Job Description

Company: Our client is a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on developing locally delivered, extended-release products that have the potential to address therapeutic areas with high unmet medical need.

Location: Seattle, WA (Hybrid)/Vancouver, Canada (Hybrid)

Proprietary Technology Platform: Uniquely designed to support patients and industry goals:

• Utilizing An extended duration of effect and delivery of drugs to patients in a hyper-localized fashion, targeting only the tissues that physicians want to treat.
• Our client's proprietary technology platform has the potential to augment and transform existing FDA-approved drugs to improve safety, tolerability, efficacy and duration of effect.

Position Scope:

Our client is seeking a dynamic Director of External Communications with extensive experience in the biotech/pharma industry, with specific experience working at a development stage company with a Phase 2/3 product. This position will play a key role in generating the external corporate communications strategy to ensure the company's evolving story is communicated effectively.  

This position’s responsibilities will support cross functional areas including commercial, investor relations, clinical, medical affairs, research and human resources. This individual will also be the point person for generating, reviewing and deploying external communication initiatives across various mediums (with subject matter expertise assistance) and be responsible for corporate communications across multiple channels and platforms, including press releases, traditional and social media and for ensuring consistency of communications between corporate and communications and communications at scientific conferences.

Key Responsibilities:

Corporate and Brand Messaging

• Develop communication strategies and plans that effectively communicate corporate and product stories to external audiences.
• Partner and coordinate with the executive team and other functional team members in the overall stewardship of the corporate brand, positioning and messaging.
• Own the process of creating and update company's overarching narrative and message architecture, ensuring consistency across the website, investor materials, social channels, commercial and medical communications.
• Navigate the process of obtaining approval for the Corporate Branding strategy and content by the Executive Team and other key stakeholders.

Content Creation

• Develop and draft external communications materials, including corporate website content, press releases, R&D Day and investor materials, working with the appropriate functional subject matter experts. Where materials contain scientific, clinical or medical content, work closely with the CMO and designated Clinical/Medical subject matter experts, who retain accountability for the scientific and medical content and interpretation.

Investor Relations and Public Relations

• Contribute to the production of press releases, earnings releases, corporate updates, and clinical trial milestone announcements, in close coordination with the CFO, General Counsel, and CEO.
• Prepare briefing materials for quarterly earnings calls, investor conference presentations, and the annual report / MD&A narrative, working with IR counsel and the executive team.
• Develop talking points, Q&A documents across investor, media, and public forums, ensuring message discipline.
• Support the Investor Relations function on positioning materials, including the corporate deck, fact sheet, and website content, ensuring consistent, non-promotional, compliant messaging across all investor touchpoints.
• Coordinate with IR the external messaging calendar around clinical catalysts, ensuring alignment with continuous disclosure obligations and coordination with the company's disclosure committee.
• Manage corporate social media presence (LinkedIn, X/Twitter) with a consistent voice appropriate for a regulated public company.

Scientific and Medical Communications

• Provide writing and communications support, as requested, for scientific and medical materials including congress materials, advisory board materials, KOL communications, publications and disease-state education. Scientific and medical strategy, content and interpretation remain the responsibility of the Clinical/Medical organization.
• Ensure external communications containing scientific, clinical or medical information are appropriately reviewed and approved by the accountable Clinical/Medical and other relevant functional leaders before external use.
• Maintain working fluency in the disease areas and competitive landscape, drawing on market research and competitive analysis of the competitive and scientific landscape to sharpen external messaging and anticipate questions from analysts and media.

Commercial

• Supporting the commercial function in defining key messages and supporting proof points for each priority audience: gastroenterologists, allergists/immunologists, pediatric subspecialists, patients and caregivers, payers, investors, and internal stakeholders. Ensure messaging is consistent across all external-facing touchpoints and tailored to each audience’s clinical, economic, or experiential lens.

Requirements

• Bachelors’ degree in Life Sciences or related field; additional communications and/or journalism qualifications are an asset.
• 8–10+ years of progressively senior communications, investor relations, or public relations experience, with at least 5 years in biotech, pharma, or life sciences.
• Understanding of the healthcare ecosystem, including clinical workflows, regulatory landscapes, reimbursement environments, and therapeutic areas (e.g., GI, Immunology and/or specialty therapeutics).
• Excellent writing and editing skills, and the ability to translate clinical and scientific data into clear, accurate, non-promotional external messaging.
• Experience with developing and executing communication strategies and tactics.
• Demonstrated experience in public-company investor relations and financial communications, including press release drafting, disclosure coordination, and earnings-related materials.
• Working knowledge of Canadian and/or U.S. securities disclosure requirements and familiarity working with a disclosure committee.
• Strong relationship-management skills with analysts, and agency partners; sound judgment under time pressure and during high-stakes or sensitive situations.
• Proven ability to work with and effectively influence leadership teams while operating in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial, decisive/deadline-oriented environment, heavily regulated industry; strong interpersonal skills and ability to work with others in a positive, collaborative manner.
• Excellent planning and organizational skills, with a keen ability to multi-task. 
• Ability to travel domestically and internationally.
• Proficient in Microsoft Word, Excel, SharePoint and PowerPoint.

Additional attributes

• Highly motivated self-starter with strong initiative in identifying operational improvements.
• Clear communicator capable of presenting to senior management, and key external stakeholders.
• Proactive problem-solver who can troubleshoot equipment issues and safety concerns independently.
• Excellent organizational and time management skills to juggle multiple priorities.
• As a continuous learner, this individual will be committed to staying current with development in the client's strategic areas of interest (GI disease and EoE).

Salary Range: $165,000 - $210,000 annual base compensation. Within the posted range, individual pay is determined by job-related skills, relevant experience, education and/or training. Incentive compensation is based on performance and agreed upon contract terms. The company also offers a competitive benefits package.