Director, Patient Experience and Program Communications, Pain Programs and Patient Support
Vertex Pharmaceuticals
- Location
- Boston, MA
- Work model
- On-Site
- Level
- Staff
- H-1B history
- 31 approvals (FY2023)
About this role
Job Description
General Summary: The Director, Patient Experience and Program Communications will serve as a key leader within the Pain Patient Support Team, responsible for defining and driving the strategy for patient-facing and stakeholder-facing communications that support access, fulfillment, and engagement. This role will lead efforts to simplify the patient access experience by translating operational complexity into clear, compelling, and actionable messaging and resources for patients, caregivers, healthcare providers, and internal stakeholders. We are seeking a candidate with a strong track record of leadership in US commercial roles, and demonstrated success leading complex cross-functional initiatives in highly regulated environments. The ideal candidate brings strategic agility, strong organizational influence, ability to create clarity from complexity, and can effectively balance business goals and stakeholder needs. This role will report to the Senior Director / Head of Pain Patient Support .
Key Duties & Responsibilities
Lead the strategy for patient experience and program communications across Pain Patient Support, ensuring a patient-centered and stakeholder-informed approach Translate complex operational, access, reimbursement, and support processes into simple, clear, and effective messaging that improves understanding and reduces friction across the patient journey Shape the long-term vision and annual strategic plan for patient support communications, access messaging, onboarding resources, and related engagement initiatives Partner cross-functionally with HCP Marketing, Consumer Marketing, Market Access Strategy, and Trade Strategy to ensure aligned, consistent, and streamlined access experience messaging across stakeholder touchpoints Lead the development of integrated communications, tools, and resources that support patient education, access, reimbursement, financial assistance, and fulfillment Serve as a key leader in the creation and execution of patient-centric resources and digital assets across channels, including print, web, email, text, video, and virtual engagement platforms Build and evolve the communications capability for the Patient Support function, identifying opportunities to innovate and enhance the patient experience based on emerging needs and external market dynamics Lead complex cross-functional workstreams and drive alignment among internal stakeholders with differing priorities, ensuring progress against business objectives while maintaining patient centricity Cultivate strong partnerships with Medical, Legal, Regulatory, Compliance, and the Communications Review Committee (CRC) to support timely, compliant review and execution of communications Provide strategic direction and oversight for agency partners and external vendors, ensuring high-quality deliverables, effective resource utilization, and adherence to timelines and budgets Collaborate with fulfillment and operational partners to ensure effective management of communications inventory, material deployment, and ordering processes Establish measurement frameworks and success metrics for owned communications and support materials; use performance insights to optimize strategy, improve execution, and inform future investment decisions Identify opportunities to improve how stakeholder feedback, performance data, and market insights are incorporated into communication planning and experience design Act as a strategic thought partner to leadership on patient experience, support communications, and access-related engagement strategy Required Education Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Communications, Advertising, Business, or a related field Required Experience 10+ years of relevant experience, or the equivalent combination of education and experience, in patient support, patient engagement, consumer/patient marketing, market access communications, or other closely