Director, R&D Communications

Location: Gaithersburg, MD or Boston/Seaport, MA

Hybrid Schedule (3 days onsite, 2 days remote)

Duration: 6 months

Pay: $90 per hour

About AstraZeneca:

At AstraZeneca (AZ), science compels us to push the boundaries of what is possible to turn science into life-changing medicines for patients who need them most. We have three therapy-focused R&D organizations who lead all our work, from discovery through to late-stage development: Oncology R&D is focused on cancer; Bio Pharmaceuticals R&D on Cardiovascular, Renal and Metabolism (CVRM), Respiratory and Immunology, Vaccines and Immune Therapies, and opportunistically, Neuroscience; Rare Disease focused on rare diseases across multiple therapy areas.

R&D:

Our R&D groups are unified in their approach, and united in their purpose working both independently and together, with shared functions specializing in key scientific capabilities from medicinal chemistry to biometrics, patient safety to data science and artificial intelligence (AI), and clinical innovation to device technology. All of this helps us accelerate discovery and development in our efforts to bring new medicines to patients.

What you’ll do:

The R&D Communications Director will support Global Corporate Affairs to help tell the R&D story externally, uncovering, developing and delivering opportunities to showcase the great science and outstanding people we have in our teams. This will help position AstraZeneca as the best science-led organization in the industry and the partner and employer of choice.

The role will involve working closely with R&D scientists – from discovery to development, as well as Global Corporate Affairs colleagues, developing multi-layered campaigns across digital, social and traditional media to bring the science of drug discovery and development to life. The content and stories you develop will need to resonate with a wide range of primarily external audience groups including collaborators, recruits and media.

Responsibilities:

• Development and delivery of an integrated external communications plans to strengthen AstraZeneca’s reputation as a scientific leader in science and technology platforms, across external stakeholders & channels

• Provide communications support and coaching to Expert Function Leaders, like Discovery Sciences and Clinical operations with regard to communicating scientific messages and external communications generally e.g. social

• Serves as counsellor and support for executive communications/external engagements for R&D leaders. Includes supporting key activities such as media interviews and speaking engagements.

• Showcase and amplify scientific publications relating to R&D science and tech, and highlight and support scientists across our digital platforms

• Ability to identify proactive comms opportunities and devise tactics that showcase R&D and are aligned with the overall strategy

• Support PR execution for partnering activities related to R&D science and tech, including development of press releases, statements, Q&As. Prepare for potential issues.

• Closely partner with AZ Global Media and digital communications teams on relevant communications activities and identify opportunities for engagement and collaboration

• Support the markets to effectively communicate about AstraZeneca’s scientific programmes and What Science Can Do

• Establish measures of success and implement relevant evaluation tools for all communications activities

Education, Qualifications, Skills and Experience:

Essential:

• Minimum 5 years of experience.

• Bachelor's Degree in Science related field.

• Experience in R&D within a pharmaceutical company.

• Ability to work on multiple things at once.

• Established track record of delivering impactful, content rich communications programmes across multiple channels and stakeholders with demonstrable measures of success

• Understanding and experience of creating scientific / technical content, ideally in biopharmaceutical context

• Experience of working with the media

• Experience of working with regional and market communicators to support excellent local delivery

• Exemplary native English-level written and verbal communications skills

• Teamwork with high level of personal accountability

Desirable:

• Entrepreneurial approach and desire to challenge the status quo

• Confidence around senior leaders and comfortable delivering alternative viewpoints

• Strong channel management, digital skills and knowledge of technology options

• Able to develop and maintain networks across business and cultural boundaries

• Ability to undertake global travel will be required, primarily between other AstraZeneca Strategic Science Centres