Senior Director, Patient Advocacy

Accountabilities:: Define and lead the patient advocacy and community engagement strategy, aligning initiatives with clinical development priorities, Medical Affairs objectives, pipeline needs, and broader organizational goals. Manage the function's budget, resource allocation, and strategic planning, regularly communicating progress, performance, and impact to Medical Affairs leadership and executive stakeholders. Serve as the primary liaison between the organization and patients, caregivers, patient advocacy groups, professional societies, and community-based organizations across kidney disease, metabolic disease, and future therapeutic areas. Develop and maintain strategic partnerships at the national and international levels, with particular attention to communities disproportionately affected by kidney disease and other relevant conditions. Design and implement patient education, communications, community outreach, and engagement programs that increase disease awareness and improve understanding of clinical research and the therapeutic pipeline. Represent patient and caregiver perspectives in cross-functional discussions, ensuring that lived experiences inform clinical trial design, recruitment and enrollment strategies, regulatory planning, patient support programs, health equity initiatives, and broader business decisions. Establish and lead patient and caregiver advisory groups to gather actionable insights and incorporate patient priorities throughout the drug development lifecycle. Ensure that all advocacy activities, partnerships, grants, sponsorships, and patient interactions comply with applicable laws, regulations, industry standards, and internal policies. Lead, mentor, and expand the patient advocacy team, including recruiting new talent, establishing performance expectations, supporting professional development, and fostering inclusive leadership. Define and monitor meaningful performance indicators that demonstrate the function's contribution to clinical trial enrollment, patient experience, community relationships, and long-term organizational impact. Promote strong communication, cross-functional collaboration, effective delegation, strategic execution, and continuous development across the team. Requirements: Bachelor's degree in a relevant field, with a graduate degree in public health, nursing, social work, public policy, or a related discipline considered an advantage. At least 10 years of progressively responsible experience in patient advocacy and community engagement, including responsibility for leading a function and managing a team, ideally within the biopharmaceutical or life sciences industry. Strong understanding of the biopharmaceutical industry, the drug development lifecycle, patient engagement practices, and the compliance requirements governing interactions with patients and advocacy organizations. Demonstrated success in building and managing strategic partnerships with patient advocacy organizations, professional societies, and community groups at national and international levels. Experience engaging executive leadership, providing strategic recommendations, and delivering clear, compelling presentations that influence decision-making. Proven people management capabilities, including recruiting, mentoring, developing, and leading high-performing teams while establishing clear goals and accountability. Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to build trust, navigate complex stakeholder relationships, negotiate effectively, and find common ground among diverse perspectives. A patient-first, ethical, and collaborative mindset, combined with strong business judgment and the ability to translate patient insights into measurable strategic outcomes. Strong leadership capabilities, including transparent communication, active listening, cross-functional influence, strategic prioritization, resource management, and effective delegation. A commitment to inclusive leadership, continuous learning, and employee development, with the ability to identify opportunities, anticipate challenges, and align team activities with organizational priorities. Experience in kidney disease, metabolic disease, or related therapeutic areas is highly desirable, as is familiarity with the needs of communities disproportionately affected by these conditions. A demonstrated understanding of patient and caregiver perspectives, with established relationships within relevant patient communities, is an additional advantage. Candidates who meet many, but not necessarily all, of these qualifications are encouraged to apply. Benefits: Competitive annual salary: The expected annual salary range for employees based in the San Francisco Bay Area is $270,000–$300,000, depending on experience, skills, location, and other job-related factors. Performance-based compensation: Eligibility for an annual performance bonus. Equity incentives: Access to an equity incentive plan, subject to applicable eligibility and plan terms. Healthcare coverage: Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance for eligible employees. Mental health support: Access to mental health offerings that support employee well-being. Retirement savings: A 401(k) program with an employer match. Paid time off: A generous holiday and paid time off policy. Professional development: Opportunities to lead and grow a strategic function, develop talent, and collaborate with multidisciplinary teams across clinical development and Medical Affairs. Meaningful impact: The opportunity to ensure patient and caregiver perspectives influence the development of innovative treatments for kidney and metabolic diseases. Collaborative culture: A supportive environment that values integrity, teamwork, initiative, inclusive leadership, scientific excellence, and measurable impact. Compensation transparency: Salary benchmarking is informed by industry market data, and the final starting salary will depend on relevant professional experience, skills, geographic location, and other job-related considerations. Compensation ranges may be adjusted over time.