Astellas Pharma Posted October 21, 2026

Lead, Communications Business Partner (R&D) (Warsaw, PL, 02-092)

Warsaw, Poland Type not listed
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Astellas Pharma 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

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About Astellas 

Astellas is a global life sciences company committed to turning innovative science into VALUE for patients. We provide transformative therapies in disease areas that include oncology, ophthalmology, urology, immunology and women's health. Through our research and development programs, we are pioneering new healthcare solutions for diseases with high unmet medical need. Learn more at Astellas.com .

Are you driven to make a real difference in the lives of patients?

We're seeking passionate individuals who thrive in dynamic environments, embrace new ideas, and aren't afraid to take intelligent risks. People who act with unwavering integrity and are deeply committed to making a tangible impact.

Astellas’ Global Capability Centers – Overview

Astellas’ Global Capability Centres (GCCs) are strategically located sites that give Astellas the ability to access talent across various functions in the value chain and to co-locate core capabilities that are currently dispersed. Our three GCCs are located in India, Poland and Mexico.

The GCCs will enhance our operational efficiency, resilience and innovation potential, enabling a timely response to changing business demands.

Our GCCs are an integral part of Astellas, guided by our shared values and behaviours, and are critical enablers of the company’s strategic priorities, sustainable growth, and commitment to turn innovative science into VALUE for patients.

Location and Working Environment

This is a permanent role based in our Global Capability Centre in Warsaw, Poland and hybrid working with the expectation for some office presence. Flexibility may be required in line with business needs. Candidates must be located within a commutable distance of the office.

At Astellas we recognize the importance of work/life balance, and we are proud to offer a hybrid working solution allowing time to connect with colleagues at the office with the flexibility to also work from home. We believe this will optimize the most productive work environment for all employees to succeed and deliver. Hybrid work from certain locations may be permitted in accordance with Astellas’ Responsible Flexibility Guidelines.

Purpose and Scope

This is a highly strategic communications role that serves as the primary communications partner to senior R&D leaders. The individual will help translate complex scientific and research developments into clear, compelling messages for both internal and external audiences, supporting Astellas' ambition to strengthen its reputation as a science-led organization.

The role sits at the intersection of executive communications, employee engagement, media relations, and scientific storytelling. Success requires balancing internal communications needs with external reputation-building activities while providing trusted counsel to senior stakeholders.

Role and Responsibilities

Partner with senior R&D leaders and provide strategic communications advice.

Turn complex scientific topics into clear and engaging messages.

Develop and deliver communication plans that support business and R&D priorities.

Lead both internal and external communications activities for assigned R&D areas.

Shape and promote Astellas’ scientific story to strengthen company reputation.

Work with media and identify opportunities to increase visibility for Astellas and its leaders.

Prepare leaders for speaking engagements, conferences, interviews, and other external opportunities.

Support employee engagement by keeping teams informed, aligned, and inspired.

Build strong relationships with stakeholders across R&D, Communications, and other business functions globally.

Support issues and crisis communications while ensuring consistent messaging across all channels.

Required Qualifications

Experience in communications within a scientific, healthcare, pharmaceutical, biotech, or research-driven environment.

Ability to translate complex scientific or technical topics into clear and engaging messages for different audiences.

Experience developing and delivering both internal and external communications strategies and activities.

Confidence partnering with senior leaders and providing strategic communications counsel and recommendations.

Strong stakeholder management skills with the ability to influence, challenge, and build credibility across functions and levels.

Experience working in a global and matrixed organization, collaborating across countries, cultures, and teams.

Media relations experience, including developing stories, managing media opportunities, and supporting executive visibility.

Fluency in English.

Preferred Qualifications

Experience supporting R&D, innovation, or scientific organizations in a communications role.

Experience preparing senior leaders for media interviews, speaking engagements, and thought leadership opportunities.

Experience supporting issues management, change communications, or crisis communications.

What awaits you at Astellas? 

Global collaboration: Become part of a connected global business of like-minded life science leaders, all dedicated to improving patients' lives worldwide.

