Director, Patient Marketing
San Diego, CA Marketing
Job Type
Full-time
Description

Job Summary/Objective:


The Director, Patient Marketing is a critical role responsible for shaping how the VALTOCO brand connects with patients and caregivers across the treatment journey. This individual translates the core consumer strategy and narrative into clear, cohesive branded experiences that drive engagement, consideration and long-term connection to the brand. Operating within a highly cross-functional environment, this role partners closely with omnichannel, patient advocacy, and broader commercial stakeholders to ensure the branded strategy is consistently and effectively activated. Success in this role requires strong strategic thinking, the ability to translate data and insights into clear decisions and a focus on driving measurable impact and return on investment. The individual must be able to influence across stakeholders to drive alignment and momentum and identify new approaches to strengthen branded patient engagement and business impact. This role reports to the Executive Director of Marketing/Marketing Operations.


Essential Job Functions:

  • Own, develop and deliver short and long-term direct-to-patient strategies and initiatives, including campaigns and patient materials, ensuring alignment to patient journey strategy and business objectives
  • Define branded success metrics and translate insights and performance data into strategic decisions, driving ongoing optimization and measurable business impact
  • Effectively translate market research insights into promotional strategies and tactics
  • Own and evolve the branded messaging architecture, including core claims, and content strategy, ensuring ongoing differentiation, clarity and consistency
  • Identify critical moments and barriers within the patient journey and develop strategies to drive engagement, consideration, and persistence
  • Coordinate closely with the Director of omnichannel marketing to build an effective customer engagement ecosystem
  • Support the annual brand planning process, including development of the branded tactical roadmap, ensuring alignment to business priorities and patient strategy
  • Lead agency partners and collaborate closely with internal team members, providing clear direction, feedback, and decision-making to drive high-quality execution and reduce rework
  • Represent branded strategy in cross-functional and leadership settings, clearly articulating rationale to drive alignment and accelerate decision making
  • Own the Patient Agency of Record (AOR) relationship, setting strategic direction and ensuring high-quality execution across patient initiatives
  • Develop and deliver presentations to a range of internal team members (i.e, executives, leadership team, sales)
  • Ensure compliance with all relevant laws, regulations, and policies
  • Manage patient promotional budgets to ensure efficient allocation of resources and maximize impact
  • Strive for continuous improvement and embrace innovative ideas in daily work.

Competency (Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities):

  • Experience owning patient-facing marketing strategy and execution for pharmaceutical or biotech products in the US; Expertise in branded strategy development, including patient journey design, messaging architecture and campaign development
  • Demonstrated ability to translate patient insights, market research and data into a clear strategic direction
  • Strong understanding of performance measurement and analytics, with the ability to connect marketing activities to patient behavior and business outcomes
  • Demonstrated track record of leading agency partners and driving high-quality strategic and creative output
  • Proven ability to influence without authority and work cross-functionally to align and deliver brand strategy
  • Strong written and communication skills with the ability to clearly articulate strategy and rationale
  • Ability to operate independently in a fast-paced environment, balancing multiple priorities while maintaining strategic clarity
  • Flexibility and the ability to adapt strategy and approach in response to evolving business needs
  • Motivated by patient focus, urgency and personal commitment to high performance, results and compliance.


Personal Performance Factors:

  • Proven self-starter with a hands-on, results-driven approach; proactively identifies opportunities, removes barriers, and delivers outcomes with minimal supervision.
  • High emotional intelligence and collaborative leadership: adept at leading cross-functional teams, mentoring colleagues, and adapting style—knowing when to lead, coach, or support to maximize team performance.
  • Strong program and project management capability: track record of managing multiple concurrent initiatives, setting priorities, meeting deadlines, and consistently delivering high-quality results on time and within scope.
  • Strategic thinker with operational discipline: translates long-term strategy into executable plans while maintaining rigorous attention to detail and measurable KPIs.
  • Comfortable operating in high-visibility environments: performs effectively under pressure, embraces stretch assignments, and navigates changing priorities with resilience.
  • Exceptional communicator and active listener: persuasive presenter with polished written and verbal communication skills tailored to diverse audiences, from field teams to senior leadership.
  • Rapid learner with the ability to simplify complexity: quickly assimilates technical or scientific information and distills it into clear, actionable messages.
  • Strong analytical orientation: uses data and market insights to drive decisions; demonstrated success competing in high-intensity pharmaceutical/biotech markets.
  • Influential collaborator and negotiator: builds strong internal and external relationships, navigates stakeholder dynamics, and secures alignment and commitment across functions
  • Demonstrates strong work ethic.
  • Shows initiative and holds themselves accountable.
  • Lives and advances the Neurelis culture and values. 
  • Always operates with a high degree of integrity and tact. 
  • Demonstrates sound judgment and decision-making ability. 


Management Responsibilities and Skills:

  • No direct reports.

 

Physical Demands and Work Environment:


The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Spends approximately 90% of work time sitting and meeting with others or working at a desk and/or computer. Spends approximately 10% of work time standing or walking within the work area or at meetings and bends, twists, stoops and reaches. Ability to communicate verbally and in writing. Occasionally lifts and/or moves up to 10 pounds. Working conditions are normal for an office environment. The noise level is usually moderate.


Travel Requirements:

  • Ability to travel up to 15-20% 
  • Overnight travel required? Yes
Requirements

 
Minimum Education and Experience Required:

  • Bachelor’s degree required, preferably in Marketing, Communications, Business, Life Sciences, Public Health, or a related field. 
  • Minimum of 10+ years of experience in the US with pharmaceutical, biotech, healthcare, or patient-focused marketing, including at least 5+ years of experience in strategic patient marketing, disease education, healthcare ecosystems, and applicable regulatory and compliance requirements.

Preferred Education and Experience:

  • Advanced degree (MBA, MPH, or other relevant graduate degree) preferred.
  • Marketing experience in epilepsy or neuroscience. 
Salary Description
Salary range: $205,000 - $228,000