Head of External Affairs Policy, Strategy & Operations

Title:

Head of External Affairs Policy, Strategy & Operations

Company:

Ipsen Ltd

About Ipsen:

Ipsen is a mid-sized global biopharmaceutical company with a focus on transformative medicines in three therapeutic areas: Oncology, Rare Disease and Neuroscience. Supported by nearly 100 years of development experience, with global hubs in the U.S., France and the U.K, we tackle areas of high unmet medical need through research and innovation.

 Our passionate teams in more than 40 countries are focused on what matters and endeavor every day to bring medicines to patients in 88 countries. We build a workplace that champions human-centric leadership and fosters a culture of collaboration, excellence and impact. At Ipsen, every individual is empowered to be their true selves, grow and thrive alongside the company’s success. Join us on our journey towards sustainable growth, creating real impact on patients and society!

For more information, visit us at https://www.ipsen.com/ and follow our latest news on LinkedIn and Instagram.

Job Description:

We are excited to introduce the new position of Head of External Affairs Policy, Strategy and Operations at Ipsen. This role is crucial in shaping our public image, ensuring effective internal communication, and providing strategic support to the executive team.

As a core member of the External Affairs Team, you will act as an ambassador for Ipsen and lead our strategic engagement, positioning our organization as an industry leader and valued partner with the government, NHS, industry, healthcare providers, and community partners.

This position offers a unique opportunity to shape health policy at a time of significant change across the life sciences sector, therefore, we are looking for an individual who can bring creativity, drive, and energy to deliver high-impact policy programs which underpin the delivery of our key business objectives.

As the successful candidate, you will bring an in-depth understanding of UK health policy and have experience in delivering policy change and cross-functional programs of work.

Role responsibilities:

Public/Government Affairs (60%):

• Act as an ambassador for the organization, positioning it as an industry leader and valued partner with government, NHS, industry, healthcare providers, and community partners.

• Forge and build relationships with key external organizations and bodies to influence the success of the Ipsen’s current and future initiatives.

• Develop and manage a professional relations network, focusing on relations within NHSE and NHS Wales.

• Support the development and delivery of high-impact programs which influence the policy environment and support the delivery of key business objectives.

• Coordinate and develop a policy messaging framework and manage responses to government and industry consultations (e.g., NICE/NHSE/OLS)

• Advise senior leaders on the healthcare political and policy environment to inform the development and implementation of policy and public affairs strategies.

• Monitor the external health policy environment, identify and interpreting the impact of key policy changes and validating via professional network.

• Engage with trade associations, ensuring appropriate representation on key groups and input into policy development.

• Lead the management and implementation of the UK/I Policy Committee.

Internal Communications (20%):

• Develop and execute internal communication strategies to ensure alignment with organizational goals

• Create and distribute internal newsletters, announcements, and updates.

• Manage internal communication channels, including intranet, email, and meetings.

• Coordinate with various departments to gather and disseminate important information.

• Foster a culture of transparency and engagement within the organization.

Chief of Staff Duties (20%):

• Provide strategic support to EA Director and wider team.

• Assist in the planning and execution of key initiatives and projects.

• Coordinate and manage attendance at key industry, policy, and NHS events.

• Prepare briefing materials, reports, and presentations for executive meetings.

• Act as a liaison between the EA team and other Ipsen departments.

Knowledge & Experience (essential):

• Bachelor's degree in Public Relations, Political Science, Public Policy, Communications, Journalism, Business Administration, Management, or a related field.

• Proven ability to build and maintain relationships with government officials, agencies, and key stakeholders.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills

• Experience in developing and implementing public policy strategies.

• In depth understanding of health policy and health system delivery across the UK

• Experience in creating and managing internal communication strategies.

• Strong organizational and project management skills.

• Ability to work collaboratively with various departments to gather and disseminate information.

Knowledge & Experience (preferred):

• Proficiency with internal communication tools and platforms.

• Experience working in matrix structure with global to local models frameworks

• Experience working in life sciences sector

• Experience in corporate communications

IPSEN is committed to equality of opportunity for all staff and applications, individuals are encouraged to apply regardless of age, disability, sex, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief and marriage and civil partnerships.