Real-world patient impact: Contribute to transformative therapies that reach patients around the world, knowing your work makes a difference every day.

Relentless Innovation: Join a company at the forefront of scientific breakthroughs, where you'll have the opportunity to shape the future of healthcare.

A Culture of Growth: Chart your own course within a supportive environment that values your contributions, champions your development, and empowers you to pursue your passions.

Our Organisational Values and Behaviours

Integrity

Innovation

Impact

One Astellas

Accountability

Courage

Sense of Urgency

Outcome Focus

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We are an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Beware of recruitment scams impersonating Astellas recruiters or representatives. Authentic communication will only originate from an official Astellas LinkedIn profile or a verified company email address. If you encounter a fake profile or anything suspicious, report it promptly to LinkedIn's support team through LinkedIn Help.

#LI-Warsaw

#LI-Hybrid

#LI-LG1

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Job details

Seniority
Not listed
Function
Communications & Public Affairs
Therapeutic area
Not listed
Location
Warsaw, Poland
Employment type
Not listed

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 244 comparable Communications & Public Affairs roles across 77 biopharma companies.

244Comparable roles tracked
231Currently active
77Companies hiring similar roles
38Countries represented

Salary context

50 of 244 peers report a salary range (USD, annualized)

Peers share this role's job function. This posting doesn't list a seniority level, so peers aren't narrowed by seniority either -- the range below may span more levels than usual.

This roleSubject Not listed on this posting
Lowest disclosed · 2027 Future Talent Program - Global Communications - Intern · Merck $39,908/yr – $111,111/yr
Highest disclosed · Sr Director, U.S. Public Affairs (Boston, MA, US) · Servier $216/hr – $316/hr (≈ $449,280–$657,280/yr)
Peer group range $75,510 – $553,280 (median $190,550)

Where these roles are based

Top locations among the 244 comparable roles

United States106
Japan21
China15
Germany13
France13
United Kingdom10

+ 32 more countries

Seniority mix

194 of 244 peers have a known seniority level

Manager78
Director41
Senior Director22
Associate Director19
Intern/Fellow/Postdoc18
Senior8
Executive/VP6
Associate2

Therapeutic area mix

15 of 244 peers have a known therapeutic area; the rest are genuinely unlabeled, not hidden

Oncology6
Cardiovascular / CVRM3
Rare Disease3
Neuroscience2
Vaccines & Infectious 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.

40%similar
AbbVie Warsaw, Masovian Voivodeship Manager
Same function Same country
40%similar
Bayer Gdańsk, Poland
Same function Same country
40%similar
Sanofi Sp. z o.o. Warsaw, Poland
Same function Same country
25%similar
Gilead Sciences Shanghai Pharmaceutical Technology Co., Ltd. Shanghai, China Senior Director
Same function

Matched on job function only -- seniority, specialty, and location weren't confirmed as aligned.

25%similar
Gilead Sciences, Inc. Miami, United States Manager
Same function

Matched on job function only -- seniority, specialty, and location weren't confirmed as aligned.

25%similar
Novartis Shanghai (Shanghai), China Associate Director
Same function

Matched on job function only -- seniority, specialty, and location weren't confirmed as aligned.

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.

Or follow a whole field: get every new Communications & Public Affairs job in Poland, and choose locations and companies.

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.

40%
Government Affairs Manager
AbbVie · Warsaw, Masovian Voivodeship · Manager
Function Therapeutic area Seniority Country
40%
Corporate Affairs Vaccines Lead Poland & CSE MCO
Sanofi Sp. z o.o. · Warsaw, Poland · Seniority not listed
Function Therapeutic area Seniority Country
25%
Senior Manager/Associate Director, TA Communications & Patient Advocacy
Novartis · Shanghai (Shanghai), China · Associate Director
Function Therapeutic area Seniority Country
25%
Senior Director, CEO Communications
E.R. Squibb & Sons,L.L.C. · Princeton, United States · Senior Director
Function Therapeutic area 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.