Position Title: Manager, Patient Advocacy and Alliances
Department: Alliance Development and External Relations
Reports to: Vice President, Alliance Development and External Relations
Primary Purpose of the Position:
The primary purpose of this position is to support ethical, mutual and enduring partnerships with patient, research and consumer advocacy organizations as well as other healthcare stakeholders to advance public policy in support of BIO’s vision and mission, and to transform patients’ lives.
The Manager, Patient Advocacy and Alliances will work with the Director of Patient Advocacy and Alliances to execute on BIO’s federal alliance advocacy activity, as directed by the Vice President of External Relations. Because patients are at the heart of BIO’s mission, this position will also be responsible for gaining key insights from the patient, research and consumer advocacy communities to help inform BIO’s decision making.
The Manager, Patient Advocacy and Alliances will also provide operational and external customer support for the Alliance Development function. Scope of work includes managing, scheduling, preparing for, and staffing external customer meetings, including those for the Alliance (patient advocacy) committee and the corresponding BIO Board committee, as well as extensive direct engagement with patient advocacy organizations.
This position includes significant project coordination including scheduling, logistics and maintaining attendee lists for externally facing events, such as the weekly Coffee Chat and other patient advocacy briefings. As such the position requires someone who: is detail oriented, is comfortable managing multiple tasks, works well under deadlines and develops productive relationships across multiple BIO functions and external customers.
Essential Job Duties and Responsibilities:
Develop, support and maintain strong relationships with federal policy-focused patient, research and consumer advocates and other important stakeholders and influencers:
- Support activities and outreach to third-party stakeholders including coordinating regular policy briefings, workshops, coalitions and ad hoc working groups. Work may include scheduling, coordinating, logistical and operational management for Alliance Development committee and Board committee events and meetings, but also requires active participation in these key discussions.
- Support External Affairs engagement in policy coalitions on behalf of BIO team and help drive Alliance engagement on issues related to value, access, reimbursement, and regulatory / science policy.
- Serve as a liaison and resource between BIO and the advocacy community and be a connector and a source of credible information, by consistently delivering meaningful opportunities and relevant communications to advocates.
- Routinely leverage current BIO communications tools, campaigns and resources and deliver them to strategically targeted stakeholders.
- Educate stakeholders on BIO’s objectives, the value of medicines, policy priorities and other issues as defined.
- Support External Affairs’ participation in patient advocacy corporate advisory councils, annual meetings, retreats, conferences and conventions as appropriate. Over time, the successful candidate may also represent BIO at these and other key meetings and will be expected to represent BIO and BIO member company priorities and interests.
- Support the Alliance Director’s leadership of the BIO staff-level Alliance Development Committee.
- Support VP leadership of Board committee proceedings, prepare meeting agendas, take minutes and support VP’s communications with Board committee members, most of whom are C-Suite executives of biotechnology companies.
- Contribute to External Affairs’ outreach (events) strategy, including providing insights on Coffee Chats, Briefings and BIOtechnical Advocacy Lab.
Support all aspects of BIO’s signature patient advocacy programs and lead operations / implementation to ensure program success.
- Patient Health and Advocacy Summit: this annual event draws 300+ attendees for 1 ½ days of policy-focused educational programming and networking. Sourcing, travel and logistical support is provided by the BIO Events team, and the Manager, Alliance Development will be responsible for supporting the strategy, collaborating to create the program and agenda, and coordinate with the Events team / liaison on meeting logistics.
- Patient Advocacy Pavilion at BIO's Annual Convention
Effectively, clearly and regularly communicate progress, milestones, events and logistical information to internal and cross functional teams, as appropriate.
- Contribute to External Affairs strategy and provide insights to BIO regarding advocates’ perspectives and needs.
- Coordinate with teammates to ensure customer outreach is coordinated and strategic.
- Report relevant information gleaned from participation in patient advocacy corporate advisory boards.
- Assist in management of the BIO Alliance Development operational, outreach and events budget
- Provide feedback on strategic funding priorities for BIO's Charitable Grants Program.
Knowledge and Skills Required
- Strong desire to contribute to team success, with a genuine enthusiasm for supporting team members efforts.
- Excellent planning and organizational skills and
- Outstanding attention to detail and ability to meet timelines / deadlines.
- Superior relationship management and interpersonal skills
- Excellent verbal, and written communication skills
- Exceptional relationship management abilities
- Understanding of federal reimbursement systems (Medicare Part B, Part D, Medicaid)
- Ability to work effectively with groups across the political spectrum.
- Strong computer skills; knowledge of spreadsheet and database applications desired.
- Candidate must have a 4-year college degree and a minimum of 5 years of related work experience, preferably with a patient advocacy organization.
- Required travel: limited (less than 15%)
