Director, Patient Advocacy - Avidity Biosciences

Job Title:

Director Patient Advocacy

Location:

Remote

Position type:

FLSA:

Full time

Exempt

Department:

Medical Affairs

At Avidity Biosciences, we are passionate about the impact of every employee in realizing our vision of improving people’s lives by delivering a new class of RNA therapeutics. Avidity is revolutionizing the field of RNA with its proprietary AOCs, which are designed to combine the specificity of monoclonal antibodies with the precision of oligonucleotide therapies to address targets and diseases previously unreachable with existing RNA therapies. If you are a committed, solution-oriented thinker, join us in making a difference and become part of our growing culture that is integrated, collaborative, agile and focused on the needs of patients. 

Avidity Biosciences, Inc.'s mission is to profoundly improve people's lives by delivering a new class of RNA therapeutics - Antibody Oligonucleotide Conjugates (AOCs™). Utilizing its proprietary AOC platform, Avidity demonstrated the first-ever successful targeted delivery of RNA into muscle and is leading the field with clinical development programs for three rare muscle diseases: myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1), Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) and facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD). Avidity is broadening the reach of AOCs with its advancing and expanding pipeline, including programs in cardiology and immunology through internal discovery efforts and key partnerships. Avidity is headquartered in San Diego, CA. For more information about our AOC platform, clinical development pipeline, and people, please visit www.aviditybiosciences.com and engage with us on LinkedIn and Twitter.

The Opportunity

The Director of Patient Advocacy  will serve a unique and pivotal role in the company, helping to infuse the voice, insights and perspectives into Avidity’s culture and helping to strategically connect our Avidity’s programs to the needs expressed by patients. The Director will be responsible for defining and implementing Patient Advocacy strategy to support the late-stage development, launch, and post-market expansion of Avidity’s programs for rare and debilitating muscular diseases in line with Avidity’s corporate goals. As part of the Patient Advocacy & Engagement team you will report to Head of Patient Advocacy & Engagement.  This role will work collaboratively with other key functions across the company, such as Clinical Development, Commercial, Market Access, Communications, Regulatory Affairs, Safety, Finance, Legal and Research. This role will be instrumental in helping to shape and nurture Avidity’s culture centered around the purpose of addressing the needs of patients and making a meaningful difference in their lives

What You Will Contribute

• In collaboration with other relevant functions, develop and propose patient advocacy group (PAGs) strategy and plans, particularly but not limited to U.S. patient organizations and rare disease communities.
• Develop and maintain relationships with U.S. PAGs
• Refresh the community landscape of relevant advocacy groups and continue regular communications to share and discuss short- and long- term priorities and initiatives.
• Review patient advocacy frameworks, governance, ways of working with PAGs.
• Ensure that the voice and perspectives of the communities Avidity serves are shared and championed within other teams company-wide, including, but not limited to clinical development, corporate affairs, marketing, market access, and patient support.
• Manage patient community activities (ex. advisory meetings, standing councils) to gather patient and community insights and deliver recommendations for how we might apply learnings to strengthen our program and community relationships
• Drive diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives to ensure the perspectives and needs of historically marginalized groups are addressed in our work
• Demonstrate, and lead by example, compliant behavior in all aspects of company work.
• Perform all duties in full compliance with company policies and governing law.
• Enhances organizational collaboration by encouraging dialog amongst team members to address issues, actively seeks solutions that improve the organization at the regional and national level.
• Maintains a positive attitude, anticipates and proactively adapts actions to seize opportunities during times of rapid change and/or uncertainly. Helps others during change through positive, solution-oriented approach

What We Seek

• Minimum bachelor’s degree required.
• 10+ years of experience in patient advocacy or other relevant function.
• Global advocacy experience preferred; US advocacy experience required.
•  Significant experience launching products including pre-launch prep.
• Experience in rare disease or specialty indications required.
• Flexible, entrepreneurial by nature, a collaborative team player who works well with patients, physicians, providers, payers, regulators, scientists, and peers.
• Must possess excellent communication skills, including ability to strategically synthesize and simplify complicated scientific topics into understandable messages for broad audiences.
• Leadership and influence skills, including a passion for working within multiple teams and proven ability to achieve results in a matrix organization.
• Must be able to actively manage and track many complex projects in parallel, structuring the actions of many people toward shared outcomes.
• Highly motivated, decisive, and results-oriented individual with the flexibility and creativity to excel in a rapidly growing and changing environment.
• Experience working with all levels of management and consulting with key business stakeholders. An ability to positively influence stakeholders in a team environment for greater outcomes.
• Strong team player that has a customer service approach and is solution oriented.
• Attention to detail and the ability to work individually, within a multi-disciplinary team, as well as with external partners and vendors.
• Embrace Avidity’s core values
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively, as required, in a fast-paced start-up environment consisting of internal and external team members.
• Analytical thinker with excellent problem-solving skills and the ability to adapt to changing priorities and deadlines.
• Proven track record of excellent communication and collaboration skills, including recognition by cross-functional partners; works well independently while exhibiting professional maturity, confidence, and competence
• Outstanding business acumen; knows the industry, Avidity’s value proposition, key competitors, and other marketplace factors/dynamics
• Agility and flexibility in a fast paced environment
• Ability to travel extensively and must possess a valid driver’s license. Weekend travel may be required

• The base salary range for this role is $215,400-238,100. The final compensation will be commensurate with such factors as relevant experience, skillset, internal equity and market factors.
• Avidity offers competitive compensation and benefits which includes the opportunity for annual and spot bonuses, stock options and RSUs, as well as a 401(k) with an employer match. In addition, the comprehensive wellness program includes coverage for medical, dental, vision, and LTD, and four weeks of time off.
• A commitment to learning and development which includes a variety of programming internally developed by and for Avidity employees, opportunities for job-specific training offered by industry, and an education reimbursement program.

Avidity Biosciences

10578 Science Center Dr. Suite 125

San Diego, CA

92121

O: 858-401-7900

F: 858-401-7901