Head, US Ecosystem Strategy [Communications & Government Affairs (CGA)]
Location: Washington, DC
The US healthcare system is complex and constantly evolving. GSK collaborates with diverse stakeholders to better understand patient needs in diagnosis, treatment, delivery, and care. Our ambition is to collaborate with external groups (health organizations, public health societies, patient advocacy groups, and non-traditional partners) to address specific challenges and opportunities in 1) prioritized disease areas 2) US health system changes and broader policy reforms 3) external giving opportunities aligned with GSK market-shaping priorities
The Head, US CGA Ecosystem Strategy (ES) will report to the Vice President, U.S. Communications & Government Affairs. This person will serve as a key member of US CGA Leadership Team and is responsible for shaping the external environment through high impact external engagements aligned with GSK patient, policy, and system priorities.
The Head of the function will lead design and execution of external engagement strategies for GSK patient, policy, and system priorities that are aligned with both commercial and enterprise goals. This role will lead external engagement to drive health system change through campaigns and public affairs initiatives (either focused on specific disease areas and/or broader policy and advocacy issues). The role will manage a team accountable for driving GSK priorities with key external partners. The incumbent will work with stakeholders in a highly matrixed environment (US CGA, US business units, US Medical Affairs, and global partners). The Head, ES will transform how GSK serves patients, providers, and ultimately brings value to the US healthcare system.
The role’s responsibilities include:
- Implement the vision of the team to establish GSK leadership in proactively shaping the broader environment (including but not limited to certain disease areas and key policy & access issues)
- Lead prioritized external stakeholder engagements in priority disease and issue areas
- Work collaboratively with Pipeline, Product, Patient team to improve the care experience for patients by addressing broader barriers to care, closing treatment gaps, and measurably improving the understanding, prevention, and treatment of disease
- Gain key patient and health system insights from external collaboration to proactively drive specific ecosystem strategies at the local and national levels
- Initiate the ‘pull through’ from GSK external engagements to orchestrate multistakeholder health system initiatives, in collaboration with internal and external partners, to lead ecosystem priorities
- Serve as a strong, forward-looking thought partner for USC leadership with the ambition to get ahead of US health system transformation
- Acts as a strong financial steward of GSK and is responsible for managing a significant project and external giving budget
- Serves as the single point of accountability for governance, controls, oversight, reporting, and risk management of advocacy activities; ensuring funding areas of interest are aligned cross-functionally and used to guide funding decisions; establishing process and risk management/controls for direct contracting with US patients
- Ensure that the team serves as an independent, enterprise-oriented, product-agnostic strategic function
Why You?
Basic Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree - BA/BS in public policy, public health, health administration, business, communications, political science, or related field.
- At least 8 years in pharma / biotech industry or healthcare consulting
- Deep experience in working with external organizations in the advocacy and policy space (i.e., think tanks, etc.) drive clear health advocacy strategies
- Proven knowledge of US health system design, transformation, and health policy trends
- At least 5 years leading matrix teams
- At least 3 years managing people
Preferred Qualifications:
- A minimum of 10 years of progressive experience in government/public affairs, external affairs, , health systems strategy, or related functions — including a minimum of 5 years in people management and leading cross‑functional teams.
- A demonstrated track record building and managing strategic partnerships with external stakeholders
- Proven experience designing and implementing multi‑stakeholder external engagement strategies that align to commercial, medical, access, policy, and health system transformation objectives.
- Experience managing meaningful program budgets and external giving/funding allocations (experience with budgets in the low‑ to mid‑millions; comfort overseeing ~$10–20M).
- Experience working closely with legal/compliance, medical affairs, market access, finance, commercial teams, and global stakeholders to operationalize external engagement.
- Working familiarity with pharmaceutical industry compliance and legal constraints for external engagement, grants, and donations (e.g., US Sunshine/OPD, PhRMA Code implications).
- Experience using patient insights, qualitative research, market intelligence, and real‑world evidence to inform strategy.
- Excellent written and verbal communication and presentation skills; ability to represent the organization externally and influence senior internal leaders.
- Demonstrated ability to synthesize external stakeholder input and health system trends into actionable insights and present them to senior leadership.
- Experience coaching and developing individual contributors (directors), leading through influence, setting priorities and performance expectations, and managing workload across multiple complex projects
