At Real Chemistry, making the world a healthier place isn’t just an aspiration—it’s our everyday reality. Our drive to transform healthcare is informed by our blend of deep scientific expertise, human-centred creativity, and AI-driven insights, fostering a unique environment where innovation thrives and our people are impact-obsessed. As a global agency, we provide a full suite of services across healthcare communications and marketing to our clients, including top players in the pharmaceutical and biotech industries.

Our #LifeatRealChem culture is rooted in our people—we believe we are best together and are committed to excellence for both our clients and colleagues. Whether you're a seasoned professional or just starting your career, if you share our passion for healthcare and connection, we invite you to explore our opportunities.

Discover your purpose. Embrace innovation. Experience #LifeatRealChem.

Job Summary:

Real Chemistry is looking for an Account Director, Advocacy to join our growing team!

The Account Director, Advocacy & Patient Engagement is a trusted client-facing partner responsible for shaping and delivering integrated advocacy and patient-led programs for US-focused and global healthcare clients. The role combines deep experience working with US patient advocacy organizations with strong account leadership, operational management, and strategic counsel. The Account Director helps drive advocacy strategy, enabling meaningful patient collaboration, and ensuring high-quality delivery across complex, multi-stakeholder programs.

This is a hybrid role, based in any of our US offices—including New York City, Lambertville, Boston, Chicago, Carmel, or San Francisco—or remotely within the US, depending on team and business needs.

What you’ll do:

Advocacy & Patient Engagement Leadership

Support the development of advocacy and patient engagement strategies aligned to brand, policy, access, and disease-area objectives.
Serve as a trusted advisor to clients on working credibly and compliantly with US patient advocacy organizations.
Build, manage, and sustain strong, trusted relationships with patient groups, coalitions, and advocacy leaders.
Guide clients on best-practice models for patient collaboration, including co-creation, advisory boards, summits, and patient-led initiatives.
Support the design and delivery of patient-centric programs, including education, awareness, policy engagement, and community-based initiatives.
Ensure patient engagement approaches are authentic, ethical, and aligned with the evolving US advocacy landscape.

Stakeholder & Ecosystem Management

Act as the central connector between patients, advocacy groups, clients, and internal Real Chemistry teams.
Manage complex stakeholder environments involving patients, NGOs, policy influencers, clinicians, and industry partners.
Advise on stakeholder mapping, engagement prioritization, and long-term relationship building in the US context.
Anticipate stakeholder risks and sensitivities, providing proactive guidance to clients.

Client Leadership & Strategic Counsel

Serve as the day-to-day senior client partner, owning the relationship and overall account health.
Lead the development of integrated advocacy and engagement plans (annual, quarterly, or campaign-based).
Provide counsel on advocacy trends, patient dynamics, and the broader healthcare and policy environment.
Identify opportunities to evolve and expand client programs across advocacy, policy, communications, and engagement.

Account & Operational Management

Own delivery across multiple workstreams, ensuring timelines, quality control, and flawless execution.
Lead budget management, forecasting, and financial stewardship across advocacy and engagement programs.
Oversee resourcing and workflow across cross-functional teams including advocacy, policy, communications, creative, digital, and analytics.
Ensure programs are delivered efficiently, compliantly, and to Real Chemistry standards.

Team Leadership & Development

Lead and mentor junior team members, fostering advocacy expertise, strategic thinking, and delivery excellence.
Create a collaborative, high-performing team culture that balances empathy, rigor, and accountability.
Act as an internal advocate for patient-centric ways of working across the wider Real Chemistry organization.

Business Growth & New Opportunities

Support new business development, pitches, and proposals, particularly those with a patient, advocacy, or policy lens.
Identify white-space opportunities where advocacy and patient engagement can unlock additional client value.
Help position Real Chemistry as a partner of choice for patient-centered and advocacy-led programs in the US.

This position is a perfect fit for you if:

Our Company values – Best Together, Impact-Obsessed, Excellence Expected, Evolve Always and Accountability with an “I” – really speak to you.
You are adaptable, resilient, and OK with adjusting your scope, responsibilities, and focus as we grow. When things change, so do we. We’re always evolving.
You are proactive, driven, and resourceful with strong prioritization skills.
You are highly organized self-starter, able to work independently and under tight deadlines. Have a keen eye for detail, the ability to toggle between projects in a fast paced environment.

What you should have:

Bachelor’s degree in communications, marketing or a related field or equivalent experience is required.
Typically 8–12+ years’ experience in healthcare communications, advocacy, public affairs, or patient engagement.
Demonstrated experience working directly with US patient advocacy organizations (essential).
Strong understanding of the US advocacy ecosystem, including compliance considerations and best practices.
Proven track record leading complex client accounts and senior stakeholders.
Strong financial and operational management skills; agency experience strongly preferred.
A passion for patient-centered healthcare and improving outcomes through meaningful engagement
Some management experience of junior staff required – interns, associates.
High energy, able to effectively operate in fast-paced, growing and evolving environment
The position may require some domestic travel for client meetings and conferences (10 percent).

Pay Range: $95,000 - $115,000

This is the pay range the Company believes it will pay for this position at the time of this posting. Consistent with applicable law, compensation will be determined based on job-related, non-discriminatory factors including but not limited to work experience, skills, certifications, and geographical location. The Company reserves the right to modify this pay range at any time.

Real Chemistry is proud to be Great Place to Work® certified; check out what our people shared about our culture and workplace on .

We believe we can do our best when feeling our best, which is why we’ve put together a benefits program designed to give you the support you and your family need at every stage of life. Real Chemistry offers a comprehensive benefit program and perks, tailored to your region. Globally, this includes offices in our key markets with free snacks to keep you running all day long, generous holiday and paid time off, options for private medical, dental, and vison plans, and support in saving for the future. Other perks include mental wellness coaching and support and access to more than 13,000 online classes with LinkedIn Learning. Learn more about our great benefits and perks and search specific offerings in your region at: www.realchemistrybenefits.com.

Working with Real HART: Since the pandemic, we have adapted to how our people told us they want to work. We have office locations in cities in the US, UK, and Europe with many employees and clients that serve as hubs where and when they need us.For employees who are within an hour of one of our offices, we expect attendance in the office two days per week, either at a Real Chemistry office or onsite with clients. We are also actively opening new office locations, so if one opens near you, our Real HART policy will apply. We are not looking for attendance for the sake of attendance but believe that the opportunity to coordinate in-office team meetings, 1:1 meetings with managers, taking advantage of on-site learning, and connecting with client partners is a critical to delivering on our purpose of making healthcare what it should be.Outside of these offices, we have regions, where people work remotely but come together quarterly for collaboration, culture and learning opportunities. We call this our Real Hybrid and Regional Teams (Real HART) approach. Real Chemistry believes we are best together – and our workplace strategy fosters connection and collaboration in person – but also supports flexibility for our people.

Real Chemistry is an Equal Opportunity employer. We continually strive to build and sustain an inclusive and equitable work environment where our employees feel empowered to leverage all they bring from their personal lived experience and professional expertise, to make our team the best in the industry. We encourage motivated and qualified applicants to apply without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, ethnic or national origin, age, physical or mental disability, genetic information, marital information, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local employment discrimination laws where Real Chemistry operates. Should you require accommodations throughout the interview process please let your recruiter know.

Notice: Real Chemistry and its affiliates' names are being misused by scammers through messaging services, fake websites, and apps. Do not share personal or financial information or make payments to any unverified sources claiming to be connected to Real Chemistry. We are working to stop these unauthorized activities and protect our community.

Account Director, Advocacy (Healthcare Communications) New

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