The Executive Director (ED) of Policy, Communication & ESG Strategy for Italy plays a pivotal role in shaping and executing the company's public health policy, public affairs, communication strategy, and ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) initiatives. This position is crucial for driving policy initiatives at EU, national, and regional levels, and ensuring successful engagement with key stakeholders, including government entities, industry associations, healthcare professionals, patient groups, media, and sustainability partners.
The ED collaborates extensively with internal and external partners to promote innovative medicines and vaccines, while improving and protecting patient access to care and preventative medicine.
**The ED will**:
- Lead the Policy & Government Relations' team in Italy, aligning the company's strategic and business goals with public authorities' priorities, aiming at putting health on top of the political agenda,
- Oversee and manage the company's Foundation and ESG initiatives, ensuring their activities align with the company's strategic objectives and public health and sustainability goal;
- Maintain continuous dialogue with media in order to provide updated and reliable information coordinating communication leaders to guarantee innovative communication through social and traditional media and maintain a high level of reputation;
- Ensure the company is invited in the most important fora beyond pharma and healthcare and propose innovative narrative to position the company as the best partner for Italian decision makers;
- Work closely with Market Access in order to create an ecosystem that allows innovation to be recognized and patients to have access to innovative medicines and vaccines.
**Main Responsibilities**:
**Leadership and Development**:
- Lead the Italian policy, communications, patient engagement, social business innovation, and ESG teams, consisting of diverse roles across Public Affairs & Communication, Media Relations, Internal Communication, Public Health, CSR, Relations with Patient Associations, and Sustainability.
- Develop and nurture Communication, Policy, and ESG talents within the team, engaging the team in the leadership development
- Provide strategic counsel to the Managing Director of Italy (Sr. Vice President) and the leadership team, ensuring alignment with regional and global priorities.
**Strategy and Policy Development**:
- Define, develop, evaluate, and disseminate an integrated and coherent public health, public affairs, communication, and ESG strategy tailored for Italy. This strategy should align with the Group's global priorities, regional objectives, and the National Health Strategy and System Transformation Strategy.
- Maximize Policy & Communication proactive role to meet the Italy's financial goals, advocating health on top of the institutional agenda, partnering with our Customers/Stakeholders to enable a conducive pro-innovation policy environment.
- Implement a "bottom-up" approach (gathering needs and projects from Medical Affairs, Market Access, Human Resources, and various Therapeutic Units) and a "top-down" approach (identifying opportunities in the environment to build action programs).
- Drive policy strategies focused on key therapeutic areas, including oncology, vaccines, rare diseases, and anti-infectives while preparing the environment for new products in the pipeline
- Monitor policy and regulatory developments in Italy and proactively address emerging issues by providing strategic guidance and support to company subsidiaries.
- Organize top-notch, distinctive policy events, resulting in shaping the environment and in a huge, qualified media visibility.
**Stakeholder Engagement and Communication**:
- Act as the primary spokesperson for the company at external events, fostering relationships with institutional stakeholders, public authorities, health authorities, industry associations, and other key players.
- Empower and engage representative bodies, including industry associations and other stakeholder groups.
- Ensure consistent and coherent external communication and coordination of institutional communications.
- Strengthen public health activities in line with government priorities and agendas.
- Maximize the impact of public affairs and communication campaigns around the company's franchises, considering the evolving political and media ecosystem.
- Boost and consolidate top-level relationships with the Italian media network with the final aim of continuously improving the company's reputation, as well as consolidating the perception of a company strongly rooted in the country and partner of institutions.
- Position the company as a partner of trust within the national innovation ecosystems (leveraging our investments in the country) and actively search for new opportunities for improving Company/MD image/reputation.
- Actively collaborate with the MD and the Market Access Executive Director to