Sr Vice President / Director, Earned Media
Edelman · New York City · $150,000–$200,000 (stated in the posting)
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Edelman is seeking a strategic, news-driven Senior Vice President of Health Media to help lead high-impact healthcare and pharmaceutical storytelling for some of the most visible and consequential organizations in the industry. This is a role for an earned media leader who is energized by complex issues, fast-moving news cycles, and the opportunity to shape how science, medicine, innovation, and health policy show up in culture and conversation.
You’ll provide senior media counsel across a portfolio of global healthcare and pharmaceutical clients, advising executives and integrated teams on moments that matter: drug development, clinical and real-world evidence, corporate reputation, regulatory milestones, product launches, issues management, and emerging health innovation. It is a highly visible opportunity to influence perception, protect and build reputation, and help clients tell stories that are accurate, credible, compliant, and compelling.
The Opportunity
- Lead earned media strategy for clients operating at the center of healthcare, science, business, technology, and policy.
- Partner with senior leaders across Edelman’s health, corporate, creative, digital, public affairs, analytics, and issues teams to build integrated, high-impact programs.
- Shape narratives around the innovations, data, people, and decisions that influence patients, providers, policymakers, investors, reporters, and the broader public.
- Join a team that values sharp editorial judgment, curiosity, collaboration, urgency, and calm counsel in high-stakes moments.
What You’ll Do
Strategic Media Leadership
- Serve as a senior media strategist and counselor for major pharmaceutical, biotech, and healthcare clients navigating regulated, high-scrutiny environments.
- Set the strategic direction for earned media programs spanning product launches, celebrity and creator activations, clinical and data milestones, pipeline announcements, executive positioning, corporate reputation, and issues management.
- Counsel senior executives on the media and reputational implications of FDA timelines, clinical trial data, regulatory approvals, safety updates, policy developments, and emerging industry issues.
- Anticipate shifts across healthcare, media, regulation, and technology and translate them into proactive communications strategies.
- Bring urgency, judgment, and proactive counsel to fast-moving, high-profile client work that often intersects with the news cycle in real time.
Pharma, Data & Technology Storytelling
- Translate complex scientific, medical, and technical information—including clinical data, real-world evidence, digital health, and AI-enabled innovation—into clear, credible, and compelling narratives.
- Partner across medical, regulatory, legal, public affairs, creative, digital, and analytics teams to ensure accuracy, compliance, and strategic impact.
- Advise clients on how data, technology, visuals, and digital assets can strengthen storytelling and earned media performance.
- Navigate an evolving media landscape that includes traditional outlets as well as podcasts, newsletters, Substacks, creator-led journalism, and other emerging platforms.
Media Influence & Executive Visibility
- Lead high-impact media strategies across national and local broadcast, print, digital, trade, business, science, technology, and emerging media.
- Oversee milestone announcements, executive visibility programs, media events, briefings, and broadcast opportunities.
- Build and maintain strong relationships with influential health, science, business, technology, and policy journalists and emerging media voices.
- Counsel C-suite and senior executives on positioning, message development, media engagement, and high-stakes communications.
- Advise clients on how to engage media influencers, creator-led platforms, and non-traditional media voices in ways that are credible, compliant, audience-appropriate, and strategically aligned.
Client Leadership & Business Growth
- Serve as a trusted senior advisor to client stakeholders across communications, marketing, public affairs, medical affairs, and regulatory functions.
- Strengthen senior client relationships while identifying communications needs, reputational risks, and opportunities to deliver greater value.
- Drive organic growth within existing accounts and contribute to new business development, including strategy, proposals, pitches, and senior-level presentations.
- Demonstrate strong commercial judgment and accountability for the health and growth of client relationships.
Team Leadership & Development
- Lead, mentor, and develop high-performing media teams across levels.
- Set a high bar for strategic thinking, media excellence, client service, and execution.
- Provide clear direction, coaching, and actionable feedback that supports talent development and retention.
- Foster strong collaboration across integrated teams, including creative, digital, analytics, and public affairs.
What You Bring
Experience & Expertise
- 10+ years of earned media and communications experience, ideally with significant work across pharmaceutical, biotech, life sciences, or other highly regulated healthcare organizations.
- Experience counseling senior executives and leading complex, high-profile client relationships and communications programs.
- Strong understanding of FDA regulations, clinical data communications, regulatory milestones, and compliance-driven review processes; direct experience in these areas is highly valued.
- Strong knowledge of pharmaceutical innovation, health technology, AI, data analytics, digital health, and the broader healthcare ecosystem.
- Experience leading communications around major product, clinical, regulatory, corporate, cultural, or reputational moments.
- Experience leading consumer earned-led creative activations with celebrities, notable creators, or influential partners is a plus, particularly programs that are strategically grounded, culturally relevant, and built to drive earned media impact.
- Proven ability to contribute to organic client growth and new business development.
Media Expertise
- Expertise across broadcast, print, digital, trade, and emerging media, including studio production, satellite media tours, visual storytelling, podcasts, newsletters, Substacks, and creator-led journalism.
- Established relationships with health, science, business, technology, and/or policy media.
- Strong editorial instincts and the ability to identify the stories, moments, voices, and platforms with the greatest potential for impact.
- Fluency in using data, analytics, technology, and emerging platforms to strengthen earned media strategy.
Leadership & Communication
- Exceptional storytelling, writing, presentation, and executive counseling skills.
- Ability to translate highly technical, scientific, or regulated topics into accessible and compelling narratives.
- Strong executive presence and confidence advising senior stakeholders through complex and high-stakes communications challenges.
- Demonstrated ability to lead multidisciplinary teams and develop talent.
- Create clarity, accountability, collaboration, and momentum across fast-moving client workstreams.
- Strong business acumen, sound judgment, and a collaborative leadership style.
$150,000 - $200,000 annually
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An employee’s pay position within the salary range will be based on several factors including, but not limited to, relevant education, qualifications, certifications, experience, skills, seniority, geographic location, performance, travel requirements, revenue-based metrics, any contractual agreements, and business or organizational needs. The range listed is just one component of DJEH’s total compensation package for employees. Other rewards may include annual bonuses, a Paid Time Off policy, and region-specific benefits.
DJEH offers a wide range of benefits: medical and dental insurance, vision, 401K, life insurance, disability insurance, paid time off, travel assistance and wellness programing.
DJEH is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and believes in diversity, equity, and inclusion. We seek applications from all qualified candidates without regard to race, color, gender, sex, age, religion, physical or mental disability, military and veteran status, or any other basis protected by federal, state or local law. If you require a reasonable accommodation in any part of the employment process, please let us know.