Deputy Director, Integrated Strategic Communications - NA Pharmaceuticals

At Bayer we’re visionaries, driven to solve the world’s toughest challenges and striving for a world where 'Health for all, Hunger for none’ is no longer a dream, but a real possibility. We’re doing it with energy, curiosity and sheer dedication, always learning from unique perspectives of those around us, expanding our thinking, growing our capabilities and redefining ‘impossible’. There are so many reasons to join us. If you’re hungry to build a varied and meaningful career in a community of brilliant and diverse minds to make a real difference, there’s only one choice.

Deputy Director, Integrated Strategic Communications - NA Pharmaceuticals

The Integrated Strategic Communications Lead oversees external and internal communications for Bayer’s Pharmaceuticals business in Canada, advancing brand and reputation. This role develops and executes communications initiatives as a member of the NA Pharmaceuticals Communications squad. This individual works at a senior level with marketing and brand teams across product franchises in the Canadian market, including women’s healthcare and ophthalmology, as well as above brand and executive communications initiatives. This lead is laser focused on delivering 90-day and long-term business outcomes across all areas. This role brings significant understanding and expertise about the Canadian healthcare market, creative and innovative delivery of programs, and the ability to flow to the most valuable work to deliver optimal business success.

Bayer is committed to a flexible hybrid working environment. This is a permanent position based out of Mississauga, Ontario.

What you will do:

• Guides development of a strategic message platform that resonates with target audiences and advances the pharma narrative and generates positive brand, above brand and thought leadership content in paid, earned, shared and owned channels.
• Establishes and strengthens relationships with healthcare and business journalists through deep domain expertise of the media landscape in Canada.
• Develops and executes an integrated communications strategy for both product/brand and above-brand initiatives aligned with key timelines and budget to produce measurable outcomes and successes. Partners closely with corporate, brand and marketing teams.
• Understands the Bayer and competitor landscape in Canada to ensure strategic positioning for Bayer’s launch and portfolio brands and to deliver on the Pharmaceuticals outcomes in Canada.
• Provides strategic counsel and partnership to brand leaders to support positioning the business favorably across marketed and investigational products in women’s healthcare, ophthalmology and other areas.
• Collaborates seamlessly with Canadian business partners and communications colleagues to ensure integrated and successful efforts focusing heavily on milestone communications, scientific data, disease awareness, medical meetings and issues management.
• Serves as editor-in-chief of content/media planning for pharmaceutical communications.
• Partners with Commercial, Medical, Legal and Regulatory colleagues to create effective communications programs aligned with business priorities.
• Create key communications materials (i.e. press releases, stand by statements, Q&A, key messages, narratives).
• Support in the development of plans around Canadian/global congresses and conferences and where communications and play a role.
• Interfaces with country leaders and global communications colleagues to pull through relevant global strategies and plans.
• Establish a measurement program to set/track goals and adjust programming based on results.
• Extract the best work from external agencies and manage plans to budget.
• Serves as member on NA communication squads to deliver on key communications initiatives that support business outcomes across Bayer NA. Initiatives may be in areas such as Brand Execution, Media Relations and Executive Visibility, and Employee Engagement.

Who you are:

• Bachelor’s degree in journalism, communications, public relations or similar field
• Minimum of 10 years’ experience with proven record of developing and executing strategic corporate communications programs in pharma or a related industry preferred with a focus on external communications, product communications and reputation management
• Expertise in the development and implementation of external communications programs, including strategic planning, executive visibility, thought leadership and issues management
• Strong commercial focus and business acumen, including how policy, advocacy and access work and proven ability to apply understanding of market dynamics into strategy
• Ability to work collaboratively across functions, departments and divisions within a matrixed structure to achieve business results
• Media relations experience, including solid understanding of the Canadian media environment
• Excellent oral presentation and influence skills
• Strong writer who can take complex information and produce clear, compelling, and motivating communications quickly for various stakeholders
• A record of success and experience in advising and influencing executive-level leaders
• Thinks strategically and executes at a high level to support our fast-moving and nimble organization and people-focused culture
• A pleasure to work with, highly collaborative, inventive and a self-starter
• Results focused and regularly considers measurement to drive comms effectiveness
• Manages ambiguity well, viewing it as an opportunity vs a challenge
• Flexible with the ability to shift gears quickly and seamlessly as business and stakeholder needs require
• Proactive, out-of-the-box thinker; technologically savvy
• Proficiency with digital communications and social media strategies and tools to increase employee engagement
• Comfortable with medical and science-based content

What we offer:

• Competitive compensation and rewards package
• Collaborative, diverse and inclusive culture
• Career development and global opportunities
• Work-life flexibility programs such as flex hours, employee discounts, volunteer days, wellness, and other employee offerings

Bayer is committed to fostering, cultivating and preserving a culture of Inclusion and Diversity. We embrace and encourage our employees’ differences and believe that our people are our most valuable asset. The collective sum of individual life experiences, knowledge, innovation, self-expression, unique capabilities that our employees invest in their work represents our culture, reputation, and Bayer’s values and purpose.