatory Affairs, Communications & Patient Advocacy, Investor Relations, and Finance, to ensure coordination and alignment and to leverage all available resources.
• Ensure consistency of policy messaging across internal stakeholders.
• Oversee the BioMarin Political Action Committee and strategy, and ensure that the BioMarinPAC is positioned to grow internally and is managed compliantly.
• Oversee political and lobbying-related reporting and disclosure requirements.
• Maintain strong internal governance and ethical standards.
• Manage external lobbying firms and other consultants.

Education

• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree (JD, MPP, MPH, MBA) highly preferred.

Experience

• 15+ years of experience in federal government affairs, public policy, or healthcare advocacy, including strategy development and execution.
• Experience in biotechnology, pharmaceutical, or healthcare policy.
• Demonstrated experience working directly with senior level officials in Congress and federal agencies, as well as with CEOs and other c‑suite executives in industry.
• Proven record influencing complex healthcare legislation.
• Experience managing external lobbying firms and coalitions.

Core Competencies

• Deep knowledge of U.S. federal legislative and regulatory processes
• Strong understanding of healthcare policy and reimbursement systems, including Medicare, Medicaid, and other public reimbursement channels
• Thorough understanding of orphan drug policy and regulations
• Strategic thinking and risk/opportunity assessment
• Executive-level communication and influence
• Strong bipartisan relationship-building skills
• High integrity and ethical judgment
• Crisis management and rapid response capability

Measures of Success

• Effective advancement of federal policy priorities
• Protection of company interests in legislative outcomes
• Strength of relationships with key policymakers
• Anticipation and mitigation of policy risks
• Alignment of advocacy strategy with corporate objectives
• Compliance and governance excellence

The VP Will Be Evaluated Based On

• Effective advancement of federal policy priorities
• Protection of company interests in legislative outcomes
• Strength of relationships with key policymakers
• Anticipation and mitigation of policy risks
• Alignment of advocacy strategy with corporate objectives
• Compliance and governance excellence

Strategic Impact

This Role Enables The Organization To

• Navigate an evolving federal policy environment.
• Protect and advance innovation incentives.
• Support sustainable patient access and reimbursement.
• Reduce regulatory and legislative risk.
• Strengthen the company’s reputation as a trusted policy partner.

Note: This description is not intended to be all-inclusive, or a limitation of the duties of the position. It is intended to describe the general nature of the job that may include other duties as assumed or assigned.

Equal Opportunity Employer/Veterans/Disabled

An Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, or protected veteran status and will not be discriminated against on the basis of disability.