AVP, External Affairs

Job Description

The Associate Vice President, External Affairs is responsible for positioning the company with key external stakeholders and enabling business performance through corporate reputation management. This leader’s multi-pronged role includes global media relations, reputation, crisis and issues management, policy communications, enterprise social media and corporate brand management.

This leader is a critical member of our company's Global Communications and Corporate Affairs organizations, overseeing the strategy and messaging development that will elevate and protect the company’s brand with external audiences. The Associate Vice President (AVP) will be expected to leverage their expertise in powerful storytelling across all media venues and social channels to help promote our company's impact on global health to stakeholders worldwide. They must be adept in message development and shaping narratives for enterprise functions – from corporate and leader to therapeutic area, product, research and manufacturing.

This astute and savvy communicator must be a critical thinker with flawless instincts and extensive experience in developing and implementing industry-leading media, social media, reputation and corporate brand campaigns, and proactively managing crises and risk. Their strong network of relationships across the media landscape and with key external stakeholders will be essential to leading and guiding the company’s external strategies, and to maintaining a pulse in the rapidly evolving communications landscape.

Their deep knowledge of the business and strong relationships across the company will be fundamental to their role as a senior advisor, thought partner and key collaborator for leaders and communications colleagues alike – both in identifying and managing opportunities and mitigating risk, and generating positive coverage.

Reporting to the Senior Vice President, Global Communications, they will serve as a trusted advisor to senior Corporate Affairs and business leaders, including the Executive Team.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Ensure the principles underpinning the company’s strategic framework are integrated and consistently articulated to all the organization’s external stakeholders, including customers, patients, media, industry leaders/influencers, investors, community stakeholders, government/policy makers and the public

• Collaborate with business leaders, Global Communications and Corporate Affairs colleagues to identify risks and amplify opportunities across the company; partner with Human Health communications to drive and amplify portfolio news and milestones

• Develop and implement a comprehensive strategy for addressing and managing societal issues that impact the pharmaceutical industry, such as healthcare access, affordability, social determinants of health and public health concerns

• Oversee the development and implementation of the overarching global media relations strategy and plan and ensure our company's brand, strategy and values are reflected throughout the plan and messaging

• Oversee the Company’s crisis response activation strategy, including proactive and reactive scenario planning, rapid response protocol and core messaging

• Collaborate cross-functionally to develop communications strategies for scientific and product-related milestones that influence and impact corporate reputation 

• Collaborate to support the development and implementation of the corporate digital and social strategy, ensuring strategic alignment across channels 

• Define, refine, steward and continually innovate a compelling corporate brand strategy and positioning that promotes our company's reputation and builds trust among all stakeholders including healthcare professionals, patients, employees, policymakers, investors, the media and beyond

• Lead our company's corporate advertising across all channels, overseeing strategy, creative and paid media

• Ensure policy communications are aligned with broader corporate communications and business goals and consistently and accurately represent our company's policy positions across all communication channels

• Maintain and build relationships with key external stakeholders, including policy makers, patient advocacy organizations and media partners and influencers

• Establish key performance indicators (KPIs) to assess the impact and effectiveness of External Affairs communications; conduct post-crisis analysis to evaluate the effectiveness of communication strategies, identify lessons learned and make recommendations for continuous improvement

Education:

Bachelor's degree in Communications, Public Relations or equivalent

Required Experience and Skills:

• 15-plus years of in-house or agency experience in a communications role of similar function, experience in pharma or biotech, or a highly regulated industry, is preferred

• Skilled in developing reputation, brand, crisis, media relations and social strategies and messaging and executing plans aligned to business goals and stakeholders’ needs

• Demonstrated experience building a strong network and relationships with top-tier consumer, healthcare and trade media with a proven record of delivering high-impact placements

• Experienced in leading projects or initiatives with multiple stakeholders across functions and countries or regions with proven track record in achieving results that met objectives, within the timeline and budget

• Strong collaboration skills with an ability to work across and at all levels of the organization to generate strong business outcomes

• Meticulous and strong communicator with superior verbal, written and editing skills

• Strong attention to detail

• Positive attitude and willingness/ability to find proactive, compliant solutions to challenges

• Travel (domestic and international) required

Current Employees apply HERE

Current Contingent Workers apply HERE

US and Puerto Rico Residents Only:

Our company is committed to inclusion, ensuring that candidates can engage in a hiring process that exhibits their true capabilities. Please click here if you need an accommodation during the application or hiring process.

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer, committed to fostering an inclusive and diverse workplace.  All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, age, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, or disability status, or other applicable legally protected characteristics.  For more information about personal rights under the U.S. Equal Opportunity Employment laws, visit:

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We are proud to be a company that embraces the value of bringing diverse, talented, and committed people together. The fastest way to breakthrough innovation is when diverse ideas come together in an inclusive environment. We encourage our colleagues to respectfully challenge one another’s thinking and approach problems collectively.

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U.S. Hybrid Work Model

Effective September 5, 2023, employees in office-based positions in the U.S. will be working a Hybrid work consisting of three total days on-site per week, Monday - Thursday, although the specific days may vary by site or organization, with Friday designated as a remote-working day, unless business critical tasks require an on-site presence.This Hybrid work model does not apply to, and daily in-person attendance is required for, field-based positions; facility-based, manufacturing-based, or research-based positions where the work to be performed is located at a Company site; positions covered by a collective-bargaining agreement (unless the agreement provides for hybrid work); or any other position for which the Company has determined the job requirements cannot be reasonably met working remotely. Please note, this Hybrid work model guidance also does not apply to roles that have been designated as “remote”.

The Company is required to provide a reasonable estimate of the salary range for this job in certain states and cities within the United States. Final determinations with respect to salary will take into account a number of factors, which may include, but not be limited to the primary work location and the chosen candidate’s relevant skills, experience, and education.

Expected US salary range:

Available benefits include bonus eligibility, long term incentive if applicable, health care and other insurance benefits (for employee and family), retirement benefits, paid holidays, vacation, and sick days. A summary of benefits is listed here.

San Francisco Residents Only: We will consider qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records for employment in compliance with the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance

Los Angeles Residents Only: We will consider for employment all qualified applicants, including those with criminal histories, in a manner consistent with the requirements of applicable state and local laws, including the City of Los Angeles’ Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance

Search Firm Representatives Please Read Carefully 
Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA, also known as Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC, Rahway, NJ, USA, does not accept unsolicited assistance from search firms for employment opportunities. All CVs / resumes submitted by search firms to any employee at our company without a valid written search agreement in place for this position will be deemed the sole property of our company.  No fee will be paid in the event a candidate is hired by our company as a result of an agency referral where no pre-existing agreement is in place. Where agency agreements are in place, introductions are position specific. Please, no phone calls or emails. 

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