Vice President

Our client is a strategic communications consulting firm focused in Health Care/Biotech/Life Sciences. We are currently seeking a Vice President for their Life Sciences practice in Washington, DC.  This individual will provide program supervision and communications leadership for a major national public-private health care initiative, as well as providing communications counsel and program supervision for other DC-based client organizations. 

Essential Job Responsibilities:

• Function as a self-starter to organize, nurture and develop relationships with a wide variety of organizations in life sciences and health care that will be participating in the new national initiative, while coordinating with senior government leaders that have catalyzed the initiative


• Provide to clients and staff an in-depth knowledge of the new generation of biomedicine (including molecular medicine and health care information technology) as well as an understanding of how public policy affects those areas


• Develop and manage projects and programs, including strategies, implementation plans, and evaluation mechanisms, staffing plans, timelines and budgets, in collaboration with the executive management of the Life Sciences practice


• Work directly with client teams at all levels to determine appropriate program and communications strategies and tactics and recommend campaigns and programs that support those needs


• Produce thoughtful, accurate, and compelling content and provide counsel, planning, oversight and management of the implementation of a broad range of program and communications tools (e.g. conferences, seminars, websites, video, major media outreach programs, a wide array of writing assignments, interactive and print communications vehicles, , etc.)


• Manage client teams to ensure that client needs are met with the highest quality, on time and on budget


• Play an active role in the development of the staff through guiding training programs, timely performance based feedback, and mentoring both their team and others in the firm

Attributes:

• High degree of personal integrity, ethics and candor


• Proficiency in the management of client relationships, including the implementation of tangible work and the delivery of the “intangible” of being a trusted partner


• Solid analytical and problem solving skills


• Strong interpersonal skills


• Strong leadership skills and client counseling capabilities


• Consummate team player:  self-directed and motivated, but operates well in virtual teams


• Clear and engaging writing style and excellent writing/editing skills


• Sense of humor and strong desire to learn new concepts and skills


• Flexibility to thrive in dynamic circumstances

Required Skills:

• 10+ years of significant experience in communications in the Life Sciences, Health Care, and/or Bioinformatics/Health IT spaces


• Experience working with at least 1 or more of the 3 key sectors: government, commercial entities, and member/constituent-driven/non-profit organizations


• Experience in managing Programs and constituency-building activities


• Strong writing skills, with experience developing coordinated messaging for multiple target audiences in multiple medium


• Experience managing client relationships and working with a broad range of clients, including private sector and public sector


• Extensive project management experience (both large and small). Experience with matrix teams will be very helpful


• Experience with interactive communications medium such as websites and digital communications, Web 2.0 experience a plus


• Knowledge of, and passion for information technology especially as it applies to life sciences


• Excellent verbal communication skills as well as strong presentation skills


• Strong people management and mentoring skills


• Aptitude for financial management


• Ability to multi-task effectively and maintain excellent organization

Education (degrees, technical training, etc.):

• B.A./B.S required


• MS/MBA/MPH a plus