Associate Director, Patient Support Communications

Job Description

General Summary:

TheAssociate Director, Patient Support Communicationswill be part of the Patient Support Communications team within the US, Patient Support Business Unit and supporting the US, Heme Business Unit dedicated to commercializing CASGEVY (exagamglogene autotemcel), a gene therapy for sickle cell disease (SCD) and transfusion dependent thalassemia (TDT). This individual will be accountable for understanding the CASGEVY end-to-end treatment journey, associated needs of key healthcare provider (HCP) and patient communities, and develop materials and processes to execute a suite of patient support programs. This individual will also help expand and evolve the strategy for customer engagement along the treatment journey and oversee development of core patient engagement materials for patient audiences.

Key Duties & Responsibilities

• Oversee the design, evolution, and implementation of patient support program materials to communicate program eligibility, enrollment, and offerings
  • Partner closely with the Patient Services Operations Team to map out end-to-end program processes, identify communication touchpoints, and work with key vendors to develop materials regarding support program offerings
  • Collaborate with systems/technology teams and compliance teams to maintain knowledge management tools, communication manuals, and approved resources
  • Support annual brand planning efforts to maintain forward movement and appropriate customer engagement throughout the CASGEVY treatment journey
  • Define metrics along with tactical development; implement measurement plans & optimize as needed
• Clearly understand and compliantly support the evolving needs of healthcare providers and patients undergoing treatment with CASGEVY
  • Develop and execute research and insight gathering plans to understand knowledge and access gaps throughout the treatment journey, including attending patient and HCP congresses and executing focus groups in collaboration with patient advocacy and marketing colleagues
  • Build relationships & partner with Authorized Treatment Center teams to gather feedback on communications plans & tactics
  • Partner with Care Managers to develop, refine, and optimize conversation guides, FAQs, and patient support program materials
  • Work with agency partners to develop corresponding tactics and bring through legal/medical/regulatory review (i.e., Promotional Review Committees)

• Foster cross-functional collaboration and decision-making within a fast-paced, dynamic environment to deliver consistent, high-quality materials and deliverables for patient and HCP audiences
  • Partner with brand marketing teams to ensure consistency in messaging, patient and HCP engagement strategies, and tactics
  • Build and sustain strong cross-functional working relationships with key internal stakeholders, including patient support operations, market access, patient advocacy, Global and US marketing, corporate communications, legal, compliance, and finance
  • Communicate and share best practices amongst internal teams regarding patient support communications across therapeutic areas

Required Education Level

• Bachelor's Degree

Required Experience:

• Minimum of 7 years of experience in pharmaceutical marketing, patient experience communications, or closely related fields
• Minimum of 3 years of experience managing agency partners and vendors to develop program frameworks, communication strategies, and execution of materials
• Patient support experience for a cell or gene therapy product (commercial or clinical trial)
• Familiarity/experience working with the SCD and/or TDT communities
• Experience launching a product for a rare disease/underserved patient population
• Bachelor's degree in marketing, business, or scientific degree or equivalent

Knowledge/Skills:

• Demonstrated ability to effectively collaborate across cross-functional teams internally & externally
• Strong analytical skills, ability to derive insights from customer engagements and apply them to tactical creation
• Ability to manage up and across an organization; can adeptly identify when/what information to share with leadership and/or cross-functional stakeholders at critical timepoints
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal; comfortable engaging with diverse audiences ranging from cross-functional colleagues & senior leaders to HCP customers & patient communities
• Comfortable working in a fast-paced, solutions-oriented business environment
• Strong budget management and program management experience
• Experience collaborating offline and managing formal reviews with legal, medical and regulatory partners

Pay Range:

Disclosure Statement:

Flex Designation:

Flex Eligibility Status:

In this Hybrid-Eligible role, you can choose to be designated as:
1. Hybrid: work remotely up to two days per week; or select
2. On-Site: work five days per week on-site with ad hoc flexibility.

Note: The Flex status for this position is subject to Vertex's Policy on Flex @ Vertex Program and may be changed at any time.

#LI-Hybrid

Company Information

Vertex is a global biotechnology company that invests in scientific innovation.

Vertex is committed to equal employment opportunity and non-discrimination for all employees and qualified applicants without regard to a person's race, color, sex, gender identity or expression, age, religion, national origin, ancestry, ethnicity, disability, veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation, marital status, or any characteristic protected under applicable law. Vertex is an E-Verify Employer in the United States. Vertex will make reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with known disabilities, in accordance with applicable law.

Any applicant requiring an accommodation in connection with the hiring process and/or to perform the essential functions of the position for which the applicant has applied should make a request to the recruiter or hiring manager, or contact Talent Acquisition at ApplicationAssistance@vrtx.com