Senior Vice President (SVP), Public Affairs (Healthcare/Pharma)

FleishmanHillard’s Washington office is seeking an experienced and versatile communications professional to join the firm’s Health & Life Sciences practice as a Senior Vice President. This position provides a fantastic opportunity to work at the intersection of healthcare and public affairs in service to pharmaceutical and medical device companies, as well as third party organizations to include associations and other non-profits.

The ideal candidate will bring experience in an agency environment across public affairs disciplines that will help clients win in the court of public opinion.  Specialized expertise includes complex issues management, policy, regulatory affairs, pricing, multi-stakeholder engagement and an understanding of geopolitical influences/dynamics in the healthcare space.

In this role, you will work on behalf of healthcare clients to devise and execute large-scale integrated communications initiatives that directly impact their bottom line and reputations. Our clients will depend on you for high-level strategic counsel, real-time intelligence and analysis that informs their overall direction and day-to-day functions, communications ideas and plans that best serve their business priorities, and strong leadership to execute on approved scopes in ways that deliver measurable results.  The ideal candidate is versed in cross-agency collaboration, working with various practices, e.g., media, paid media to deliver on deadline and on budget.

At FleishmanHillard, we embrace challenges, think boldly, trust each other, and harness our talented worldwide network to provide the best in-class counsel to our roster of remarkable global clients. Are you ready to join the team? 

FleishmanHillard values the importance of impact and inclusion to strengthen the bonds between us, grow our people and create spaces for everyone to thrive. We stay true to our commitment to our people and the communities in which we live and work. As part of our ongoing effort to be the world’s most inclusive agency, we are committed to seeking candidates who possess and demonstrate a profound interest in furthering our impact and inclusion goals. 

Responsibilities

• Foster strong relationships with client contacts to inspire confidence in your client counsel and an “always on” partnership dynamic that supports FleishmanHillard’s value proposition.
• Help build and execute smart, detailed, integrated strategies for our clients in the healthcare + public affairs space.
• Integrate seamlessly into internal account teams to share recommendations, ideas, and strategic responses to client needs.
• Support and manage work streams and teams on program execution across a broad spectrum of comms functions.
• Monitor and assess emerging U.S. and global policy developments, regulatory risks, and political trends to inform strategic counsel and proactively flag opportunities or challenges for clients.
• Help shape client stories and messages with an eye toward integrating clients into the broader news cycle.
• Lead and motivate teams to successfully manage relationships and correspondence with external audiences: top-tier reporters, client partners, SMEs, etc.
• Oversee high-quality, client-ready written materials, including press releases, background materials, planning documents, and policy briefs that resonate with relevant audiences and reflect an understanding of our clients’ businesses.
• Oversee and/or contribute to the financial management of accounts within your purview, including budgeting, forecasting and monthly reporting.
• Actively contributes to the growth of the Health and Life Sciences sector by building relationships and cultivating new clients, while identifying opportunities for organic growth with existing clients.

Qualifications

• A minimum of 15 years of public relations agency experience, with a focus on public affairs in a healthcare environment.
• A minimum of a bachelor’s degree in public relations, communications, journalism, or related field.
• Strong understanding of the healthcare industry overall, including trends, relevant policies and influences/influencers affecting the overall sector and specific clients.
• Keen analytical skills and an ability to quickly grasp client environments, systems, priorities and issues.
• Well-honed strategic assessment and planning ability that anchors all recommendations and initiatives.
• High attention to detail, with the ability to manage multiple ongoing activities for large projects.
• Knowledge of media trends and issues and strong understanding of media environment.
• Strong media relationships with tier 1 healthcare policy reporters.
• Firm understanding of multichannel editorial content creation, development and distribution.
• An ability to work well within a team environment, complementing senior leads and managing junior staff.
• Energetic, self-starter and resourceful problem solver – gets things moving and keeps them on track.
• Creative thinker with excellent written and oral communications skills.
• Experience in new business generation.
• Experience in financial management.

Our Story 

FleishmanHillard specializes in public relations, reputation management, public affairs, brand marketing, digital strategy, social engagement and content strategy. FleishmanHillard was named 2020, 2021 and 2022 Campaign Global PR Agency of the Year; 2023 ICCO Large Agency of the Year – The Americas; 2022 and 2023 PRWeek U.S. Agency of the Year; 2022 and 2023 PRWeek U.S. Outstanding Extra-Large Agency of the Year; 2023 Campaign US PR Agency of the Year; 2021 PRovoke APAC Consultancy of the Year; and 2021 PRWeek UK Large Consultancy of the Year. FleishmanHillard is part of Omnicom PR Group and has nearly 80 offices in more than 30 countries, plus affiliates in 45 countries. 

FleishmanHillard offers a hybrid work model, and seeks employees who are comfortable working in the office for a portion of their workweek. We value the collaboration and camaraderie that in-person interactions provide, but also understand the importance of flexibility and balance in our employees' lives. As such, we are open to discuss various work arrangements that accommodate individual needs and circumstances, including flexible scheduling and alternative work arrangements. Our goal is to foster a productive and inclusive work environment where all employees can thrive, both in and out of the office.   

FleishmanHillard is an Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sex stereotyping, pregnancy (which includes pregnancy, childbirth, and medical conditions related to pregnancy, childbirth, or breastfeeding), gender, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, age, mental or physical disability, ancestry, medical condition, marital status, military or veteran status, alienage, citizenship status, sexual orientation, genetic information, or any other protected class under federal, state or local laws. Please do not contact the office directly to apply – only resumes submitted through this website will be considered. If you need assistance reviewing career opportunities or completing an application, please email our careers team or call 314-982-1700 and ask to be connected to Talent Development. 

The anticipated U.S. salary range for the Senior Vice President level is $110,000-$225,000.

Salary is based on a range of factors that include relevant experience, knowledge, skills, other job-related qualifications and geography. A range of medical, dental, vision, 401(k) matching, paid time off and/or other benefits also are available.