Associate Director, Patient Advocacy & Communications

Rockville, MD (Hybrid)

$176K/yr – $203K/yrManager8+ years expFull time

Posted 2 months ago

Top 1% of applicants do these two things.

The other 99% submit and hope. You're about to do something different.

Job Summary

Own a cross-functional advocacy and corporate-communications program, shaping policy-aligned messaging, media relations, and stakeholder engagement to protect reputation and advance enterprise objectives.

  • Shape the corporate narrative and key messages across media, patient communities, investors, and employees.
  • Lead proactive media relations, CSR storytelling, and internal comms while monitoring policy landscapes and readiness for crisis.

Job Description

Own a cross-functional advocacy and corporate-communications program, shaping policy-aligned messaging, media relations, and stakeholder engagement to protect reputation and advance enterprise objectives.

  • Responsibilities: Shape and consistently articulate the company’s corporate narrative, positioning, and key messages across stakeholders including media, patient communities, investors, and employees. Work closely with the Gov’t Affairs team and Market Access leadership to partner on policy needs and partnerships.
  • Responsibilities: Monitor industry, policy, competitive, and regulatory landscapes to proactively identify opportunities and mitigate reputational risk.
  • Responsibilities: Support communications around corporate social responsibility (CSR) and patient impact initiatives.
  • Responsibilities: Support proactive and reactive media relations efforts, including drafting press releases, media advisories, Q&As, and briefing documents (branded, disease-state, and corporate focused releases across Supernus).
  • Responsibilities: Partner with leadership and HR to drive internal communications that inform, engage, and align employees with company strategy.
  • Responsibilities: Manage media inquiries and facilitate interviews with company spokespersons in conjunction with Corporate Communications Agency of Record.
  • Responsibilities: Track and analyze media coverage alongside Supernus Digital Marketing Department, providing insights and recommendations to relevant brand and corporate stakeholders.
  • Responsibilities: Contribute to the development and execution of issues and crisis communication plans.
  • Responsibilities: Support cross-functional coordination during emerging policy, regulatory, or reputational challenges.
  • Responsibilities: Develop compelling and accurate communication materials for a variety of platforms, including corporate website and corporate social media channels.
  • Responsibilities: Ensure all communications adhere to FDA; partner closely with Legal, Regulatory, Medical Affairs, R&D, Investor Relations, Marketing Leadership and Government Affairs to ensure aligned and compliant messaging.
  • Requirements: Bachelor’s degree plus minimum of 8 years of communications/advocacy experience and in the biopharmaceutical industry. Master’s preferred.
  • Requirements: Proven cross-functional leadership and strategic planning capabilities.
  • Requirements: Experience in patient advocacy, community engagement, and issues management.
  • Requirements: Exceptional communication and stakeholder engagement abilities and collaborate effectively with internal customers and cross-functional teams.
  • Requirements: Strong project management and organizational skills.
  • Requirements: Excellent written, verbal, editing, and presentation skills.
  • Requirements: Strong understanding of regulatory frameworks and compliance requirements related to patient advocacy and external engagement.
  • Requirements: Proven ability to translate complex scientific and medical information into clear, concise, and compelling communications for diverse audiences.
  • Requirements: Proficiency in digital communication tools and social media platforms for patient engagement, education, and advocacy outreach.
  • Requirements: Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced, highly regulated, and dynamic environment.
  • Requirements: Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to collaborate effectively with senior leadership and cross-functional teams.
  • Benefits: health, dental, vision, paid time off, 401k company match, company paid life insurance and health and wellness benefits.
  • Benefits: stock equity awards, employee stock purchase programs and participation in our Company’s discretionary annual bonus program.

Supernus Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

2.7 Glassdoor

We are a pharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing products for the treatment of central nervous system (CNS) diseases. Our extensive expertise in product development has been built over the past 30 years: initially as a standalone development organization, then as a U.S. subsidiary of Shire plc and, in late 2005, as Supernus Pharmaceuticals Inc. We market our products in the United States through our own specialty sales force and seek strategic collaborations with other pharmaceutical companies to license our products outside the United States.We market Qelbree® (viloxazine extended-release) for the treatment of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children ages 6 to 17. Trokendi XR® (extended-release topiramate) for the prophylaxis of migraine and the treatment of epilepsy, Oxtellar XR® (extended-release oxcarbazepine) for the treatment of epilepsy, Apokyn® (apomorphine hydrochloride injection) for the acute treatment of hypomobility in advanced Parkinson’s disease (PD), Myobloc® (rimabotulinumtoxinB) for the treatment of cervical dystonia and treatment of chronic sialorrhea in adults, and Xadago® (safinamide) as an adjunctive treatment to levodopa/carbidopa in PD patients with hypomobility.We are also developing several product candidates to address large market opportunities in the CNS market, including SPN-812 for the treatment of ADHD in adults, apomorphine infusion pump for hypomobility in PD, SPN-820 (NV-5138) for treatment-resistant depression, and SPN-817 for the treatment of epilepsy.

Founded in 2005
Rockville, Maryland, USA
777 employees (22 in marketing)
28% recommend to a friend
79% CEO approval

Traffic Signals

Monthly Visitors
17K
Traffic Source Mix
Search
46.1%
Direct
41.1%
Referral
7.4%
Social
3.8%
Paid
1.4%

Headcount Trend

Current headcount: ~777

Marketing Team

Marketing Team Size
21 (3% of company)
Median Career Experience
19.5 years
Median Tenure
6.2 years

Funding

Total Funding
$689.5M
Last Raise
Post IPO Debt, 3 years ago

Recent News