Novartis Posted September 17, 2026

Associate Director, Neuromuscular, US Patient Advocacy

East Hanover, United States FULL_TIME
Communications & Public Affairs Associate Director
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Novartis is the source of truth for this posting and owns the application process. We surface normalized context and market comparison you won't find on the original listing.

About this opportunity

The Associate Director, Neuromuscular, US Patient Advocacy collaborates with relevant Neuromuscular patient communities (including but not limited to DMD, DM-1, FSHD) to understand unmet needs that inform business strategy, mobilize and empower the patient community and those who care for them to seek the best care, and reduce access barriers.The ideal location for this role is East Hanover, but remote work may be possible. Please note that this role would not provide relocation as a result. If associate is remote, all home office expenses and any travel/lodging for periodic live meetings will be at the employee’s expense. The expectation of working hours and travel (domestic and/or international) will be defined by the hiring manager.

Key Responsibilities: Build and maintain trusted and strategic long-term relationships with patient organizations and communities in relevant Neuromuscular disease areas (including but not limited to DMD, DM-1, FSHD), centered on two-way communications and collaborations to advance shared prioritiesIdentify the right patient organizations to drive strategic collaborations and partnerships that help educate and mobilize patients to seek optimal care and elevate the voice of the patient to inform decisionmakers in the patient treatment journey, including HCPs, policymakers and payersExecute integrated patient advocacy strategies aligned to critical business and corporate priorities based on deep understanding of the patient/care partner experience and unmet needsEnsure patient/care partner insights and implications for launch and growth brands are systematically actioned across corporate affairs and with cross-functional partnersStay abreast of key environmental and policy issues impacting the company’s ability to operate and pre-emptively drive initiatives and build relationships to shape the environmentDevelop AI-enabled educational programs and resources that address unmet patient and caregiver needs and drive business objectivesMonitor and evaluate performance to achieve and maintain best-in-class outcomes, while being fully compliantEffectively manage budget and maximize agency ROIEssential Requirements: Bachelor’s degree required8+ years of experience in patient advocacy or related discipline with a healthcare and/or pharmaceutical background, prior experience in neuromuscular and rare disease areas preferred1-2 years industry patient advocacy role requiredDemonstrated ability to build trusting relationships with patient organizations, professional associations and other stakeholdersCommercial launch experienceDevelopment and implementation of integrated plans and projects against business objectives and prioritiesInfluencing and navigating complexityManagement of agency partners and budgetCrisis and issues management    Desirable Requirements:Understanding of US policy, regulatory and compliance landscapeExcellent written and verbal communication skillsExcellent people & communication skillsAbility to influence across diverse set of matrix cross-functional partnersBusiness acumen, critical thinking and collaborative enterprise mindsetAbility to multi-task and manage complex issuesAbility to operate within a dynamic & ambiguous environment while maintaining integrityBenefits & RewardsThe salary for this position is expected to range between $126,000 and $234,000 per year. The final salary offered is determined based on factors like, but not limited to, relevant skills and experience, and upon joining Novartis will be reviewed periodically. Novartis may change the published salary range based on company and market factors. Your compensation will include a performance-based cash incentive and, depending on the level of the role, eligibility to be considered for annual equity awards. US-based eligible employees will receive a comprehensive benefits package that includes health, life and disability benefits, a 401(k) with company contribution and match, and a variety of other benefits. In addition, employees are eligible for a generous time off package including vacation, personal days, holidays and other leaves.Why Novartis: Helping people with disease and their families takes more than innovative science. It takes a community of smart, passionate people like you. Collaborating, supporting and inspiring each other. Combining to achieve breakthroughs that change patients’ lives. Ready to create a brighter future together? https://www.novartis.com/about/strategy/people-and-cultureJoin our Novartis Network: Not the right Novartis role for you? Sign up to our talent community to stay connected and learn about suitable career opportunities as soon as they come up: https://talentnetwork.novartis.com/networkBenefits and Rewards: Read our handbook to learn about all the ways we’ll help you thrive personally and professionally: https://www.novartis.com/careers/benefits-rewards

Job details

Seniority
Associate Director
Function
Communications & Public Affairs
Therapeutic area
Not listed
Location
East Hanover, United States
Employment type
FULL_TIME

How this role compares

Computed from every other active Communications & Public Affairs role in our database, not just this employer's listings.

