Patient Engagement Associate Director, Design and Innovation

About This Role

Lead patient engagement strategies for drug development within a pharmaceutical organization, supported by Syneos Health. This role focuses on integrating patient voice across the development lifecycle, from early strategy to clinical execution, to improve trial design and patient experience.

Responsibilities

• Direct pharmaceutical experience required
• Lead a global strategy for patient-focused trial design, patient experience enhancement, and patient-centered evidence generation
• Drive sponsor-side patient recruitment and retention strategies embedded directly into clinical development planning and execution
• Analyze patient journey, inclusion frameworks, and co-designed engagement initiatives to improve recruitment performance and reduce participant burden
• Develop strategies to strengthen representation and inclusion across therapeutic areas and geographies
• Lead enterprise-level change management to scale patient engagement capabilities and standardize best practices
• Collaborate cross-functionally with Clinical Operations, Regulatory, Data Science, Medical Affairs, Public Affairs, Commercial, and Corporate Affairs
• Provide strategic input into policy and regulatory initiatives related to PFDD, PFMD, 21st Century Cures Act, PDUFA VII, digital health, and real-world evidence
• Engage with patient advocacy groups, caregivers, and external stakeholders to support long-term trust and advocacy

Requirements

• 5+ years of experience in patient engagement, patient recruitment, or patient-centric clinical trial strategy within a pharmaceutical company
• Demonstrated experience influencing cross-functional leaders and driving enterprise change
• Strong understanding of global clinical development, regulatory frameworks, and operational decision-making
• Proven ability to design and execute global, multi-functional patient engagement initiatives
• Exceptional communication skills, with the ability to translate complex scientific and regulatory concepts into clear strategy

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in patient engagement, patient recruitment, or patient-centric clinical trial strategy within a pharmaceutical company

Nice to Have

• Advanced degree in Life Sciences, Pharmacy, Data Science, Information Technology, or related field
• Experience with digital health solutions, real-world data, and patient engagement technology
• Prior leadership of large, global clinical development programs or transformation initiatives

Benefits