[Hiring] Patient Engagement Associate Director @Syneos Health

Role Description

As Associate Director, Patient Engagement, you will serve as a strategic leader embedded within a sponsor’s clinical development organization, responsible for integrating the patient voice across the full development lifecycle—from early molecule strategy through clinical execution and evidence generation. Your work will directly influence how trials are designed, how patients experience participation, and how development decisions are made at an enterprise level.

This is not a support or execution-only role. It is a visible, high-influence, sponsor-side position requiring hands-on experience leading patient engagement and patient recruitment strategies within a pharmaceutical company. Experience limited to CROs, investigative sites, agencies, or service providers does not meet the requirements of this role.

What You Will Drive

• A global strategy for patient-focused trial design, patient experience enhancement, and patient-centered evidence generation.
• Sponsor-side patient recruitment and retention strategies embedded directly into clinical development planning and execution.
• Patient journey analytics, inclusion frameworks, and co-designed engagement initiatives that improve recruitment performance, reduce participant burden, and increase trial satisfaction.
• Strategies to strengthen representation and inclusion across therapeutic areas and geographies.
• Enterprise-level change management to scale patient engagement capabilities, standardize best practices, and modernize the clinical trial experience.
• Cross-functional collaboration with Clinical Operations, Clinical Research, Regulatory, Data Science, Medical Affairs, Public Affairs, Commercial, and Corporate Affairs.
• Strategic input into policy and regulatory initiatives related to PFDD, PFMD, the 21st Century Cures Act, PDUFA VII, digital health, and real-world evidence.
• Engagement with patient advocacy groups, caregivers, and external stakeholders to support long-term trust and advocacy.

Why This Role Matters

Patient engagement is no longer optional—it is a competitive differentiator in drug development. Regulatory expectations, digital innovation, real-world data, and patient advocacy are reshaping how clinical programs are evaluated and rewarded. In this role, you won’t react to that change—you’ll lead it.

You will help ensure that patient perspectives are not an afterthought, but a core pillar of how development decisions are made, improving trial feasibility, regulatory confidence, participant experience, and overall development outcomes.

What Success Looks Like

• Patient insights are embedded in protocol design, endpoint selection, and development strategy.
• Recruitment and retention improve because trials are designed with patients, not just for them.
• Patient engagement approaches are consistent, scalable, and measurable across programs.
• The sponsor is recognized internally and externally as a leader in patient-focused development.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in patient engagement, patient recruitment, or patient-centric clinical trial strategy within a pharmaceutical company.
• Demonstrated experience influencing cross-functional leaders and driving enterprise change.
• Strong understanding of global clinical development, regulatory frameworks, and operational decision-making.
• Proven ability to design and execute global, multi-functional patient engagement initiatives.
• Exceptional communication skills, with the ability to translate complex scientific and regulatory concepts into clear strategy.

Preferred

• Advanced degree in Life Sciences, Pharmacy, Data Science, Information Technology, or related field.
• Experience with digital health solutions, real-world data, and patient engagement technology.
• Prior leadership of large, global clinical development programs or transformation initiatives.

This Role Is Not a Fit If…

• Your experience is limited to CRO, site-level, agency, or services-vendor roles.
• You have not owned patient engagement or recruitment strategy from within a pharmaceutical sponsor.
• You are seeking rotational project work rather than deep, sponsor-embedded leadership.

Benefits

• Company car or car allowance.
• Health benefits to include Medical, Dental, and Vision.
• Company match 401k.
• Eligibility to participate in Employee Stock Purchase Plan.
• Eligibility to earn commissions/bonus based on company and individual performance.
• Flexible paid time off (PTO) and sick time.

Salary Range

$114,000.00 - $210,900.00. The base salary range represents the anticipated low and high of the Syneos Health range for this position. Actual salary will vary based on various factors such as the candidate’s qualifications, skills, competencies, and proficiency for the role.