Director, Patient Engagement & Advocacy (State & Grassroots)

Neurocrine Biosciences

US CA Home Office Onsite Corporate Affairs Group

About this role

Who We Are:

Neurocrine Biosciences is a leading biopharmaceutical company with a simple purpose: to relieve suffering for people with great needs. We are dedicated to discovering, developing and commercializing life-changing treatments for patients with under-addressed neurological, psychiatric, endocrine and immunological disorders. The company's diverse portfolio includes FDA-approved treatments for tardive dyskinesia, chorea associated with Huntington's disease, classic congenital adrenal hyperplasia, hyperphagia in Prader-Willi syndrome, endometriosis* and uterine fibroids*, as well as a robust pipeline including multiple compounds in mid- to late-phase clinical development across our core therapeutic areas. For more than three decades, we have applied our unique insight into neuroscience and the interconnections between brain and body systems to treat complex conditions. We relentlessly pursue medicines to ease the burden of debilitating diseases and disorders, because you deserve brave science. For more information, visit neurocrine.com, and follow the company on LinkedIn, X, Facebook and YouTube. (*in collaboration with AbbVie)

At Neurocrine, strong leadership drives both business results and team success. We look for leaders who think strategically, anticipate what’s ahead and set clear direction, while building and empowering high-performing teams. Successful leaders foster an environment where people are motivated to do their best work and deliver meaningful, measurable impact through sound decision-making and accountability.

About the Role:

Preferred work location - San Diego, CA or Washington DC. Open to remote

The Director, State & Grassroots Patient Engagement & Advocacy (PEA) provides strategic leadership for field-based patient engagement & advocacy across assigned Endocrinology therapeutic programs and brands. Reporting to the Senior Director, Endocrinology PEA, this role translates national patient engagement & advocacy strategy into coordinated state, regional, and local engagement plans that strengthen relationships with patient advocacy organizations and community stakeholders while ensuring patient and caregiver perspectives inform business decisions.
Working collaboratively across Corporate Affairs and the broader organization, the Director serves as Neurocrine's strategic lead to the patient community at the state and local level for assigned therapeutic programs. This role develops long-term partnerships with state and grassroots patient advocacy organizations, provides strategic leadership for field-based patient engagement across internal functions, strengthens and protects Neurocrine's reputation within local patient communities, generates actionable community insights, and ensures local perspectives meaningfully inform enterprise strategy and decision making.

Your Contributions (include, but are not limited to):

Strategic Leadership

Lead the development and execution of state and grassroots patient engagement strategies for assigned Endocrinology therapeutic programs and brands, ensuring alignment with enterprise priorities while addressing regional and local community needs
Translate national patient engagement strategy into coordinated field engagement plans that support business objectives while meeting the unique needs of local patient communities
Identify emerging community needs, trends, and opportunities, translating local insights into actionable recommendations that inform enterprise strategy and business decisions

State & Grassroots Partnership Leadership

Develop and steward long-term strategic relationships with state, regional, and grassroots patient advocacy organizations and other community stakeholders, serving as a trusted partner while advancing shared objectives
Strengthen and protect Neurocrine's reputation and credibility within local patient communities by fostering transparent, collaborative, and mutually beneficial partnerships that reflect the company's values and long-term commitment to patients
Identify, develop, and lead strategic collaborations with community organizations while monitoring the external landscape for emerging trends, unmet needs, partnership opportunities, and potential risks

Field Partnership Leadership

Serve as the primary Patient Engagement & Advocacy partner for field-based functions, including Sales, Field Medical, Field Medical Marketing, Regional Patient Access Managers, State Government Affairs, Market Access, and other field teams supporting assigned therapeutic programs
Partner with field leadership to coordinate patient engagement activities, support patient access and policy initiatives, and ensure consistent execution of national patient engagement strategy across local markets
Provide strategic guidance to field-based colleagues on appropriate engagement with patient advocacy organizations, proactively aligning cross-functional priorities while strengthening and protecting Neurocrine's long-term reputation and trusted relationships within local patient communities

Community Intelligence & Engagement

Lead strategies to generate meaningful community, patient, and caregiver insights through local engagement activities, advisory boards, conferences, and ongoing relationships, translating findings into actionable recommendations for internal stakeholders
Serve as the primary conduit for bringing community intelligence, emerging issues, and local patient perspectives back to headquarters to inform enterprise strategy, evidence generation, commercialization, patient access, and future engagement planning
Partner with the PEA Operations Manager to plan and execute field-based patient engagement activities while ensuring strategic objectives are achieved

Financial & Business Management

Develop annual state and grassroots patient engagement strategies, engagement plans, and proposed budgets for assigned therapeutic programs and brands, aligning investments with business priorities, community needs, and long-term strategic objectives
Manage approved budgets and resources responsibly while ensuring all activities comply with company policies, applicable laws, regulations, and industry standards

Leadership

Partner closely with the Director, National PEA to ensure enterprise strategies are effectively translated into coordinated field engagement activities and that community insights continuously inform national strategy and enterprise decision making
Foster a collaborative, high-performing culture by mentoring colleagues, sharing best practices, and contributing to the continued development of Patient Engagement & Advocacy capabilities across the organization
Perform other duties as assigned

Requirements:

High school diploma with 16+ years of combined relevant education and experience; OR
BS/BA degree in Business, Economics, Communications, Public Health, Healthcare Administration, or a related discipline with 12+ years of relevant experience; OR
Master’s degree with 10+ years of relevant experience
Experience in the biopharmaceutical industry, a patient advocacy organization, or a healthcare consulting, communications, or patient engagement agency is strongly preferred
Experience developing partnerships with state, regional, or grassroots patient advocacy organizations and community stakeholders
Experience working closely with field-based commercial, medical, market access, or government affairs organizations
Experience supporting patient access, state policy, or community engagement initiatives preferred
Experience working in rare disease or specialty pharmaceutical environments preferred
Demonstrated ability to develop and execute strategic patient engagement initiatives across diverse state, regional, and local environments
Exceptional relationship-building, influencing, stakeholder management, and diplomacy skills
Strong understanding of field-based commercial, medical, market access, and government affairs organizations and their interactions with patient communities
Demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional initiatives and influence without formal authority
Excellent communication, presentation, facilitation, negotiation, and executive presence
Strong judgment and ability to balance competing stakeholder priorities while maintaining trusted external relationships
Knowledge of the U.S. healthcare, biopharmaceutical, patient advocacy, and state policy landscape
Commitment to compliant, ethical, and patient-centered engagement

#LI-TM1

Neurocrine Biosciences is an EEO/Disability/Vets employer.

We are committed to building a workplace of belonging, respect, and empowerment, and we recognize there are a variety of ways to meet our requirements. We are looking for the best candidate for the job and encourage you to apply even if your experience or qualifications don’t line up to exactly what we have outlined in the job description.

The annual base salary we reasonably expect to pay is $190,900.00-$260,000.00. Individual pay decisions depend on various factors, such as primary work location, complexity and responsibility of role, job duties/requirements, and relevant experience and skills. In addition, this position offers an annual bonus with a target of 35% of the earned base salary and eligibility to participate in our equity based long term incentive program. Benefits offered include a retirement savings plan (with company match), paid vacation, holiday and personal days, paid caregiver/parental and medical leave, and health benefits to include medical, prescription drug, dental and vision coverage in accordance with the terms and conditions of the applicable plans.