Senior Vice President, Product, Healthcare, Ruder Finn

Ruder Finn is one of the world’s largest independent global communications and integrated marketing agencies, recognized for bold ideas, strategic thinking, and a culture that continually pushes what’s next. The agency continues to earn recognition for its industry leadership, creativity, and growth, including being named Large Agency of the Year at the 2026 PRWeek U.S. Awards and one of PRWeek’s Best Places to Work.  

Ruder Finn is seeking an exceptional Senior Vice President, Health account lead to join our healthcare team. This senior leader will provide strategic counsel and oversee the planning and execution of high-impact communications programs for clients across the healthcare sector, with a strong focus on product communications. 

The ideal candidate brings deep experience leading complex healthcare accounts, a strong understanding of pharmaceutical and biotech product communications, and an integrated mindset across earned media, digital, social, advocacy, corporate reputation, executive visibility, and stakeholder engagement.  

This individual should be energized by breakthrough healthcare communications, skilled at building trusted senior client relationships, and experienced in driving growth within an agency environment. 

Key Responsibilities 

• Serve as a senior, trusted client lead for pharmaceutical healthcare accounts, overseeing strategy, execution, client service, team management, and account growth 

• Manage large, complex accounts and multi-workstream programs, ensuring strong organization, quality control, financial stewardship, and seamless team coordination 

• Provide strategic counsel on product communications, including data milestones, regulatory moments, disease awareness, branded and unbranded campaigns, lifecycle communications, and competitive positioning 

• Develop long-term client plans, strategic recommendations, program scopes, budgets, staffing models, and organic growth plans 

• Develop communications strategies, goals, media targets, messaging, pitch angles, and integrated campaign approaches with KPIs and measurement top of mind 

• Serve as an expert leader on client teams, bringing healthcare industry, therapeutic area, regulatory, product, and media knowledge to client work 

• Identify and nurture opportunities for organic growth and support new business efforts 

• Demonstrate prowess of the healthcare landscape, emerging communications trends, and regulatory changes that could impact clients  

• Ensure an exceptional level of client service by keeping senior agency leaders and client stakeholders informed, anticipating issues, managing priorities, and maintaining clear communication across teams 

• Manage, mentor, and develop junior and mid-level talent, helping build a best-in-class healthcare communications team 

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Qualifications 

• Minimum 12+ years of public relations or communications experience, with a strong emphasis on healthcare communications 

• Bachelor’s degree in Public Relations, Communications, Journalism, or a related field 

• Significant experience in pharmaceutical, biotech, healthcare product, and/or patient advocacy communications 

• Deep product communications experience, including marketed products, product launches, lifecycle communications, data milestones, regulatory milestones, disease awareness, and competitive positioning 

• Experience leading large, complex healthcare accounts or multi-product portfolios, ideally within an agency environment 

• Strong integrated communications mindset with experience connecting earned media, digital, social, advocacy, corporate reputation, executive visibility, and stakeholder engagement strategies 

• Experience with data and regulatory milestone communications is required 

• Experience working with patient advocacy groups, patients, and influencers is required 

• Demonstrated track record of developing and executing successful communications programs for healthcare brands 

• Strong client relationship-building skills, including the ability to earn trust with senior-level clients 

• Strong writing, presentation, organizational, and team leadership skills 

• Ability to manage multiple workstreams, lead large teams, and provide sound strategic counsel in a fast-paced agency environment 

• Curiosity and comfort with integrating AI into communications and workflows 

• Passion for working across the healthcare space and helping clients tell meaningful stories that advance understanding, engagement, and impact 

Benefits and More 

• You will receive a competitive base salary and bonus opportunity 

• You will also be able to enroll in our Health, Dental, Vision, company paid Life Insurance, Flexible Spending Account, as well as 401k (match) plan. 

• Monthly allowance for cell phone, office equipment, etc. 

• Generous PTO policy with paid maternity/paternity leave 

• Transit benefits 

• Professional learning and development opportunities 

• Workplace flexibility 

• On-site and off-site social gatherings 

The anticipated salary range for this position, at the time of posting, is $160,000 - $240,000. The salary of the applicant selected for this role will be based on a variety of factors, including but not limited to, education, internal equity, geography, relevant years of experience, certifications, skills, abilities of the selected applicant, and other job-related qualifications. In addition, a range of medical, dental, vision, disability, 401(k) matching, paid time off, and/or other benefits also are available by the company 

We have openings across multiple levels within the agency. If you're interested, please reach out to [email protected], we'd be happy to discuss similar opportunities that align with your experience.