We currently track 57 comparable Associate Director Communications & Public Affairs roles across 32 biopharma companies.

57Comparable roles tracked
51Currently active
32Companies hiring similar roles
19Countries represented

Salary context

11 of 57 peers report a salary range (USD, annualized)

Peers share this role's job function and a matching or adjacent seniority level -- not necessarily the same therapeutic area or country.

This roleSubject $126,000/yr – $234,000/yr
Highest disclosed · Associate Director, Digital Communications · Neurocrine Biosciences Inc. $161,100/yr – $220,000/yr
Peer group range $129,100 – $190,550 (median $165,900)

Where these roles are based

Top locations among the 57 comparable roles

United States22
Japan6
China4
Germany4
India4
Canada3

+ 13 more countries

Seniority mix

57 of 57 peers have a known seniority level

Manager44
Associate Director9
Senior4

Therapeutic area mix

2 of 57 peers have a known therapeutic area; the rest are genuinely unlabeled, not hidden

Oncology1
Rare Disease1

Similar opportunities

The closest matches from our peer group, ranked by how similar they are, not how well you'd qualify for them -- treat this as market context, not a guaranteed shortlist; a weak match is labeled as one below.

60%similar
Neurocrine Biosciences Inc. US CA San Diego, United States Associate Director
Same function Same seniority Same country
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E.R. Squibb & Sons,L.L.C. Princeton, United States Associate Director
Same function Same seniority Same country
60%similar
E.R. Squibb & Sons,L.L.C. Princeton, United States Associate Director
Same function Same seniority Same country
60%similar
E.R. Squibb & Sons,L.L.C. Princeton, United States Associate Director
Same function Same seniority Same country
50%similar
Gilead Sciences, Inc. Miami, United States Manager
Same function Adjacent seniority Same country
50%similar
Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc (USA) Sleepy Hollow, United States Manager
Same function Adjacent seniority Same country

Notify me about similar jobs

Get an email when we spot other openings like this one – same job function, comparable seniority, roles you'd actually want to see.

How we calculate "similar"

No black box, no LLM guesswork: a deterministic score built from four normalized attributes. Here's this role's own peer group at different match levels, so you can see the mechanism, not just the result.

Every comparison starts from the same 100-point budget: 25 for working in the same function, 40 for the same therapeutic area, 20 for the same or adjacent seniority, 15 for the same country. A dimension we can't confirm on both sides contributes nothing, never a guess, never a free pass.

60%
Associate Director, Digital Communications
Neurocrine Biosciences Inc. · US CA San Diego, United States · Associate Director
Function Therapeutic area Seniority Country
60%
Associate Director, Strategy & Media Relations
E.R. Squibb & Sons,L.L.C. · Princeton, United States · Associate Director
Function Therapeutic area Seniority Country
50%
Value & Access Insights Senior Associate
Amgen USA Inc. · Remote, United States · Senior
Function Therapeutic area Adjacent seniority Country
50%
Value & Access Senior. Manager, Obesity and Related Conditions
Amgen USA Inc. · Remote, United States · Manager
Function Therapeutic area Adjacent seniority Country
Unmatched or unknown dimensions score exactly the same: 0 points, never a partial guess. A role we know almost nothing about beyond its function bottoms out at 25%; it never inflates to 100% just because there's little to compare against. Seniority uses a defined ladder (Associate → Manager → Associate Director → Senior → Principal → Director → Senior Director → Executive/VP) so "Director" and "Senior Director" count as adjacent, but "Director" and "Executive/VP" do not.